The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1908-03-03
ADMIRAL CONVERSE ALLEGED TO
HAVE DISPOSED WITH
FAULTY EXPLOSIVE.
THEN REPORTS IT GOOD
Voge gesanas Charges Stirs Up Navy
eoartment---Nails Found in
Powder--Ordnanc Officer
Dramatic.

/ Commander Vogelgasang, command
er Cf OF the presidents yacht, in his
Testimony before the naval commit.
tee OF the senate on Saturday de
clared tina investigation of the powder
on the Missouri and Georgia subse
! quent to the terrible accidents on
those vessels, showed the presence of
| foreign substances, such as oil waste
nails and matches. and that the fire
back causing the accident might, In
all pro bability have been due to this
cause.
1t was learned tonight for the first
time that Rear Admiral Converse, In
conjunction with Lieut.. Bernadon,
United Slater naval aids in Vienna
invented n powder In 1898, and that
after delegating the right to the gov.
|ernment to manufacture this powder
the admiral and the lieutenant sold
their patent to a commercial concern,
Rear Admiral Converse, as the
agent of the president, has just com
pleted an investigation Of the charges
against the navy and returned a YER
dict rejecting all charges as unfound-
ed. One Of the things mmentioned
in the report is powder. Years have
elapsed since this discovery OF foreign
substances In powder, aud 1t remained
for senate investigating committee
to dig up the fact.
Pertinent Questions.
The powder in use by the govern
ment today is made according to sec
ifer Turnula. nusagthe slsasle. sripaiple
"a 1T is said to be the Converse patent.
although the powder made is modi
tication Of the original patent Of Con.
verse.
Critics of the navy are asking point
edly tonight why in an investigation
Admiral Converse ignored the facts
about the powder, when he must have
known of ii, and in some places the
inference has been drawn that i>l
would be perfectly natural for an of. |
iicer to look leniently toward child |
Of his brain.
Rear Admiral Converse, Lieutenant. |
Commander Sims. Lieutenant. Com
mander Hill and all others involved in
The wrangle decline to talk tonight |
rhey say 1t would be contempt of the
senate committee to discuss the mat |
arg unlar Investigation b,,t tbo ,,rl,aia
department. Is alive with gossip.
Denisd at Department.
At the ordnance department IL Is de
lied emphatically that any OF the pow
Ter found on the Missouri and the
ieorgia after the great fatalities
aboard contained any impurities, for
'ign substances or was adulterated in
my way, but at the same time the
department reluctantly admits that I'm
It least four instances nails. brass
hinges and oil waste and other for.
ign substances were found in the
powder. The excuse is made that
his was due to carless handling and
packing and not In manufacture.
When the oil waste. brick dust and /
lails were found In the cans the first
ime. ii was learned tonight. the ord
lance officer in charge at the time
5 known to have entered the office
# the secretary of the navy. and,
losing the door, said:
MIR Secretary. this Is a matter Of
ife and death. and must be between
ou and me aud God All that is need h
4 is a match 10 blow us all to king /,
ON come"
lmperities in Powder.
The matter vas hushed up and has N
suppre ssed until yesterday |,
The points at issue between Com
lander Vogegesang and Lieutenant
Commander Sims on one side and the
rdinance officers en- the other are:
Sims and Vogelgesang insist that :
Dreign substances we're discovered 10 i
owder used on the Missouri ald
eorgia at the time Of the terrible ac :
Idents on those vessels.
The ordnance officers claim that +,
lille there were impurities found in In
owder. these authorizations were in
owder that had not reached any of
le shiDs and were due to careless
ess Of handlers in the government
Magazines.