The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1910-10-26
SAYS ENGINEERS
C0NsP|REO TO
WRECK PLANT
Superintendent of Detroit Seamless
Steel Tube Company Makes Seri-
Gus Charges Against Former
Employees of Concern.
Alleges Machinery Was Tempered
With-Board Of Boiler Inspec-
ton Rules to Investigate.

Boiler Inspector J. c.. McCabe has
called meeting OF the board OF boiler
inspection rules to be held In the
mayors office, Thursday evening. to
Investigate serious charges made by
w. II. Lantz, superintendent Of the
Detroit Seamless Steel Tube Co.'s
plant, against four engineers, till re-
Gently In charge Of the engines OF the
: plant. The men are William Faust,
No. 1873 Army-ave., day engineer on
the bench room engine and In charge
OF hydraulics: r. j. Mcclure, No. 500
Fort-st. west. night engineer on the
same engine with Faust; Richard All
bright. No. l144 Military-ave, day en-
gineer on the rolling mill engine. and
j. Watson. No. 6z6 Williams-st.. night
engineer on the rolling mill engine.
In a letter to McCabe, Superintend-
ent Lantz says that on Oct. IL, he
discharged Fred l.. Cullen, master me-
chanic. At $3.50 o'clock, the next
morning. he alleges, the four engi-
neers named met and formed a con-
spiracy TO wreck the plant.
Previous TO this, the night fireman
had been ordered by the engineers to
draw the fires, but did not do so.
When he day firemen came on duty,
+, the engineer forced him to draw the
fires. and the plant was shut down for
"a hours. Mr.. Lantz's letter con
tinues:
Our engineers had charge OF the
water, turning on the boilers. and lett
the plant there while there was still
some fire under the boilers. our
whole plant was shut down for "a
hours. causing us great loss. We Sc
cured new flrst-class engineers the
same day. and started to get the
machinery In shape TO operate. We
found that both of our two large Cor
lIss engines had been tempered with,
tie valve gearing having been chang
ed and the dash-pot rods heightened,
so that when the engines were start
ed they were badly damaged. The
nuts were loosened and numerous
changes made. There was open talk
in the neighborhcod that We would
have trouble starting the engines.
The worst and most vicious act or
all was tampering with our hydraulic
system. The four regulating valves
which control the accumulator were
encased in iron boxes, with four
bolts on each one. The boxes had
been opened and the valves taken
out The object in doing this was
to lose control of the accumulation, so
that a would go up and fall over the
building The weights on the accumu.
lator weigh 80 tons, and IL IT had gone
over Il would have torn the building
and caused loss OF life. There Is also
another safety device on the accumu-
lator, an arrangement whereby a
large whistle blows when the weights
reach the danger mark near the top.
This arrangement had been done away
with. There is no question about
this matter being premeditated and
vicious. At 10 o'clock Thursday
night, the former engineer who had
charge OF the hydraulic system sneak
ed into our plant and gave the valves
back to the other engineer and told
where the whistle apparatus had been
thrown.
There was no strike, no mention
of money matters and not one of the
four engineers ever spoke to me OF
grievance or any dissatisfaction OF
any kind. These charges can all be
verified by some OF our foremen and
the four new engineers"
All the engineers except Mcclure,
called on the boiler inspector In re-
Spouse TO a summons, Tuesday morn
ing, and vigorously denied the story
of Supt. Lantz They will be given
q story before the board, Thursday
evening.