New-York tribune., 1919-01-22
Ford ''Eagle'' Boat
Declared Unsafe,
Then Clever Idea
Charges of Ex-Employe Of
Detroit Plant Are Contra
dicted by Experts Before
Senate Naval Committee
By Theodore M. Knappen
NeW York Tribune
Wdshiuoton Bureau


Washington Bureau
WASHINGTON, Jan. 21.-Harry Le-
roy, formerly an employe Of the
trouble" department of the Ford
Eagle shipbulding plant at River
Rouge, Detroit, to-day told the Senate
Naval Affairs Sub Committee, investi-
eating the Eagles, how defective the
little destroyers are in his opinion.
Charles C. West, general manager OF
the Manitowoc Shipbuilding Company
who temporarily retired from that POSI-
ton to act as inspector of the Eagle
construction for the Navy Department
and also as adviser and instructor tc
the Ford's in shipbuilding, told how ex-
cellent they are. Captain Frank u
Fletcher, Great Lakes pilot, related
his experience with the Eagles IN
bringing them down the Lakes anc
through the canals.
1t was Mr.. Leroy who contributed to
the starting of the present investiga-
ton by writing letter to Senator
Ledge and by statements in the news
rapers His testimony was much the
same as his letter and public state
ments. 1t was his opinion that the
boats were defective in design He
contended the boats were structurally
weak and would be broken by the forco
Of the explosion of their own depth
bombs.
Riveting Process Criticised
Mr.. Leroy also criticised the rivet-
ing which, he said, was poor because OF
the manner of heating the rivets cleo
trically instead of in furnace. They
were, he said, thus deprived of tensile
strength and about so per cent of them
had to be cut out. He had complained
of the defect to his superiors and re
ceived his answer in the form OF q
memorandum from an inspector, ir
which it was asserted the ships were
being built according to government
plans and specifications.
Mr. Leroy admitted his shipbuldinR
experience was limited. He had WORKED
at it from his fourteenth to his six
teenth year and had built a twenty
tive-foot boat For most of the rest OF
his career he had been piano maker.
His testimony was answered by Mr.
West. who is a graduate naval archl
teCC anu HAS pecll q pi az eiCdi SiiiP PDuilu
er for eighteen years. sixteen of them
with the Manitowoc Company He con
sidered the design of the Eagles souno
and Extremely clever" being wonder
fully we'll adapted to quantity produc
ton. They were strong and he at
tached no Importance to Mr.. Leroy's
objections. Almost every test, he said
showed the engineering calculation:
were extremely accurate and there were
virtually no deviations from the plar
in course of construction.
Leroy's Opinion Contradicted
As to the riveting, he said that the
mushroom type of rivet has been useC
because it was easier to teach greer
men to use it. 1t was as good as the
regular shipbuilding type, but was
more difficult to get tight, with the
result that if not properly caulked they
would be leaky until frightened by rust
The leaks would not be serious ant
he structure was even stronger by rea
son of their use.
Captain Fletcher telling of his eX
periences. said the boats leaked anC
there were various defects and trou
bles.
The hearing will be completed witt
the fling Of a joint statement by H
Knudsen. superintendent of the Rivel
Rouge plant. and William B. Mayo
chief engineer of the Ford Motor Com
pany. and by calling j. II. Null. genera
manager Of the CramD shipyards, Phila
delphia and John Parsons, SHY
chandler, Of Oswego. n. Y.