The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-01-15

Ceu,rsoter Wa,sh,s Reply - ths Secretary e
the Enty.

Nhe HhNys
A copy Of the following communication has
been received from Messrs. Hornblowor. Byrne,
Taylor. and Miller, counsel for Augustin Walsh.
surviving member of tho firm Of John d Au-
gustin Walsh, contractors. In q despatch
from Washington published on last Thursday.
1t was announced that Secretary Long had de-
] cided to commence proceedings against MI.
Walsh for alleged responsibility for the do
fe6tN In brooklyn Dry Dock No. 8.
New YORK. Jan. II. 1898.
Hon. John d. Long. Secretary Of the Navy. WasAtn0.
ton, L. C.
DEAF srR Replying to your favor under
date Of Jan. IL, which was only delivered to
me through the post within the last hour. am
your notification at this present date.
Four days after the leak was first observed.
in Mar last, / addressed q letter to the proper
Determined before tho Government went
T TiSss a no ' such 70 s SsHP s sSG ! have SsTS IN 70 amy GncT way any, t sSTt
you may SEQ At to mako uso Of them. The
que s s;snrS Of compensation M ms sSnr. ! Leave e, entirely M SSv TO
That ia q matter which can be considered after
we have, stopped the leak. should much
You do not care to do that, I still offer to give
you any assistance that / can. The success of
ton than to any one else. and IL is for this
reason. among others, that l write you as
In the face Of my offer as above, involving no
expense to tho Government, you have chosen
neither to leave the matter OF tho repairs to me
nor oven In any way to consult me. Ihave my
OF tho dock, which differs from your own. OBJ
viously, however. you cannot expect any as
~sistanco now from me, after passing by my
pr evious offer, after appointing a board Of
your own choosing. which has proceeded to look
into the matter without calling upon me in any
way, and with tho apparent result that the
efforts Of your naval constructor in the repair
of tho dock have been misdfrected.
SO far ma looking to mo or my 6uretteg for nnY
reimbursement, you know quite well that the
Government has no claim. Tho dock has been
accepted. Nothing short Of fraud on my part
In securing the acceptance would obligate me
to repay any of the moneys received. do not
understand that you mako any charge OF fraud.
However that may be, 1t seems to me that
your Transmission to my %sureties of n copy Of
upon them, which 1 should DO glad to obviate
in the future. In case, therefore,. that ! be mis-
taken and that you do make a charge of fraud.
j beg to state that 1 am ready to place B150,0oO
ing that figure, as 1 do. because the amount is
the same as the Congressional appropriations
In such situation as may be agreed upon be-
tween tho United States District Attorney and
& Miller, SO that there can be noNuestion Of the
collection by the Government of any judgment
which it may obtain against me. This offer
stands good, provided. suit be brought within q
May I be permitted to suggest In conclusion,
that the folly of building a wooden dry dock,
rather than q stone one, of 80 enormous a size,
IN ground Of the shifty nature that exists IN the
demonstrated have been very much surprised
that the faults of this dock, whatsoever they
may he, should be visited upon my head by the
Navy Department at this late date, rather than
the method Of the attempted repairs; Yours
very truly, AUGUsTIN WALSH.