New-York tribune., 1920-11-16
Faulty Rivets
Sent to Wilson
By Ship Critic
CONTINUED from page one)

Purtell said, II can pull rivets out of
any ship they built with my fingers"
Asked whether he reported the al
legged poor work to his superiors Pur-
tell said he did, but added:
Il got absolutely no satisfaction, no
thing got was to get pushed out Of
my job Believe, if I ever sleep on
board any of those ships will take
care to keep an open eye"
Purtell said that while in the en-
plov of the Sumarine Boat Corpora
ton he reported alleged defective work
to Captain Berry. Failing to get salts
faction here he went to Philadelphia
to report to the higher authorities at
Hog Island, he said, and was scharged
for insubordinaton. 1t was then that
he decided to write to the President.
II told the President they were get
ting away with murder" said Purtel.
"No attention was paid to me as
INSPECTOR" said Purtell. Il was mere
ly q figurehead.
Inspector Called Disturber
Following his discharge from the
plant of the Standard Shipbulding
Corporation, Purtell said, he wrote to
the Shipping Board and received re-
plv from r. II. Bailey, secretary to
then Chairman Hurley, that his serv-
ices were no longer desired. He was
Informed that Hold 13 was all right,
and that he, Purtell, was trouble
maker and insubordinate.
Prior to writing to the board he
took up the matter with Chairman
Hurley personally, he testified. He met
Mr.. Hurley at the Hotel Bltmore, in
this city. IL told him I could show him
the riveting was rotten said Purtell.
He told me to write him letter about
il and J did. All l got in reply was
the letter from Bailey. | want to tell
you that the only trouble l ever made
was trying to get good work done"
Are you able to take this commit
tee aboard the ships you speak of and
show them defective riveting?' asked
Chairman Walsh.
"Yes, sir III taken you aboard and
show you things that will surprise
you," replied Purtell. He referred par
tlcularly to ships known at the time of
their construction as Holds Nos. 10, 16
and 13 at the plant Of the Standard
Sl.ipbuiling Corporation and Holds Nos.
Is and II at the plants Of the Subma-
rine Boat Corporation.
He said that the steamship Agawanl,
built at the plant Of the Submarine
Boat Corporation, began to leak imme-
dlately upon being launched. and that
three times She left this port and was
compelled to return. Finally, he said.
She made her way to Bermuda, and
from there tool. ninctytwo days in
going to Genoa and back to New York.
When told by Chairman Walsh that
the delay was later shown to have been
due to poor fuel oil and an inexperi-
elced engine crew. Purtell insisted il
vas due to defective machinery
Ship Called Rotten Throughout
NO. shouted Purtell, "she was rot
ten from stem to stern. She had q
complication of diseases | can prove
it if they let me go aboard her"
He remarked it was q wonder that
many of the ships built during the
war remained ahoat
Purtell said that eight or ten in
spectors resigned from the plants he
was discussing because they did not
want to be liable 20 prosecution in
on ships they were supposed to have
inspected.
Connivance of an acting American
consul at Rio de Janeiro in deliber
ately delaying Shipping Board vesse
in order that he might run up Bill
Tor 100000 for repairs and share il
its settlement was charged before tn.
committee at the morning session D,
Captain William II. Chambless, for.
merly captain of the steamship Lake
Elkwood. Captain Chambless also tes
tilted that he was removed from hi>
ship by two Brazilian police officers
brandlshing rcvolvers, because h.
would not be party to the repair
graft scheme and approve the bills
which, he said, were S98,00 above the
sum that should have been spent il
putting the vessel in order.
Captain Chamblcss charged that hi.
cablegrams to the Shipping Boarc
complaining about the matter re
| NAMED unanswered, and that all hs