Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-09-20
GUN AGAINST ARM0R.
Details Of the Remarkable Tests Made
at Annapolis.
EFFECTS OF THE FIRING.
The EnGlish Plates shattered While
enc French PIase 10 Hardly Affected
How the Gum was Fircd-Sccncs on
The Proving Ground.


uound Opposite the Naval Academy at Annapo-
Of the kind that has ever taken place. French
plates were hit With stee. shells made in France
after . French process, fred from an American
gun, and the effect astounde6 even the most
sanguine Of the spectators. while on tn. other
hand the only other plato at the butts. repre-
senting the best STEEL the best talent and the
greatest enterprise Of Britain, was cracked,
broken and finally perforated. thus demon
strating the vast superiority Of the steel pre-
ssnted BY the descendants Of Johnnie Crapaud
UNDER THE EYES OF THE WORLD.
The entire navy, all Of the steel manufac-
tnrers Of the country and half of all the others
I'm the world have been discussing this test for
weeks past and il Il regarded as the most re-
variable event that has ever taken place In
the history of ordnance. In the first place il
was fully public, among the spectators be-
ing not only Representatives Of the main steel
interests Of the world, but also newspaper men
prepared 10 send the slightest details of the
experiments to the entire reading public Of ali
civilizations. In this precedent was estab-
Eshed, for on all similar occasions in Europe
there have never been any others in this country
the greatest seclusion was maintained and the
results OF the tests were made public only when
they we're sufficiently favorable TO please the
pared without any unpleasant incidents mar
rated. Photographs have been taken in Num-
bers Of the most important tests of armor, but
few have found their way into the journals.
WITH A CAMERA.
Thursday q reporter Of The STAR armed
with Kodak and a Genie-doubly loaded to
catch the sun napping-was enabled to photo
graph everything of interes: about the entire
proceeding, including the plates as they ap-
peared on the conclusion OF the final round,
and the accompanying matter is a truthful &C.
count Of the noise that was made and the eli ects
that were produced.
HOW THE COMPETITION CAME ABOUT.
Some months ago il was decided by the Sec
rotary Of the Navy to test the value OF a certain
srmor piercing projsctile known as the Holt
Ger shell, manufactured in France, and for
that purpose he entered INTO contract with
the firm Of Schneider 4 Co., whose works are
located at lie Creusot, France, to furnish him
with two Of their best steel ships
the projectiles. These were furnished,
one made OF solid steel, with no alloy,
containing about e Of per cent Of carbon,
and the other Of q composition of IS per cent
steel and per cent Of nickel. known as nickel
steel. Each cost about $3.50. Preparations
tests, which were ordered for a certain date,
when the representatives in this country of
Nessrs. Cammell & Co. of Sheffield England.
petitioned that the test be made competition
between their plates and those OF the Creusot
arm, In order to determine the superiority.
They offered to sell plate at the same price as
that paid for the French steel, and finally their
proposition was accepted. The competition
wss declared open to all manufacturers. but no
others entered, the American steel makers an
nouncing that they were not yet ready.
PREPARING YoR THE TESTS.
For two months past work has been going on
st the gun foundry in this city and at the An
papolis proving ground in preparation for the
tests, and 1t was only week or so ago that
Lieut. Commander Dayton. who Is in charge of
the proving ground, announced that ali was
ready. board had long before been ap-
pointed by the Secretary to witness the tests
and TO make . report upon them, as follows:
Rear Admiral l. A. Kimberly, Capt Z. o.
Matthews, Commander W. Il. Bridgman, Lieut.
Commander W. Maynard, Lieu;s. ]. F. Meigs,
c. A. Stone, W. h. SoutherlanI and F. r.
Fletcher and K. Miles. and Ensigns
7. R Alger, A. A. Alderman and L. b. Dashiell
After vague warning to the invited guests in
which no mention was made OF an exact date.
Do that there should not be a general clamor
for tickets or Q large crowd demanding ad-
mission to the grounds, the private tip was
passed Tuesday, and cards were given to a
number Of officers of both the army and the
navy. several prominent steel makers and a
selected corps OF newspaper men, representing
THK STAR, the press associations and some OF
the leading metropolitan journals making a
speciality Of naval newa
PERYKcr CONDITIONS.
The conditions were perfect for a most salts
factory test all day long, and the arrangements
we're made with so great care that the wonder
fui record was achieved OF firing inside of four
and bali hours twelve shots with tremendous
velocities ut an extraordinarily short range IN
the presence Of 2OO persons, without the least
semblance of q hitch or an accident and for
this credit is due and should be given to Com
nodore Folger, the chief OF the bureau of
ordnance Of the navy, who personally superiu-
tended the preliminary details and lent the
magical eject OF his energetic presence to the
tests themselves. Ii may be remarked, in
passsng, that on the other side Of the ocean il
h regarded a. an excellent record in conduct
ing similar tests If two shots can be fired in
one day, whereas there wss ample time Thurs
day Tor eight more shots had there been need
thus making ten times as much progress as our
1nghsh. French, German and other European
frisndaL
GATHERING on THE GROUNDS.
Some of the spectators went TO Annapolis
Wednesday night, including Secretary Tracy
and Commodore Folger, while large number
of others lsfs the city Thursday morning and
rsaehsd the proving ground with little If any
suhc W sPsfc ~ mas become proverD that
pubk,e events never occur on time, and the
vitaeeses Of such incidents have grown accus-
toned to making o certain marginal allowance
Tor delays, but is Is . fact that surprised many
Al those On the grounds that the first
shot which vas scheduled to 90 fired at
II O'clock promptly, made its enormous
noaee ss precisely one minute past
tAas heuS, thus proving the exception ~ the
rule. IL was while the echoes of this shot were
dying away over the Maryland hills that TIE
brAD reporter stepped from the asthmatic
steam launch that had carried the trio that
pspsssented the Washington pencil pushers
ocroM the severn river 10 the proving ground
aDd when hs reached tine scene Of the expert
Rents, . few minutes later, he found the board
kunAly engaged In examining the effects of the
shst
THE PLATES AND THE auys
Ihs plates were arranged side by side in
4eat Of large mound Of earth, set against o
solid wooden backing made of three thick
Dsssss Of l2-inch OAK beams and braced in the
most scientific manner. Each plate was held
IN position by two upright pieces OF iron bolted
70 the framework. The gun, o triumph of the
lathe, was Q six-ineh bore. trife longer than
usual. and capable Of sending . l00-pound shot
q On initial velocity Of 2.075 feet Q second
by mean: OF E charge Of As pounds
Tor the purpose Of insuring the high
the NAshington foundry. II stood in q tempo
rary structure buils Of oaken planks, roofed
With iron plates. and protected In front By in
Vulnerable bags Of sand aud System Of stakes.
The muxxle was thirty feet from the center of
each target the plates being set on a curved