The new North-west., 1883-01-05
The Battle Between Arnor and Artillery
London Standard.


The most interesting and instructive series
of experiments with armor plates which
have taken place for many years have just
been concluded at Spezia. The introduction
of steel-facsd and solid steel plates with
hard faces has considerably altered the con-
dition of the attack and defense of ships.
Whereas formerly rules were drawn up
which were applicable to all cases, and for
ordinary-shot a certain amount of energy
per inch of circumference could be laid
down with confidence as sufficient to carry
them through given thickness OF armor, 1t
has now become clear that plates can be
manufactured which are practically cafe
from danger OF perforation. 1t is, however,
impossi bile, so far as is yet known, to build
any ship which can resist the ram Of an an
tagonist, and there can be no impossibility
In constructing ordinance which will have
the effect Of ram on a small scale. If the
newest armor of the day cannot be pierced,
il can, at least, be driven in by some force
or other. The only question is to find that
force within practical limits. The tendency
has lately been to avoid the difficulties in
herent Ia q system of carrying very heavy
naval guns by decreasing the caliber and iu-
creasing the velocity of the projectile. BY
this means admirable results are obtained
with tue old soft wrought-iron plates, be-
cause a shot of small diameter and high
velocity will pierce, as all arrow pierces, a
sof. material. But against material hard
enough to break or turn the point OF an
arrow, Robin Hood himself could not sue
ceed. So it is with proiectiles from ordnance.
| 1t nov seems that plates can be made hard
enough 10 resist perioratton by any pro-
jec lie yet made. The chilled iron OF Treg'
1 arfias. sssl, stfohg Ia s.6eiof Walt~vIih,
flying with a velocity Of some fifteen hum
dred aud forty feet u second, have equally
failed to pierce the unyielding met al
whether French or English, though the blow
d-iIyeied 10y llIe Armstrong sne hundred tor
gun has artuaily been sufficient TO drive IL
thu very strong backing of the plates. 1t II
possible that a prof ,cti!e may hereafter b'
| Ilaue AZ once HdIu
to do The required work, but at present the-'
are no signs of lis advent. In the mean
time, the plate has beaten the proiectile, bu
the side Of the ship has not beaten the gun
The question is, what gun-or, rather, wha
character Of gun? The question is import
ant, for all the latest progress In artiller
. has been in the direction Of tightening th
piece. If the experiments just passed ar
not wrongly interpreted, we shall have
modify our present ideas, and construct ord
nance Of such dimensions that the shot sha
batter like rams rather than pierce lik
arrows. Uuless new discoveries bring wit
them new opinions, an impetus which hs
Q now been given will carry every nation
: the direction of extremely large and heav
S guns, and the decision made by almost ever
' government to confine its exertions with
!, certain limits Of size will have to be recoi
9 sidered. 1t Is net little interesting to kno
Y that Italy, which ha, steadily kept at th
e head of Europe In the size of her naval gun
g should now be the first to demonstrate th
& wisdom of the course her naval artilleris
v have pursued. The men who have consis
o emily worked out the idea find themselv
}. justified by events, aud certainly deserve u
u appreciation Of their countrymen.