The Sun.
London, England, 1867-03-14 00:00:00

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Experiments at Portsmouth.

-

One of the most important investigations that can
engage the attention of the metallurgist in the pre-
sent state of science is the inquiry into the nature
and properties of steel. The metal, iron, has long
held the foremost place among its brethren, with re-
spect to practical utility for the service of man. It
is widely disseminated through the world, its sup-
ply is practically inexhaustible, and the process of
extracting it from the ore is, comparatively speak-
ing, easy and inexpensive. But its chief value con-
sists in its adaptability to the manifold purposes for
which metals are required. Pure iron is softer than
any form of the dark grey material which'we are
accustomed to sec and to handle in everyday life.
It is highly ductile, malleable, and has strange affi-
nities for oxygen and carbon, especially the former.
So much is this the case thst finely divided iron
will fall in a fiery shower if scattered in the air, and
a rod heated at one end will burn away like a stick
of sealingwax if a jet of oxygen he directed upon it.
But when mixed or combined with carbon this won-
derful metal undergoes the strangest variety of trans-
formations. As the proportion of carbon increases,
the property of adhering to its like when hot, which
we call welding, gradually decreases, and in
exchange we get a number of other properties
equally remarkable—equally valuable for daily
use. Add a large proportion of carbon and be-
hold an easily fusible mass, partly a mixture,
partly a compound, which will not weld, but can
be made as fluid as milk and run into moulds the
smallest interstices of which it will seek out and,
penetrating into the finest niches, solidify into forms
of elegance or strength as the will of the founder
may direct. This material is called " cast-iron,"
and is soft or hard, grey or white, tough or brittle,
according to the quality of the carbon and rapidity
with which it is cooled. But if instead of touch car-
bon being added only a small quantity.be combined
with the pure iron,. with perhaps a little nitrogen
and other matter (for the elements necessary to con-
stitute steel are not wholly determined),
.a new and
quite wonderful effect is .produced. The power of
welding is almost gone, and in exchange for it a
new and most valuable range of phenomena appear.
A bar of steel heated to redness and cooled slowly
is very soft and so ductile that it can be drawn out
even when cold into the finest wire. This wire or
a piece of the bar itself can be bent again and again
without breaking, but if heated once more and
cooled suddenly by immersion in water, or by other
means, becomes hard as adamant and almost as
brittle as glass. Between these two extremes are
many steps, and the intelligent worker " lets down"
the watchspring,sword, razor, or whatever the piece
may be called, to the " temper" required. Brighten-
ing the surface, he applies a regular heat slowly,
and watches the result. Delicate hues steal one by
one over the polished mirror, and when the colour
which he seeks appears he stops the process with
certainty that he has obtained the desired result.
Now, steel has a far higher tenacity than wrought
iron—i.e., iron in the purest form generally used for
practical purposes. Why is it not the best mate-
rial for guns and armour plates ? We cannot tell ;
but this much is certain—it has hitherto baffled
almost all attempts to employ it with advantage
when the strain put upon it is so sudden as to be
practically instantaneous. Sometimes a steel gun
resists all attempts to burst it, while another made
at the same time, under the same conditions and
with equal care, flies at the first or second round
into many pieces, dealing death and destruction
around. Krupp has hitherto led the world of
steel manufactures, yet it was only the other day
that a new 7-inch gun supplied by him to the Go-
vernment failed at the commencement of its trial.
Whitworth has sometimes succeeded, sometimes
failed, though he tries, by seeking the border land
between wrought iron and steel, to obtain the valu-
able qualities of both. We understand he is at pre-
sent engaged in a series of experiments which are
likely to throw light upon this important subject,
and as he has sought the co-operation of one of the
most distinguished metallurgists of the day, we
shall look with much anxiety for the results of their
combined labours. Nor has this important point
escaped the notice of the Elswick Ordnance Com-
pany. Some years ago a steel plate was made for
them so worked and tempere 1 that pieces cut from
it could be bent backwards and forwards like soft
wire. " -High hopes were entertained of its success,
bnt,.alas! the first shot that struck it starred it with
cracks in all directions. Such being the nature of
the steel, and in a less degree of wrought iron ap-
proaching steel, the Iron Plate Committee early dis-
covered armour-plates for ships must be soft and
tough, at the sacrifice of some resisting power, so
that if holes be punched in them, the damage is con-
fined to the small surface penetrated, the rest of the
plate 'remaining as strong as ever. Against such
material, soft cast-iron shot dashed themselves furi-
ously to pieces in vain. Then Mr. Whitworth,
seizing the right idea, produced hard and tough shot
and shells of steel, which attacked and easily pene-
trated the hitherto invincible armour. Major Pal-
liser has since improved upon steel, at a less cost,
and by his " chilled," or more properly " white iron"
projectiles, the attack has gained one great stride
over the defence. The question now is how to meet
these adamantine missiles, which push their way
through sott wrought iron, as if it were cheese, and fly
to pieces when their work is done. Cannot steel
and wrought iron be combined in some way so as to
gain the hardness of the one with the toughness of
the other? Thick armour-plates are made by bring-
ing several thin ones to a welding heat and crushing
them together between enormous rollers. What if
thin steel plates could be introduced among the iron
ones, and thus either the interior, the back, or the
front of the armour be composed of steel ?
A number of such 7-inch plates have been ordered
by the War-office for experiment by the Ordnance
Select Committee at Shoeburyness, to be compared
with wrought iron only, under the same conditions.
The Admiralty have just received a plate of this
kind, which they ordered from Messrs. Cammell,
and the first experiment was made upon it at Ports-
mouth last Tuesday.

