National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1875-02-04
CABLE IRON.
Tests at the Navy Yard.

1eSL6 al the navy 1aIus
The ehcTts just now in Congress to abolish the
Washington navy yard are calling forth all that
can be said pro and con in regard to it. Without
desiring to go into o general discussion OF all the
Important reasons why it should be continued
and its operations enlarged by appropriations,
there are some facts which are not generally
known, either to members Of Congress or to citi-
EeBs of Washington, which, in national point oil
view as we'll as matter of local interest, should
be laid before the readers OF The REPUBLICAN, IN
Just light. Chief ameng the considerations OF
national interest, and which are destined TO 40
partnent, are a series Of experiments now being
made under the supeTintendence OF COMMANDER
BeRrdsly involving the strength and durability
Of iron. These experiments are Thoroughly prac-
teal the results Of years Of study into the nAtare
and uses OfirOn in the navy, and have been rem
dered necessary, in the opinion OF Commander
BeaTdsly, from the existence Of certain serious
defects IN the laws and practices OF the Depart
nent, among which is the practice OF purchasing
iron under contracts awarded to the lowest BID
de7s.
These contracts allow great deal OF inferior
S!on TO be supplied, and the tests made use Of for
aSeertaining the strength OF the material fail to
prevent the of theSe inferior qualities Of iron
Commander Beardsly has succeeded in comoin-
ing scrap iron, old boiler plate and other oomplr-
atfveIy worthless material by process ef his own
SO ss produce iron Of the very best quality. He
has succeeded, also, In improving the quality Of
nniioTm strength. He has fnyented several use
full experiments for testing the strength OF iron
In conducting these experiments and tests he has
practiced mostly upon chain cable, as in the cable
the greatest and most uRilOrm strength Is re-
quired.
ihe strength Of chain cables is the so-called
British Admiralty breaking strain, being a
steady, uniform strain In the direction Of the
hbres OF the metal. This test is found to be de-
fcctve. Experience proves that an iron that will
stand this severe strain without sreakiug-when
subjected to sadden shocks, breaks readily. 1t is
also shown by experience that It is these sudden
shocks gulh as that uTOlufad in having and
hauling In cables, and the pitching Of the vessels
when at anchor, and the shaking Of bridges Of
iron, and especially the shock to guns in the re-
pe8ted discharges, which breaks 1t. Commodore
Beardsly's experiments are directed more
pecially to the producing quality Of iron which
will resist these shock tests. To accomplish this,
he has invented and is using a very simple and
accurate machine. Some of the results Of his ex-
periments are as follows:
A cable constructed Of one and half inch iron
sustairs the British Admiralty breaking strain
Of 49,, goo pounds. A link made Of this improved
iron WithsIanGs q strain OF 100000 pounds For q
cable Of two inch iron the British Admiralty test
is 257 eco pounds. Ink OF this iron was carried
TO strain Of $4,000 pounds, bresking the ma
chine, with no apparent effect upon the iron.
The experiments with The machine for the shock
tests are remarkable. This machine is something
like pile-Oriyer, raising a weight of 90 pounds
70 heig Indicated by scale o. feet and letting
1t fall upon the bar OF Iron. some OF these tests
witnessed are as follows: A bar Of two and three
sixtecDths inches Of iron, such as has been fur
nished and ustd under contract for cable, broke
short OF with one hve feet blow OF this machin :.
Another bar received a OlOW OF three feet fall,
with no sign of injury. A second blow Of three
feet broke it IikeE lass
This same irUn AFTER going through this new
process Of mixing and working and subject to the
shock test was as follows: 2inch bar stood
four so DOT blows; another bar, same diameter
broke of at the nth 3OfOot blow.
The extremes shown are from one 5-foot blow
TO hve 50-fOOt blows upon the same diameter Of
iron. This new process can be made to show
greater success than this, even to WithstandiOg
eight or ten 80 foot blows, but this quality would
require 20 much labor in making as to render 1t
too expensive for use.
The effects OF these experiments are to produce
iron from comparatively worthless metal as good
quality and as cheap as the best; and being much
stronger than ordinary iron, great reduction can
be made in the weight Of armament and other
uses for which iron Is applied.
An item OF local interest, in this connection is
that under the operations Of Commander Bsardsly,
and by his system Of employing mechanics, he
is making four fathOms OF cable per day at each
FORGE at a cost OF labor OF 50 per fathOm whereas
under the old system of LABOR, making two and a
half fathOms per day cost a so per fathom. This
officer asserts that If suitable appropriations be
made be can employ large numbers Of men now
out OF employment, returning to the Government
dollars worth Of work for every dollar thus paid
out, and can manufacture cables and other mate
rails Of this improved iron at rates far below those
now paid Tor such material, thus saving expense
TO the Government and supplying work and means
OF subsistence to many families now destitute and
Suffering.