Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-06-16
ANOTHER NORTHERN ATTEMPT TO
IyJugE TT
TIE TORPEDO-BOAT CUSHING
Alleged wrecking Of the Vessel by
UnskiIfuI RepaIr-Work-An OIL
cioI OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES and
Postal Notes.

be the subject OF a naval inquiry, In
order to discover the source OF the infor-
nation contained in the telegram. or. at
least who Inspired it. The dispatch goes
on to say. that the torpedo-boat Gushing
Is now tied up at the torpedo station at
Newport but for what reason is only
known TO a few persons outside OF naval
officers. and even they refuse to say
when approached on the subject. II then
maliciously says:
..The deck over the engines has been
removed. and machinists are at work on
her. Ii would be Impossible 10 ma
body Of men who were angrler IMAM
these. yet they refrained from giving Ut
terance TO their feelings Last faH tue
Cushing was sent 10 the Norfolk navy
ward 10 be fitted with new steam pipes.
Everything must have been taken apart
and i'm putting things together wreck
was made Of the boat.
"rhe Cushing was taken 10 Norioik ny
the present crew OF the torpedo-poaI
Porter. and at that time she was IN nlst-
class condition. with the exception mat
new steam pipes were needed. her en-
gines worked finely
Here IS direct charge that the rf<-s
chinery OF the Gushing was so tampered
with by the employees OF the norfolk
navy-yard as 10 render the boat aDso-
utelv worthless for sea-going purposes
and as n result to lay her UP in her pre-
sent helpless condition.
ALLEGED INJURIES.
The explanation given OF the injuries
au.ged 10 have been inflicted on the
cushing at Norfolk is very adroit, and
is as follows: ,,..,o-
"It Is now found that the cylinder
head which was screwed on tight mad
been taken off and an asbestos packing
nut i'm between It and the cylinder ! MS
increased the interior OF the cylinder
one-sixteenth Of an inch, but they
thought they could remedy this by read
iustment OF the piston RODS. On the run
mn The sound a week ago. when Assist
ant Secretary % Of the Navy Roosevelt
was on board, it was found tnat the
blowers did not work properly, and an
examination showed that they also had
been tampered with. and In order 10
get a pressure of forty pounds OF steam
il was necessary 10 use rope packing
In the blowers. The heads Of the screws
in the machinery have been filed or. ana
the only way TO get the screws out Is
to drill them out"
The account then goes on to insinuate
that the officers OF the Cushing are
highly indignant. and that the engineer
will undoubtedly" make an interesting
report TO the Navy Department. ana
mat '1ively'' developments are sure TO
follow Then comes the germ OF TINS
attack on the navy-yard. in these two
paragraphs:
This demonstrates that navy-yard
workmen do not understand the con-
struction Of this class Of boats and
their delicate engines.
eft is surmised here that when the
boat reached Norfolk political jobs were
I'm order. and 1t was reported that the
boat needed thorough overhauilhg
simply to give work 10 the men who
have made wreck of this once fast
boat"
THE HERRESHOFFS.
The Cushing was built by the HERES
hoffs. and was considered the fastest
boat i'm the navy until the Porter was
built. and the assertion above that
the Norfolk navy-yard officials and work
men are so ignorant Of the construction
Of even torpedo boat that they could
not be trusted with the repairs OF one of
them. is another dastardly SANDER
At the Bureau of Steam Engineering
here it is said, in behalf of the Norfolk
yard. that the trouble with the Cushing
is that the bolts used in her cOnstruc-
ton were not the government standard
bolts but were of a special design made
by the Herreshoffs. and that in all prob
ability when the Cushing was overhauled.
some standard bolts were used with the
result as above described. The use Of
the HerreshoGfs' special bolts. screws.
ana dies Is blamed for the trouble. which,
il is said. would not have occurred If the
government standard bolts had been used.
1t Is also intimated that the object in
using the special bolts Of the Here's
hons was to force the government TO
have the repairs made by that firm.
The Bureau Of Steam Engineering will
investigate the entire matter as 20 the
bolts. and the authority for the attack
on the Norfolk navy-yard, and unit! a
report is received the officials decline to
say anything further on the subject.
WHAT MELVILLE SAYS.
When Commodore Melville. Chief En-
gineer of the navy was shown the New
mort telegram this evening. he became
highly indignant and said: This is false
from beginning TO end. Ii makes me so
mad 10 read II that | dislike to talk
on the subject You can say there Is not
a scintilla of foundation for the charge
that the fault was at the Norfolk navy
vard Work can be done there just as
well as at any other yard, public or pri-
yate. in the country.
.sTbe trouble is explained by the Bureau
Of Steam Engineering as above. This
stuff comes from the news bureau OF the
Ucrreshoffs. and they want 10 create
Tho innression that torpedo-boats can't
no huilt or repaired at any yard but their
own. we will show them to the contrary"
Tho Commodore was very angry over
the publication
NORTH CAROLINA POSTMASTERS.
Fourth-class postmasters for North
Carolina were appointed to-day as fol-
lows: Brevard. Pennsylvania county. q.
" Young, vice NJ. y. Cooper, removed;
calhoun. Pennsylvania county. ". l..
rally vice c. T.. Wilson, removed; Demo-
Graf Buncombe county, l. h. Buckner,
vice O. II. Mckinney. removed; Chenille.
Jackson county. b. J. Moody, vice Ebert
watson. removed; Logan's Store. Ruther-
ford county. J. q. Baber. vice l. +. Cuff
fry. removed; Nebo. Mcdowell county 5.
c. Unison, vice j. w Bailey, removed;
otter Creek, Rutherford county, L. ID.
,ravIor vice J. ID. Ledbetter. removed;
Pensacola, Yancey county Nigary VIII
SON vice NJ. y. Riddle, removed; Rocky
pass Mcdowell county. A. p. Pyatt. vice
Annie Holler. removed; Sonoma, Haywood
county. Harrison Singleton. vice NJ. l..
Terrell removed; white. Yancey coun-
~ NJ f.. Bailey, vice Moses Auglin, re-
moved. e.
PATENTS.
Patents issued to-day: Marcus w. Bry-
SON Webster. n c.. tobacco compressor;
catherine r.. Warren. RICHMOND. Va,
assienor to J. g. Butt. Augusta. Ga,
dianer protector: Iyey Brotherton.assignor
OF one half to NJ. h. Thornton, Hickory,
\. g. rotary steam engine.
Designs: Daniel q. Corbett. OF Lovetts-
Vile va. bracket and bed-slat holder
PERSONAL.