The plate under trial was composed of a number
of thin wrought-iron and steel plates, laid together
alternately and welded. This is only one of many
possible methods of construction, and therefore the
principle must not be condemned hastily, though the
results have so far been againstthe compound struc-
ture. We give, for purposes of comparison, first,
the details of an experiment carried on with the
same guns, under similar conditions, against an ordi-
nary 7-inch wrought-iron plate in May, 1866, and
on Dee. 3, 1866 ; secondly, those with the steel
and iron plate under present consideration.
First, then, in May, 1866, thei-in. wrought-iron
plate;manufactured by Messrs. Brown, of Sheffield,
was attacked by a cast-iron 68-pounder gun, which
fired 7 rounds at it from a distance of 30ft. with a
charge of 131 b. of powder. This gives a velocity to
the shot about equal to that which it would have if
fired at 200 yards' range with the full service charge
of 161 b. The shot were cast-iron, and weighed about
6611 b. in all cases. The striking velocity was about
1,430 ft., and the consequent energy or " work" in
the shot was 943 foot tons, or 38 foot tons per inch
of the shot's circumference. The first four shots were
planted close together, forming a square of indenta-
tions ; the other three were fired within the square.
The result was the ordinary indentation, a little
over 2in. for each round. No cracks were developed
in the plate. Such an attack successfully resisted
constitutes the ordinary test of a 7-inch plate, and
the plate in question would be considered and marked
A 1. To further test it, however, four rounds were
fired from a 7-inch Woolwich gun in Dec., 1866,
with charges of 121 b., 141 h., and 221 b., Palliser's
chilled shot of 1151 b. weight being employed. The
121 b. charge caused an indent of 5.6 in. ; the 141 b.
charge gave the shot a striking velocity of 1,220 ft.
and work of 1,187 foot tons, or 54.8 foot tons per
inch of shot's circumference. The indent was 6.9 in.
The 221 b. charge gave a striking velocity of 14.30
work of 1,630 foot tons, or per inch of circumference
75.2 foot tens, and indent of 7.4 in.—i.e., the point
of the shot penetrated the plate, and slightly pierced
the backing, developing a crack which passed
through a bolt-hole to the bottom of the plate.
On Tuesday last the results were very different
upon the 7-inch plate of steel and wrought iron.
The 68-pounder fired six round,g, the work of each

