New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-03-22
DTUUY BOLTS WE'RE USED.
sr-ur,r. DECEPTION IN A NAVY YARD CONTRACT
DISCOVERED BY INSPEcToRS-Wohh oH
THE CAUsEwAY STOPPED

THE CAUsEWAY STOPPED
1rs,ector Meaney. who is on duty at the Brook
Ivn Navy Yard as an inspector of the work peihg
arr,od on under the various Government con-
tracts has made the discovery that contractors
who are at work on the new causeway winch Is
intended to connect the main shore of the yard
with the Cob Dock have been using dummy
bolts" in their construction work, and has made
q renort to Chief Civil Engineer MenocaL A
briaf report Of the case has been made to the au-
,horities at Washington. and work on the sTuc-
ture has been stopped 1t had been expected that
tho causeway would be completed In month or
six weeks. but this will have the effect OF delay
ing the work indefinitely. the engineers sny
that every bolt In the structure will have to De
examined and 1t Is feared that fully one-hair OF
the work will have to be done over again
Already several hundred Of the dummy poits
have been found and piled up In the Office Vi
Lieutenant Peary. OF the Civil Engineers stan.
The contract for the causeway called Tor Inc
construction OF a roadway o22 feet long ana u
feet wide, extending from near the northeast
boundary line of the Navy Yard TO the COD DocA'
The present means Of communication Is SEQ"
run by cable between the main wall and the DOCK
and the causeway was Intended 70 taAe ''e
Mace II the scow the service Of when Is unsa'ls-
factory The specifications called Tor the use III
a certain frame OF two twenty-s!X-inch polts u
hold 1t In place. 1t now seems that soou po''
was put in at one end and dummy boi' al '"e
other making the work one-half as secure US It
should he The alienation was carried on 80
extensively that the inspectors and engineers
have found true and fraudulent bolts In about
equal numbers all through tho work
Sklful work was done the fraudulent
bolts. and they would have deceived any out
the most careful examiners. The Government
inspectors however. and Mr.. Meaney, nave
been there before" aud know the ways Oh
contractors, The dummy bolt was made with d
fun head, with point and two or three ihches
Of the screw portion Of the true bolt Then, III
stead OF being compelled To bore twenV-sA-
inch hole through the wood. few blows 81 4
sIedce-hammsr knocked the head of Il holt into
the place where a good bolt should nave gone
and ON the other side where the screw enc OF
the true bolt should have appeared. the dummy
screw end was als) hammered inio place. This
resulted in such a good imitation OF true bolt
that the deception could only be discovered by
taking out the head or the screw end OF the
dummy All this WAS expected 10 result III an
important saving for the contractors, the items
being made up Of the cost OF the true Dolls
and the wages OF the workmen In time saved
in putting them In place and boring holes Tor
them
A soon as the entire structure has been
examined full report will be made to WASH
ington but no action will be taken by the De
partment until all the facts are obtained Whdt
The result will be the engineers at the yard will
not say and they decline to talk for publication
II Is asserted however, that the Government
will have the right to cancel the contract, ana
as the use OF the dummy bolts. they say. ~
fraud the Government will have a strong case
against the contractors
1t Is said that an officer OF the company nav
ing the contract has been In consultation with
Chief Engineer Menocal relative 10 the matter,
but the outcome OF the discussion could not be
learned. II Is not expected that work on the
caueeway will he resumed until the Depart
ment has passed on the case