The Washington times., 1907-08-01
GUNBOAT ACCIDENT
MAY FURNISH HELP
AGAINST TUBEMEN
The Wilmington VIII Be
Examined For Evil
denCe.
Pittsburg District Attor-
ney Requested Navy
to Aid Prosecution.

In order 10 determine whether the
boiler tubes Of the gunboat Wilmington.
which exploded az Nanking. China.
Monday. were the product of the Shelby
Steel Tube Company. which is now be-
ing prosecuted by the United States
Government Tor furnishing defective
tubes TO the navy. which are alleged
10 have been placed in many Of the
newest battlesEips and cruisers. the
Navy Department has called upon Rear
Admiral Henry y. Dayton. commander
ln-chief of the Pacific ftet. to forward
report Of the accident Immediately.
with all facts tending to show how the
explosion occurred. whether ~ was due
the defects in the tubes. and which tubes
exploded.
These facts are expected to be determ-
ined by court of inquiry. which II is
presumed. Admiral Dayton already has
ordered. but in the regular course Of de-
partmentaI business the action Of this
body would be sent TO Washington I'm
the mail As that would require sew
eral weeks, the department hopes TO
have the report by cable within the
next few days.
Prosecutors interested.
This action was taken today at the in
stance OF the Department OF Justice.
While the Navy Department has not
manifested any particular interest in the
question Of whether the tube or tubes
that exploded were made by the Shelby
concern, the Department OF Justice is
interested, as the prosecution or the
manufacturers Tor alleged fraud has been
pushed by the district attorney at Pitts
burg by direction Of Attorney General
Bonaparte.
The question was brought up in a
telegram from the district attorney, ad-
dressed 10 both the Navy Department
and the Department OF Justice, stating
that he was desirous OF having any
definite information as soon as posi- bic
ss affording possible evidence 10 be used
II the second trial OF certain employees
OF the steel tube company, which viii
/ ederal court at Pittsburg- In reply
the Navy Department stated that so
lar IL is without information as 10 the
particular tube which exploded. as the
Wilmingtou's boiler contains two sizes
and makes of tubes.
When Poor Tubes Appeared.
The tubes cf the Shelby concern were
made during period when employees of
that company were charged with palm
ing off defective and uninspected tubes
on the navy, which were placed in war
vessels under construction or being re
paired at that time. These alleged de-
fectivC tubes were made between 1892 and
1905, although il is not chargd that any
OF them were worked of on the Govern
ment as early as 1902 They began to
make their appearance in boilers Of war
ships that latter part Of 1893, according to
information said 10 be in the hands OF
the district attorney at Pittsburg, and
they were accepted by the Government
as late as the early part of 1905. During
that time. il is charged, thousands OF
defective tubes were palmed of on the
Government and officials Of the Navy
Department who are particularly Inter
eSted some time ago set about to- keep
close watch over all these tubes.
Two officials OF the Shelby Steel Tube
Company y-superintendent J. Jay Dunn
anu Assistant Superintendent Charles
J.. Close-were indicted last fall by the
United States grand jury at PittsburS
on thirty counts. charging them with
conspiracy against the United States for
the alleged offense OF supplying untested
material that was known 20 be defective,
to the navy. lt was charged that the
key to the desk of the naval officer on
duty at the plant, 70 superintend the in
spection, had been duplicated and al
night, during his absence. the Govern
ment stamp indicating the Govern
ments approval, had been procured and
tubes that the navy officer never saw
were thus 20. KID
Other counts charged the officials even
with breaking open loaded cars and re-
ones that had been thus stamped.