shot being the same as in the experiment just de
scribed. The first shot appeared to affect the plate
much as if the latter were of wrought iron, but the
second, fired close to its predecessor, developed a
crack round the first indent. The third shot, strik-
ing immediately under the second, indented the plate
2.6 in., and developed two cracks radiating upwards
from the left edge of No. 2 indent. The fourth shot
struck below No. 1, deepened one of the cracks
right through the plate, and extended it to the top
edge. The- fifth shot struck in the centre of the pre-
vious four indents and pushed through the metal to
a total depth of 4.3 iii., generally. opening the cracks.
The sixth shot struck below No. 5, considerably en-
larging the cracks. The total indent was 4.5 in., and,
apparently, the whole interior of the space attacked
was detached from the plate, being only supported
by the backing, which wos 42 inches of wood. This
concluded the trials with the 68 -poander, another
round being considered unnecessary. The first round
with the 7-inch Woolwich gun had a charge of 1414.,
chilled shot of 11514., striking velocity 1,220 feet
per second, foot tons per inch of circumference 51.8.
The gun used for the purpose was not in front of
the plate, but inclined to it at an_ angle of 79 deg.
at the part struck. The shot broke up and remained
sticking in the plate, developing a crack from the
bolt-hole on its left to the edge of the plate, and
right through the latter. The second round had a
charge of 221 b„ giving a work of 75.2 foot tons per
inch of circumference. It penetrated the plate,
forcing the pieces in front of it into the backing. A
large piece, forming the left hand top corner of the
plate, was torn away and thrown with some violence
to the left rear. A serious crack above half an inch
in width extended between the last two indents, a
distance of about 20 inches.

The fracture of the plate gave an opportunity of
examining its internal structure. The welds ap-
peared perfect, and the material to the eye, every-
thing that could be desired. Alessrs. Cammell de-
clare that the experiment has helped them forward
in their difficult path, and they hope soon to pro-
duce more successful armour of combined iron and
steel.

LAW INTELLIGENCE—This Day.

COURT OF DIVORCE.

Before the Right Hon. Sir J. P. Wilde and a Special
Jury.)
WHITE T. WHITE AND FIELD.

The hearing of this somewhat complicated divorce case
was resumed this morning, the same counsel appearing as
on a former occasion.

The case for the respondent and co-respondent rested
principally upon the doubtful character of the evidence
adduced by the petitioner, and it was also alleged that the
suit was instituted in order that General White might be
enabled to marry again.
Mr. White stated that he had known General White for a
long time, and that he had had many conversations with
him on the subject of the divorce. Ou one occasion wit-
ness met the general and shook hands with him, when he
said, "I am surprised that you should notice me—all my
friends have cut me." Witness replied that he had heard
that he (the general) wanted to get a divorce, because he
would then be able to marry a young girl in Scotland.
Cross-examined—Witness had told the general he could
get him a detective, that he knew a friend in Scotland-
yard. This was to obtain evidence against young Field.
Witness Could not find his friend, and they went to Col.
Frazer, and he advised them not to employ a detective.
Ho had not said that if the girl Ellen: Blockland
would not give them any information that the
general should go to the brother and promise her
that if she would get the information required he would
assist in furnishing her son-in-law's house. Witness did
not say this would be bribery, nor that ho knew how to
arrange the matter. He believed there was some unplea-
santness between Mrs. Field and Mrs. White, on account
of Mr. Field's attentions to the latter lady. He had casually
heard that Mr. Field was going to Aix-la-Chapelle to
fetch home his daughter. When General White asked
him to obtain evidence against the elder Mr. Field, he was
very indignant, and would have nothing more to do with
it. The separation of General and Mrs. White took place
in January, 1863. The General was gone about a year to
the Sandwich Islands.

Re-examined—He advised him to go to Colonel Frazer,
to ascertain whether, in employing a detective, he was
throwing away his money or not.
James Purdey stated ho was a gunmaker in Oxford-
street. Ile know Mrs. Whle when she was a girl. Before
she went out to England she was under the charge of his
parents as one of the family. Mr. Field married one of
his sisters. Mrs. White went to school with witness's
eietors. She used to go to Mr. and Mrs. Field for advice
and assistance. Mr. Field was her medical attendant. He
never saw anything in Mrs. White's conduct to induce him
to believe that there was anything improper between her
and Dr. Field. Gen. White intimated to hint that he should
like to get a divorce, hiCause he kneW a person he would
marry again, and he wished he could catch "Nellie trip-
ping." Hs came again% witness and asked him. if he could
give him any information about the younger Field, and
added that he had employed a detective, but that he had
been unable to find out anything. He, however, antici-
pated that some details might be obtained from an old
servant who was about to be married. He never seemed
to have any suspicion of his brother-in-la* at any time.
Cross-examined —Until 1865 General White never hinted
at any suspicions against Dr. Field. He only asked wit-
ness about Arthur Field. He never said that Mrs. White
was always " hankering after men," and always lad some
dark man after her.

