New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-06-26
CHARGES NOT SUSTAINED.
SETTLEMENT OF THE TROUBLE OVER
THE PURITAN's GUNS.
SECRETARY HERBERT ORDERS WORK ON IH1
MONITOR TO BE REsUMED-THE DISPUTE
BETWEEN COMMANDER SPERRY
AND CONSTRUCTOR BOWLES.

BETWEEN COMMANDER sPERRY
AND CONSTRUCTOR BowLEs.
TBY TELEGRAPH TO THE rKIBuNE.1
Washington June 25-Officials Of the Navy DsA
partinent are now going over the record OF the
court OF inquiry which recently completed an IN
vestigaton of certain allegations Of fraud preferred
by Commander Sperry. in charge OF the ordnance
department of the Brooklyn Navy Yard. against the
construction department of that station. Much Sc
crecy attended the proceedings Of the court while
in session at the Brooklyn yard. Even the nature
OF the charges withheld from the press. This
is unusual with courts of inquiry and the fact has
naturally directed attention to the case The court
was in session in Brooklyn for about five weeks
and during the period not a word as to the pro-
ceedings leaked out.
The story of the case is OF interest particularly to
naval officers on duty at the Brooklyn station The
origin Of the court is traceable to a complaint OK
Commander Sperry against Naval Constructor
Bowles. The complaint was lodged about six weeks
ago. and then received the scrutiny OF the Secretary
of the Navy. Commander Sperry and Constructor
Bowes had official differences involving
their respective authority over work connected with
the Purltans turrets and guns The matter was
finally laid before Secretary Herbert who decided
favorably to Constructor Bowles. The special point
issue whether the construction department OF
the Brooklyn yard had authority to inspect certain
work. Commander Sperry contended that the duty
partment.
Shortly after the question was settled Commander
Sperry again called the attention Of the Navy De-
partment TO the course Of Constructor Bowles. He
reported that, in his judgment. the manner OF in-
s,ang the big guns OF the Puritan by that off1cer
was far from satisfactory. He gave particulars and
asked for official investiga ton. According to his
complaint certain fittings OF the turrets TO be con-
nected with the guns were not properly adjusted.
and as result he contended. the guns were not
laid n parallel lines. but diverged somewhat. The
divergence If guns in the turrets Of fighting ves-
sci is a serious matter. If the departure from the
parallel line is at all great the firing would be in
accurate. and this would be greatly to the adj
vantage of the enemy.
The court inquired closely into the facts As the
evidence In the record here shows, the element
of divergence the Puritan did not exceed one
sixteenth Of inch. This in 5000 yards means
about three feet On the battle-ship Indiana, Il was
ascertained. the divergence is about a quarter OF
inch that is TO say, the departure from the
parallel line Of the turret guns OF the vessel wnch
Captain Evans commands is four times greater than
that on the Puritan. The turret guns OF the In
diana have been tested and found to be satisfactory
for fighting purposes. The Of Inquiry found
the in the forward turret Of the Puritan prop
erly placed.
Commander Sperry also complained that some OF
the securing bots inside the big monitors turrets
had been sheared off Others. he reported had been
turned down TO smaller size. He regarded tho
course in both cases as improper and tending TO
weaken the part Of the vessel where the bolts were
used Members OF the court visited the Puritan and
made practical examination of this point OF the
inquiry. Later on in the proceedings some OF the
bolts produced in the courtroom and meas
ured AS result Of the trip 10 the ship 1t was
found that not more than one bolt had been tam
pered with and that the change in that did not
seriously affect the strength Of the fittings. Com
mander Sperry himself measured the bots inspected
in the courtroom The instrument used for
pose that employed the earlier occasion
when II was thought that the bolts had been made
smaller. The showed that the size Of the bolts
al, right. and that change in their diameter
had been made. 1t that the bolts were made
by the Ordnance Department and put in by the
Construction Department. Workmen on the ord
nance rolls reported to Commander sperry that the
bolts had been tempered with. The evidence proved
into into BY the court G was the charge Of commSnder
Sperry that the ordnance plans for the Puritan
for s1nus It aee hat liners lr wash
rary was found to be- the case The work on the
Puritan had been carefully executed. and no liners
an excellent dmeta-to-inetal' job. The Big mon.
tor is the only ship in the Navy upon which these
Another incident Of the case is the charge OF dis
BY sDef try ssans D
controversy as to me manner OF executing WORK
s. rns he lsRSr deps
ment OF the Brooklyn yard was not doing its work
we'll founded. He found Constructor Bowles on tho
vessel The Commander made known his business
and instituted personal investigation into the con-
di;on OF the work. Going from point 10 point he
found that. contrary to the story he had heard tho
various jobs had been we'll executed The differ
between the reports and the actual fact seemed
10 amuse Constructor Bowles somewhat, ana at a
certain stage OF the investigation he could not SUD-
press smile The Constructor Is the junior In rank
OF Commander Sperry. and the latter construed his
respect. He accordingly made report TO this ef-
feet 10 Commodore Sicard. the Commandant OF the
Navy Yard. who Instituted an inquiry. An explana-
ton made by Constructor Bowes seemed salts
factory TO the Conmandant. and the matter was
dropped.
The findings o, the court OF inquiry upon the
charges investigated are. in brief. that the evil
dence does not sustain the allegations and tho
recomme ndat,on is made that no further proceed
ings be had. Accordingly Secretary Herbert has
forwarded orders Commodore Sicard directing
be carried on in the manner followed before the
inquiry and that all reasonable dispatch toward
completion be observed AS result OF the various
official controversies relative 10 the manner OF do
ing work the ship. her readiness for service has
been delayed three months. The holding back OF
the vessel II is understood. has angered Secretary
Herbert considerably According 70 reports, tho
Secretary not aware when he ordered tho
court OF inquiry that its proceedings would cause
any delay I'm the Several somewhat sensa-
tonal stories are afoat as TO what the Secretary
TO account Thus far no definite information -
to his future course has leaked out.
nv