Waterbury Democrat., 1901-02-11
SHELLS WERE DETECTIVE.
Government Officer Made Important Discovery at Derby.


 Derby. Feb 11.-An Derby is in q state or mind over an occurrence at the DriggS-Seabury Cos factory and are discussing the affair, and as q result 8 great many rumorS and d great many stories without founda ton are ahoat The one thing that appears certain III the mass of rumor is that Lieutenant Anderson on recent in spection of the fifteen-pounder shells ordered for the United States navy, found a serious defect in the shell. Starting upon this basis the story Sat urday night had reached the pr0pOr- tlonS of q sensation when runloTs were afioat that t!ie government had can ceiled the two big contracts for the army and navy fifteen -pounder shells. The cancellation of the contract, how ever, is vigorously denied by the odi- cials of the company. the latter, how ever, declined to make any statement upon the reason or the result of Lieu tenant Anderson s visit to the factory. Superintendent ErdmGn is iu Washing ton, where he went immediately after the inspection referred to.
 Frcm what can be learned from the employees of the factory, Lieutenant Anderson came 10 Derby Friday morn ing. He visited the Driggs- Seabury
 
 menr when one of the government in spectors employed in the factory called his attention to one of the uf.eeI- pounder navy shells. Anderson. in looking the shell over. found q defect, 1t is said, ill the copper band which runs around the center of the prOjec- tile. The government officer then or dereG a box of shells which had been packed and ready for shipment to De opened. Foreman Russell of the shell department protested against the open ing of the box upon the ground that the shells had already been inspected regularly and had been marked 70. E.
 The protest was unheeded. and inc box ordered opened. Russell then said that he would get T nail butler. stepped Out of the room. and. according to re- port. has not been seen since. When the box was ripped open Lieutenan Anderson took one of the shells. ripped of the copper band and found inside q piece of cardboard between the band and the shell The band referred to gives the projcctile. it's rotary motion when the gun is fired. It is necessary that the band should lit tightly around the metal. and with the cardboard be- tween the band and the prOiecIlle the rotary motion would be lost. The bands were too large. and Lieutenant Anderson. it is said. found tnar all the shells in the box had cardboard under the band.
 When tue matter was reported 10 the government the army officials be came disturbed over the possibility Of the same occurren nee ill the army shells for which the lJrig iggSSeaDury Co had the contract. and immediately an army inspector Was ordered to Derby. It Is said. however. that the army shells already turned out were found to be without defect
 Russell-s disappearance and the in cidenIs leading up to il have given rise to the report that he alone was re- sponsiDle for the defect. in fact some of the employees of the company pro fess to believe that he was the agent of I rival concern.
 IL is said that none of the shells al legged 10 be defective were shipped from the factory.