Mrs. Rosa White said she was the wife of Dr. White
and was a sister of the respondent. She returned from
India in 1853. She went to India in 1834. Before she
went to India she had lived with Mrs. Purdy. Mrs.
White lived there, too. She went out to India with wit-
ness. Witness knew Mrs. Field ever since she could re
member. She had known Field since 1847. Mrs.
Field had been married in 1837. Mrs. White, when wit-
ness came home, lived in Westbonrno-park Villas. She
visited her, and stayed with her. When witness returned
to England in 1853 she renewed her intimacy with Mr.
Field. She had left her children with him. Mr. and Mrs.
Field constantly visited witness and her sister. Dr. Field
was on terms of affection with both of them. Ho had
them in the presence of their respective husbands.
Mr. White was in a very bad state of health, when
witness returned to England, and required medical atten-
tion. Visitors constantly staid with Mrs. White, her
niece, sisters, &e. Witness did not know of one instance
iu which ♦isitors had not been staying in the house.
Cross-examined—Witness never heard that Mrs. White
was going back with Mr. White. Sho was not fit to go
back to India. Witness did not recollect that Dr. Field
had said that Mrs. White ought not to return to India.
Witness returned to India in April, 1854. Dr. Field very
likely might have kissed her, sitting on a sofa in a back-
room. She had heard of a•disaeTeement between Mrs.
Field and Mrs. White ; that was in 1857.
Re-examined—Witness did not know what the disagree-
ment was about, but Mrs. White went to Mrs. Field and
complained of something, and words arose.
_ _ _

Mrs. Eliza Greenaway said that she was niece of General
White, and her husband was a major in the Madras army.
The respondent brought her up. They resided at various
lodgings in 1850 and 1851. They often visited Dr. Field.
Witness often heard her aunt consult Dr. Field. She wont
out to India to reside with General White in 1851. Her
aunt came out about the end of that year, but fell ill
again, and witness returned to England in 1852 with her.
In March, 1853, they resided in Charles-street. Witness
was with her all that time, with the exception of a short visit
to Ireland. It was the first week in August, and returned
somewhere' in the middle of October. Mrs. White
went to Scotland. They parted at Crewe. She could
not remember-what servant there'. was at Oharles-street.
Dr. Field visited her when she was.ill, daily. He stayed
about half an hour. Witness lived with Mrs. White in
li
in 'a M
ichei-terraces
Michael-terrace, .She recollected a servant leav-
ingbut she" was not in the house at
the time. Dr. Field attencted witness, in fact all the
family. The witness then Corroborated the statement as
to the people who stayed with Mrs. White in Michael-
terrace. . .

....w.
The case had not concluded when we went to press.

LIVERPOOL CO r lON MARKET.
(This Day.)
The Market continues to improve. Sales pro
ably 15,000 bales.

IMPROTE3IENT RATE BILL FOR THE METROPOLIS.
A requisition is now being signed in the City, and will
be presented to the Lord Mayor, in the hope that he will
call a public meeting of the citizens and rated inhabitants
at an early day to take stops for opposing the passing of
the Metropolis Improvement Bill, and that his lordship
will pi eside at the meeting.
DR. LIVINGSTONE.—A Circumstance tending to
show that the painful rumour respecting this eminent ex-
plorer's death may b 9 unfounded, is the fact that Dr. R. B.
Gilland, of the Essex County Asylum, Brentwood, has re-
ceived a letter from Zanzibar, dated Jan. 7, 1867, in which
allusion is casually made to Dr. Livingstone, but there is
no mention of his death.
DUELLING IN GERMANY.—On the morning of the
6th inst. a lieutenant of artillery named Glaser died at
Munich from a' wound on the head received in a duel with
sabres. His opponent, a lieutenant of infantry, lies in a
dangerous condition from injuries received on the occasion.
Another duel has also taken place in Bavaria between a
Servian nobleman and a merchant. Pistols were used, and
the opponents fired simultaneously at a distance of 20 paces..
Th o nobleman received a ball in the upper part of the right
arm, the raerchazat patio in tine check.