The Washington times., 1905-08-06
Darling Discounts Story
of Sights Being
Patched Up.
MACHINIST5 WANT PROBE
R7assert Belief That Work
IS Worthle>s-Colorado
to Sail Son.

Navy Department officials and the
connsandane of the navy yard are dis
pUscu u Llscount the report that defec-
tive sights were put on the guns of the
battleship Colorado, but men at the
yard lHeH Who work in the gun factory,
persist in Their story and ASK that one
Of the sights be siyen more than a
casual Inspection before the big vessel
leaves port.
Let The Navy Department order one
OF The sights taken of the gun. Let
them take il apart ana give it the in
spection il deserved at first, and our
case VIII be made out without other
witnesses. said 4 macninist last night
The story Of the defective sights.
which was printed exclusively in The
Times yesterday. caused much com
ment. particularly at the navy yard,
where the reports had been in c.rcaIa-
tien tor E4any weeks The men there
claim that they nave been afraid TO talk
OF the matter as they might incur the
dlSpleasure, or worse. Of their superiors.
since the publication in The Times
however, the men are hopeful that the
Navy Department Will at once order 4
rigid investigation.
Averse to Inquiry.
Assistant Secretary Darling. who is at
the head OF the Navy Department dur
ing the temporary absence from the city
OF Secretary Bonaparte. however. is not
inclined To inquire into the matter. TAX
Ing the position that SPECIFIC charges
must be made Navy Department ofti-
eials say IL the sights were defective,
as alleged. they would have been dis
covered by ordnance officers. in reply
to this the machinist at the gun factory
says that the sights must be lnscrewed
and taken 10 pieces, TO find the flaw
which was covered up before they went
on the guns.
Meanwhile. it is interesting TO know
thac the Colorado VIII sail with her new
guns aboard in about two weeks
Acting Secretary Darling said yes
terday afternoon that no complaint
with regard to the defective sights
had been brought to his attention.
1t is claimed at the Navy Depart
ment that a dozen or more ordnance
officers in the yard are responsible for
the perfection Of the sights, and the
ottcials do not think there is any pos
sibility Of defective sights getting past
so many watchful eyes.
Acting Secretary Darling said that
no question of an investigation could
be considered by him unless it came
through the proper channels. The
suggestion OF the men that they are
afraid TO make complaint because of
punishment is not credited by high
officials OF the department. who sug-
gest that the machinists have never
been chary about bringing their COM
plants before the department hereto
fore, and, in fact. have been indus
TF4sra IN. haF T.r.l... =
two years,
Investigation Blocked.
One mechanic said. when informed
that the Acting Secretary of the Navy
had expressed himself that no question
Of an Investigation could be considered
unless i came through the proper cham
mel:
THAT ia just IL The Secretary will
never learn of il from the proper chan
nels until the guns Of The Colorado are
fred and the sights fall apart This
matter was reported TO the man IN
charge at the time
He said II was all right and had
teeu reported To the next in authority.
But when the drawings were asked for
which would show the official authority
Tor the change, the man in charge gave
afterward the drawings appeared in The
shop and then disappeared-tha is. all
except one
There was one change noted In the
dr3. wings. but not Tralk 10 show that
4 'dove-taiI piece WAS To be inserted.
The werk OF patching up the 'dinged'
sights was SO clever as 10 pass casual
Afraid to Talk.
The rule in the shop is for "A ma
chinlst 10 report TO his foreman, and
then the foreman reports TO the next in
authority If anyone reported q matter
over the head of his immediate superior
he would be disrated or removed for a
breach of discipline"
Some OF the raachlnists who have
been looking every day for an order
for an investigation Of this
serious matter, say that II may have 10
printed about the PostoHce and the
Department; th"t is. that
those in authority win cry hot air. -
and impossible for such things TO he"
But" as one Of the employee said
yesterday. 'Iet the secretary OF the
Navy order the return of the fourteen
sights for the guns of the
Colorado. and he VIII iind a 'dovctail
piece inserted and riveted.
These 'dinged" sights. the men say,
were not made by Cgsign. but were the
outcome Of putting third class ma
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