The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1896-03-17
TO PAY FOR II NAUBUC.
SI2S,OOO AWARDED TO SNIP
BUILDER PERINE,S WIDOW.

Decision OF the Court or Claims Against the
Government IN - Case Pending since
1S85 President Cleveland Vetoed ~ BiIl
ALLOWING the Claim In HIs First Term.
Tho United States Court Of Claims has
awarded to Mrs. Sarah T.. E. perlne. the wild.
ow Of the late William pcrlne, n shipbullder "
wlliIamsburgb. Sl27 400. The pcrinc claim
Il for work done during tho war on the light.
lrauRht monitor Naubuc, which rerine utter
ward converted into n torpedo boat. since
1903. when tie vessel was completed. the claim
has been pending, and for more than twenty
i've vars IL was vigorously contested by the
Government.
pcrinC's shipyard was on the W~illiamsburyh
water front, between North seventh and North
Eighth streets. Te received the contract for
the Nnubuc on April ., 1868, and the vessel. n
turretcd monitor, was to bo completed six
months later. Tho contract price was $500.
OO0. Nearly three months asterward Pcrino
received orders from the Government to sto ,
work on the vessel, as alterations had been de-
cidcd upon. Ic was then directed TO convert
the vessel into II torpedo boat, and IL was csti.
mated that a further expenditure on pcrinc's
pnrt Of S33,O44.33 would be ample to launch
tho vessel, complete IT, and equip II with the
spare pieces, outfits. and stores required by tho
contract. The contract price was therefore
reduced to S3Gl .O55.67.
pcrine had men working day and night on
the Naubuc, with a view OF getting her ready
to 20 TO North Carolina to blow up the rebel
ram Alhcnarle. The vessel was not com
plctcd until February. 1865. The Government
refused to pay Pcrinc the balance due him.
contendlng that the completion of the boat
was unnecessarily delayed. In the same year
Perine filed his claim against the Governmental
a letter to Secretary Wclles of the Navy, in
1867, Perine wrote:
was in no way responsible for the decision of
the Government to change the character Of the YES.
sci from the original intention. 1t is well known
that the Government decided for Itself that the
original plan was not satisfactory, and that, to oh.
should receive the general plans aud specifications
ana equip tho vessel in exact accor,ianco there.
with. and with that expectation l contracted to de-.
liver the vessel complete in ak months. I fully
believed then. as I fully believe now, that IL that
'Sprrtatlon had been realized I should have prompt.
ing time, and would have delivered the vessel to
the Government on or hefor" 'ct. ? iSo3, the con
tract date ~ romplctloni | could, Therefore, have
sotnrletct ~ much Of The contract work as had
S SSS% PSrr2f% Sn june at me e, TN" isSl ! M im fs s,"p @%n,s by n ind
fifteen days. or on the i'm Of September, 1855.
While the claim was before Congress in 1870
money In pushing it. After his death his wife
took up the litigation and Nathaniel Mckay.
e q shh drp of Broppk Sayi1.n 6fG Gl.S, i .nfis srsi
~ iVi tnsN' nv iiS . 'shich a. iiHl
term n bill allowing the claim passed the House
and Senate. but the President vetoed it. Then
Mckay put IL before the Court of Claims.
Mrs. Perine is living in New Jersey with her
son and daughter. She is 80 years old.
WAsHINGToN, March 16.-The United States
Court of Claims to-day rendered. II Judgment
against the United States for Sl2T.4OO in favor
OF Sarah +. T.. Perine, administratrix of the
estate of William Perine. This is one of the
old claims against the Government, growing
out OF the construction of the 'ninety-Gay
MONITORS 1t Is on all fours with that Of the
celebrated Nat Mckay claim, which was pend.
Ing in Congress for so many years and which
Cleveland vetoed in his first term. In decid-
ing the case 10 day the court did not consider
1t necessary TO draw n special opinion, but the
Chief Justice simply announced the Judgment
OF the court, saying that the same question has
been before the court in several cases OF II sim
liar nature.