The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1890-07-15
TEE hRMoR PLATE TESTS.
A Interesting and ImportaaS Trial n
Preparation at AunapoIiG

| Al Interesting and Important Trial IN
Preparation At Annapolis.
WASHINGTON July lA-The irrepressible con-
fict between gun and target, which has been
going on ever since the Introduction OF IRON
clads, is to be renewed very soon in compe-
| tltion at Annapolis which will surpass any
thing ever before known In this country for
! vigor OF attack and stoutness OF defence.
When Iron took the place OF wood on the
bulls OF ships, and as q protection for their
| batteries, the 6S-pounder which. up to that
time. was the largest calibre used on ship
| board. and quite large enough for all require
ments. necessarily made way to moro power
| full ordnance, But no sooner had the guns re-
| covered their superiority than thicker and
| tougher metallic plates shifted the victory to
the targets. Then more power was supplied
| to the artillery. And 80, for more than thirty
years, the contest has gone on. until the at
tack is now represented by guns weighing l 10
! tons, throwing projectile OF 1000 pounds
with charge OF nearly 1000 pounds OF pow
| der: while the armor plates OF vessels have
gone to thickness OF twenty-four inches Of
wrought iron, or wrought iron with q steel
face. or solid steel.
But while this war between guns and plates
has been waged SO long, and with results more
and more astonishing, at Shoeburyness and
Spezia. at Gavre. AmRger and Ochta our
country was, at a very early stage. left out OF
the combat We no longer constructed either
ordnance or armor that could make tolera-
BILE approach to the least efficient OF modern
European masterpieces. At length. a few years
ago, the manufacture OF high power heavy
rifles was taken UP in the United States, be-
ginning with the sS-inch gun and going on to
the eight-inch and ten-inch until now our
ordnance In those calibres is It is believed at
least equal to any in the world. On the side
OF the target some progress was also made.
and perhaps It might have seemed greater had
1t not been for the invention OF forged steel
projectiles, which greatly increased the power
OF the artillery. However. a good start was
effected In this direction when Secretary Whit
ney made arrangements for producing large
amount Of plates needed by armorcads at
the steel plantestabished at Bethlehem. which
Is now turning out plates for the Puritan. the
Amphitrite, the Monadnock. the Terror, the
Maine, and the Texas.
Some time ago the Bureau OF Naval Ordna nce
Issued circular calling for armor plates TO be
submitted to a competitive trial In the Ord
nance Proving Grounds at Annapolis. Unfor-
tunately no American plates we're offered, and
It was necessary, therefore, to rely on pur-
chased foreign plates. Three different speci-
mems Of these have been bought and will be
tried next month. Two ofthem are OF rival kinds
that have already fought out many contest on
one or another Of the great proving grounds OF
Europe. These are the compound plate of
Charles Cammell & Co. OF Sheffield, and the
all-steel plate of Schneider & Co OF LIE Creusot
In France The former consists OF hard steel
face with wrought iron back; the latter Is
made Of homogeneous solid steel. The third
plate. also Schneider. is an alloy OF steel and
nickel. which has shown excellent resisting
properties at lie Creusot and elsewhere.
Each Of the plates measures feet by 8. and
is 1OS inches thick. The plates are each bolted
to an oak backing three feet thick The face
OF each plate will be painted with vertical and
horizontal lines. go as to divide 1t into squares
of one foot area each; then tho plates will be
subjected to the fire OF breech loading rifle,
the same number OF rounds against each with
armor piercing projectles. The first shot will
be delivered from 6-inch gun toward the right
hand lower corner OF the plate. at prescribed
distance from the side and bottom, by reference
to the vertical and horizontal lines. Then will
come a second shot. at a prescribed intersec-
ton OF lines, and finally a shot with an S-inch
rifle. But for this last the Board may substitute
three more shots from the 6-inch gun. 1t also
has discretion to vary. within certain limits
the aim OF any shot after the first, guided by
the condition OF the plate.
Although the trial which ia thus arranged Is
OF foreign plates only, 1t will be the most in
terestinR test OF armor held in this country
for many years. A Board OF naval officers to
conduct 1t. with Rear Admiral l.. A. Kimberly
as presiding officer, was appointed by Score
tary Tracy Swo or three days ego. The rivalry
between the manufacturers Of armor will cause
this test to be watched with interest In Euro.
pean countries as well as in our own.