The Greenville times. [volume] (Greenville, Miss.) 1868-1917, 1889-12-07
A KETOLUrIOs IN ARMOR PLATE.
[Army and Navy JouruaIl

Army and Navy Journal
Naval ordnance officers are awaiting
with keen interest the result Of certain
experiments with a new armor plate
and armor piercing shells shortly to
be conducted at the Naval Ordnance
Proving Grounds. For several weeks
experiments have been going on with
these new ordnance materials at the
Washington Navy Yard, giving some
most remarkable results, and encour-
aging many of the ordnance experts to
the belief that this country win soon
be leading the world in this class. The
new plate and shells, or rather the new
method Of treating them. Is what is
known IS the Redaman- -Tilford process,
by which low grade steel can be con-
verted into high grade and treated in
such way that plate can be given a
hard surface and a soft centre. Low
carbon steel is treated ut red heat to a
bath Of sal-ammoniac and glycerine
and allowed to cool. 1t is then, prac-
tically, new material, harder, strong.
er and more elastic and otherwise i'm
proved in quality. The advantage OF
the process as applied to armor plates
and shells Is In the ability to make the
surface hard to any depth desirable
while the back is left soft aud elastic,
A plate Sx3 feet and 6 inches has been
treated in this manner and viii be sent
to Annapolis where II will be thor.
oughly tested. The preliminary ex-
periments at the yard showed that the
plate to a depth of inches had been
made so hard that the cutting tools IN
the yard could make little impression
on it, while the remaining 8 inches re.
tanned its original soft condition
Shells treated in this way showed an
equal degree of hardness.
Courier Journal.
The Directors aud stockholders o.
the Redman-Tilford Steel Company
of this city, are jubilant to-day, ant
practically each one of them Is alread,
a rich man. For some time past ar
rangements have been going on fol
the final tests by the Government o
steel armor plates treated with til,
Redman-Tilford process. These test
were made at Annapolis yesterday
aud the results were startling 10 th
Government officials and most crafty
ing to the company.
The future of the process of treatin,
steel for tool making has always beel
assured. For armor plate for navie
and coast defcnses II was uncertain
and until Yesterday mooted question
but now all doubts have been set aside
and 1t seems to be but a question 0
time until the material Is used in ever
navy of the world.
Interested parties have been cagerl
looking forward to the final tests mad
yesterday at Annapolis, when the Rec
man-Tilfsrd steel plate was teste
under fire. Great preparations ha
been made for the event, which wa
witnessed by great number of prom
inent Government officials, ship-build
ers. special correspondents aud til
committee appointed by Secrctar
Tracy.
An untreated plate, 30x30 inche
and 6 inches thick was first fired ,
. with three-pound Hotchkiss sho
which penetrated the plato two inche
Il was then subjected to the fire of 81,
, pound Hotchkiss shot. which brok
the untreated plate.
A companion plate, treated by Il
| Redman-Tilford Company, of Il
same dimensions, was then twice fire
, at with three-pound Hotchkiss she
: the balls merely indenting the surfa,
= three-fourths of an inch, showing
difference of 1875 per cent In favor
the company's plate. A six-pouI
: Hotchkiss shot was then fired thr
!. times, which did no harm, only aga
= indcnting the plate one inch and ha
y The test here ended, so far as Il
company was concerned. and was pc
. fcctly satisfactory to their represent
!, tivcs in Washington
u In order to break the plate that I
!, inside might be microscopically exa
= ined and analysed, which could not
y done In the usual way of boring
o. o. slotting, 1t had to be subjected to [
y fire of one hundred-pound Fren
= armor piercing shell, the best made
7 the world. This size shot Is employ
= to test plates Of nineteen inches
= thickness.
o. The company has every confider
that their plates will be indorsed a
adopted by the Navy Department,
the principle claimed by them has b,
as firmly established-that they co,
Ia treat an armor plate to any depth
,6 sired leaving the untreated part s
h. and In Its original condition while
h treated part was so hard as to defy
Dy penetrative energy of the best tools
,d the Navy Department.
be These experiments have been C
as Quoted undo. steel board, compo
= of Capt Badger and Lieuts. Ackcrn
Mt and Nicholson, and have been of
.ty most thorough and crucial charac
,r- Minor experiments have been ms
IT. among others converting common |
,pt semer rails into tool steel, which b
been equally successful.
ia Steps have been taken to bring
attention of the English Governu
RS to this matter, and 1t is expected
DO series of experiments will be sho
an undertaken which will lead to
RS adoption by that and other Europ
i"- Powers.
Ida This invention has especial inte
,re with us, as our fellow citizen, Col. !
ess +. johnson, is the owner of 1-25 OF
', patent and plant.