New-York tribune., 1896-09-30
INVESTIGATION GOING on.
CIVIL ENGINEERS MENOCAL AND WHITE
BEFORE A COURT OF INQUiRY-CLEAN-
ING THE NAVY YARD DRYDOCK.

The second session of the court OF inquiry called
10 investigate the accident To the caisson OF Dry
dock No 2 In the Navy Yard on August D. met IN
Building No yesterday, and. after making
thorough inspection of the dock. began the taking
Of testimony regarding the accident The court IL
composed Of Captain Albert Kautz. of the rcceiv-
ing-ship Wabash In Boston: Commander Edwin
Longnecker and Civil Engineer George Mackay'
with First Licu.rnant George Barnett, OF the Ma
rine Corps stationed on the Vermont, as Judge
advocate. Former Assistant Secretary of the Navy
Solely appeared counsel for Chief Engineer
Nenocal The examination of the drydock re-
vealed the fact that the damage was somewhat
greater than had been at first announced. and that
the cost Of repair would be larger than the hrst
estimates In fact the bills already turned in for
repairing and replacing the caisson are consider
ably above the first estimates Of the cost Of the
work
Chief Engineer Menoca and L. s. G. White. Of
the Civil Engineers Department, were the only
witnesses examined. and the testimony was prac-
tcally a repetition of that given at the previous
sessions Of the court. which were held a short
time after the accident. Questions of power Of
fotation coeicents OF fri tion and other abstruse
points were gone into mnutely, and much OF the
time was taken up with discussions OF purely
technical nature. The gaskct, the giving way OF
which was alleged to have allowed the caisson to
be lifted BY the incoming tide had been brought
into the room in sections. and will be one of the
exhibits at the session of the court to-day. 1t
shows plainly the enormous strain which was
placed upon 1t, the solid rubber being wrenchcd
and torn into shreds In places
1t is expected that the more interesting part OF
the testimony will be brought cut In the proceed
ings to-day and the opinion is current In the yard
that not only will Chief Engineer Menocal be the
subject of a court-martial but that his assistant,
Civil Engineer White, may also be brought before
q court the idea being In the latter case that he
was AT fault IN not informing the commandant OF
the ward, Commodore Sicard, of the suspicious
which he had relative the safety of the caisson
after the stone and cement ballast had been re-
moved The court of inquiry is not expected 10
ret through with its business before Tomorrow.
and its report will not reach the public until after
II has been submitted to the authorities In Wash
npton The scope of the court Is wide. as the
formal notice TO its members calls for complete
investigation Of all the circumstances attending
the accident. and leaves 10 1t the hxing OF the
responsiblity for the trouble and suggestions as
to the penalty which should be imposed on those
who are held accountable for H. The questions oil
| damage and cost and time OF repairs also form
mart OF the courts business, ana II VIII take al
| lea II two DAYS to cover all the points
The work of cleaning out the dock has Dcen De-
| p,,n tho boilers Of the commandants steam auncn
| baving been removed and the little vessel pre-
| nrensTed for being taken out of the dock large
nuantitv OF mud has been taken out and deposited
IN The west side OF the dock, and workmen are
| already busy preparing the new alters ana othei
| timbers which will be required