New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-01-07

THE BUILDERS AND NEGLIGENCE OR
WORSE OF THE INsPDcroRs-LEGAL
PROCEEDINGS AGAINST THE
FORMER LIKELY YARD
OFFICIALS INVOLVED
IN A SCANDAL
tEY TELEGRAPH TO THE rRIpuYEl
washington. Jan 6-rhe Navy Department
mas at last come into possession OF the causes
which led to the failure Of the big drydock AZ
the New-York Navy Yard and the court-mar.
tal OF at least one officer Of high rank is con.
sidered inevitable. The researches Of Naval
Constructor Bowles who has gone down to the
foundations OF the massive structure though
not wholly completed. have amply demonstrated
that rascality was AT tie bottom OF the whole
AFFAIR. and judicial processes are now being in.
sututed to fix the responsibility for a grave
government scandal involving a considerable
sum OF money which has been paid out for
iraudulent work. The reports OF Constructor
ho"les arc now In the hands Of Judge Advocate
General Lemly, who IS endeavorIng to deter
mine what remedy. IL any the Navy Denart
ment can seek against the contractors and in
spectors. and in the mean time the precise Ian.
Guage Of the reports will not be divulged 70 ths
public. The essential portions disclose an al.
most incredible state Of affairs. The funda-
mental feature Of such a drydock as that at
the New-York yard is said 10 be in the method
Of connecting its entrance with the outside
waterway IN order that the enormous pressure
from without may be resisted when all the
water Is pumped from the dock. In Dock No 3,
the plans provided in a generally approved man.
ner for this feature to be composed OF two
tisht-htting rows of sheet pillng several feet
|
until they reached hard stratum. the interven-
ing space between these rows to be excavated
and filled in with 4 mass Of high quality concrete.
which upon hardening would be impervious to
water.
PlLING THAT FLOATED AWAY.
1t appears from Constructor Bowles's investf-
cations inside the Golfer dam he has constructed
around the entrance that these conditions have
been most clumsy evaded. and all the work
done was not only of the shabbiest character
but that the Government inspectors must either
have never Inspected it they are open to q
much sraver charge. lie has found that some Of
the sheet piling was not driven all. but simply
stuck few inches in the mud ard carefully
sawed off level at the top TO hide the deficiency
in length. This Of course .iolted away as soon
water admitted last spring He discov-
cred other sheer piles forced into the soft mud
from feet inches to II feet. thereby admit
ting water freely below those depths He has
also found pil-s that DETECTED from their
true vertical line after penetrating the mud.
and which had thence progressed in diverse d.
rectons thereby creating conditions worse than
il there had been no piles at all The piles
which should have been straight and fitted
closely together found to have been short.
crooked twisted out Of line and overlapping
and what should have been a solid wall was
full Of holes.
The entire Job IS characterized as outrageous
" bad. even the concrete far examined.
being shallow and of inferior quality. The
water washed right through it. instead OF being
kept out
The original contract for the dock which was
made in November 1892 IS not affected by the
present scandal Joha Giilies. Of Eew-York.
then undertook the contract for Sil2.000. He
failed 10 finish the work. and Secretary Herbert,
in May. 1895. entered into a cortract with T. &
4. Walsh Of NeWN OrS. TO complete the work
for 1870 900
CIVIL ENGINEER MENOCAL IN CHARGE.
The atrocous work just discovered was done
under the latter contract while Civil Engineer
A. G.. Menocal was In charge Of the Govern
merits interests. The dock finally accepted
as completed In March 1897. having cost in
Guiding extras paid to the builders, S555,OS3 "a.
The monitor Puritan was dOckcd 10 test the
Job then the batte-ship Iowa was put in it for
the Cramps. previous 10 its trial trip, and final
~ the Massachusetts went In To have her bge
keels fitted. This Job was scarcely completed
when excessive leakage began, and the battle-
ship was hurriedly removed, as II later proved,
lust in time 10 prevent her possible destruction.
The leak was attributed 10 damages 10 the sheet
piling and concrete mouth OF the dock, caused
hv a dredge employed in deepening the chan
mel approaches. but this excuse is completely
demolished by Constructor Bowles's discoveries.
Congress last June appropriated 100000 TO
repair the dock and this amount has been used
in building a coNer-dam around the entrance
and tearing out the himsy work. while the Navy
DEPARTMENT Is at present begging congress for
an urgent deficiency appropriation Of $4,000 to
repair the damage. and enable Constructor
Bowles TO put in honest sheet piling and good
concrete Whether or not other defects Will be
shown when this one is rectiied is an important
question II was the failure OF this dock which
caused the Government the humiliation OF being
compelled 10 send the battle-shD Indiana to
Halifax 10 be locked. and is now causing con-
Germ for the safety Of the immersed sections OF
the Iowa and Massachusetts, which cannot be
cleaned and painted.
Secretary Long was expected 10 inspect the
dock to-day his intention being TO stop in
Brooklyn for that purpose on his way from Bos.
ton, and vigorous action on his part Is looked
for as soon he returns 70 Washington. II 10
believed the Government may not be able 10
reach the contractors who have been fully paid
for their work. but 70 Civil Engineer Menocal.
who IS now with the Canal Commission In Nica-
ragua has been given the earliest possible op-
portunity TO offer an explanation.
The story Of the operations in connection with
the construction of the hg drydock known as No.
3 IN the Brooklyn Navy Yard has been told many
times in The Tribune. Much fault was found with
the original contractor. John Gillies who was COM
peile6 20 reaqu.sh his contract by Secretary Her
bert or the ground of non-fulhlment. and when
the new contractors, Thomas and Augustin Walsh
assumed trol Of the work. they started In at a
rate whicn promised speedy completion OF the
big lob Thomas Walsh died before the task was
completed. d.the work carried on by the
surviving partner Before long. however there
was trouble. Delays. bitches, breakdowns, the
most not worthy OF the latter being the failure o!
the drainage apparatus and the breakage Of one
OF the forty-two-inch pipes which were depended
upon TO mpty the dock. marked the work until-
was declared completed. and the monitor Puritan
was f-at,d into the dock first test,
This ship and the Iowa imposed a severe strain
on the structure which II stood apparently with
out injury and the builders were complimented on
.ho snccoss OF ther work No suspicon was enter.