New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-08-15
PLACING THE BLAME.
THE BOARD OF INQUIRY BEGINS TO IN
VESTIGATE THE DRYDOCK NO 2
ACCIDENT.
CIVIL ENGINEER a. G. MENOCAIA WHO WAS IN
CHARGE OF THE WORK or THE CAIssoN.
TEsTIFIEs-ENGIYEER WHITE. IN COM
MAND AT THE TIME. ALSO
CIVIL ENGINEER
on THE STAND.

on THE STAND.
The Naval Board Of Inquiry appointed to inves-
tigate the accident at drydock No in the Navy
Yard which occurred last Saturday convened In
building No yesterday at o'clock. The Board
appointed comprises Captain Albert Kautz. OF the
Wabash stationed at Boston. president; Com
mander Edward Longnecker of the League Island
Navy Yard Civil Engineer George Mckay. OF Port
Royal Station, and Lieutenant George Barnett or
the receiving ship Vermont, who acts as judge-ad-
vocate. civil Engineer a. g. Menocal, who hah
charge Of the work OF removing the ballast from
the caisson, called as the first witness On the
day of the accident Mr. Menocal started on a
thirty-days' leave Of absence. and turned the WORK
over to Civil Engineer L. 5 q. White at O'Clock
in the afternoon. He did not give any instructions
TO Mr.. White regarding the caisson he thought
it unnecessary In answer to questions En-
gneer Menocal said that In his opinion everything
all right and without danger Of accident AT the
time of his departure. lie described In detah the
construction OF the casson and the pressure
thereon. The engineer explained that he had not
gone into the work without making careful cacula-
tions as 20 pressure and buoyancy. There was a
pressure. ne said. OF 40 tons, producing on
the rubber gasket pressure of 80 tons the cais-
son weighed 225 tons. As the engineer hgures H.
there was left a safety margin Of over 200 tons.
The theory had been advanced that the extreme
heat had had something to do with the giving
way of the caisson under the enormous pressure.
In reply TO a question, Engineer Menocal thouSht
that the heat had been retained In the plates 10
such an extent that they turned the rubber into a
lubricant so TO speak. and that under the enor-
nous outside pressure the caisson, with nothing
back OF it, gave way. a considerable part OF the
engineers testimony of technical nature
which he went into with much elaboration OF de-
tail
CIVIL ENGINEER WHITE CALLED
Civil Engineer L. S G. White called, and said
that he was in charge of the Department OF laruS
and Docks He said that he took charge o. me
csisson work al noon on Saturday. when Engineer
>Io,ocal wont away on leave Engineer White
stated positively that had received no orders per
tanning TO drydock No He was cosnizant OF the
removal Of the stone ballast. and he proposed the
d h nrecommended bv Engineer Menoca and
the Department OF Yards and DOCKS. Iht WI ~,
the caisson he explained. was 20 have been zone
in June. but about this time Admiral Bunce Meet
came in and there was cOislueI az a'o 49,
Son work was delayed. The removal OF the oa5as,
begun just about week neioIe ,h .s 6narfer
man Haskell reported to him that all stone Oa'aS-
II believe continued Engineer White. "tnat ihe
accident must have been due TO me eA'e Is,r5e,
water il was twelve inches hgner on od'uiu"'
night than the ordinary high tide" .,. t-.,,,,
DO you consider it safe asked Captain kauiz,
"to have removed the ballast, thereby 4eaN'"s the
= Would not have So" was the reply
THE CAIssON PRACTICALLY EMPTY
Engineer White then qualified his answer by say
Ing that he would not nave uoIe J. "'''ON "a
fully considering the pressure buoyancy' ude ana
Other elements which enter into such calculations
IN answer 20 question TO whether he had asked
Fngneer Menocal II he considered IL risk 10 re-
move the ballast. ne was Of the opinion that ne had'
ard that Mr. Menocai replied In the negative.
II came out in his examination mat me ffaiss srd
There was nothing left In T. except dirt ana otner
light material. Il had gone through TWO hign tiIgs
hetween that time and the time OF the accident he
ala not think that the extreme heat had anything
10 do with the giving way Of the caisson
About this time the Board went into secret SEES
sion, and shortly after adjourned to 1870 O'Clock
this morning.