New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-09-23
PRICE THREE CENTS.
THE TESTS AT ANNAPOLIS.
RESULTS OF THE COMPETITIVE TRIALS or
ARMOR PLATES.
THE NICKEL PLATE STANDING THE ATTACKS
BEST-THE CAMMEL PLATE DEMOLISHED
DETAILS OF THE TWO DAYS FIRING
IMPORTANCE OF THE TESTS TO
AMERICAN STEEL MEN

IMPORTANCE OF THE TESTS TO
AMERICAN STEEL MEN
AND THE NAVY.
Washington, sept. % tSpeciaD-The armor pla4s
test which began Thursday OF last week
cludcd to day at the Naval proving ground at An.
napolis. and may be said to have been the most i'm
pOrtant ever held. This importance arises from tho
lmpartajty as we'll the severity Of the trial. rather
than It's novelty. since similar competitive trials wero
held at Gavre, Ochta Amsgcr POla and Spezia Tho
results of these trials between English compound
armOr and French solid steel plates have been
garcd with something like jealous by the Govern.
ments concerned and the records OF these tests have
come down to Us in the prcudiced accounts Of tho
competitors. While the American tests developed little
that the ordnance experts Of tins country had not
gathered from the foreign trials, the results at An.
nappI, have established conc>ivcly and ndisputaby
the vast superiority Of French plating the
English material. The first shot OF the first days
firing proclaimed this fact and justified the hesitation
Of the board detailed to conduct the test at continu
inc the firing at the English
These emphatic results are incidentally a victory
for American Institutions The Bethlehem Iron Com
pany already has contracts with the Government for
supplying identical with the most successful Of
the three plate, under trial The proiectilcs used at
these tests. although OF foreign make capable OF
being reproduced in this country, and steps in that
direction will shortly be taken by the Ordnance
Bureaus Of the Army and Navy. The powder was of
American manufacture. and proved satisfactory. Tho
gun>-that Thursday siX-i inch and that OF to-day
an eight inch rc-wcrc OF domestic forging and as.
,emblng Their performances were perfect. Tic
sixinch gun fired Thursday twelve times between
II and 4 o'clock. without strain Of or injury TO the
gun or carriage mechanism. This has never been
BY any country before and bound to strengthen
the reputation this will give American ordnance
expert> throughout the military world
The results of the Annapoli, test have signtcarce
beyond the compliment paid 10 domestic skill and labor.
They demonstrated early in the trial the vulncrebility
oi English arnor before American ordnance They tO
whom warke visions have "A fascination will absorb
additional confidence from the cvidan"c that a 100
pound prujcctilc be hurled through the thickcSt
British arsor,d 'mld>hip- py our naval Guns. Tho
effect 81 this evidence farrcarlng. II, influence
riav h. depended upon t. dis 0IrTSe English aC-
gr,:>,pn u- ii may ave 10 ambitions minor Powers
IN" hope and opportunity OF equality. The results
the other hand may BE- regarded in England. a Naval
officer said I" yor ""ric> pond"nt. a. smart Yankee
tri.k,T and III" warning :iyen hy the demolition of
English arm"r 20 uuhecicd.
This tc, ha> been conducted by the United states
';ovcrnncnt it, cApcn-,. The Naval Bureau Of
ordnance some tim" authorized TO invite
arn.,,- plate concerns to >,ud plates hnnapD, for
testing. The invitation included Anl.riran foundu's,
lf the condition of domestic ~tc workers had Vet
advanced that standard warantin- the presumption
uf competition. TIE bethlehem plates alone ap1
pro,clicd ta, standard. but their efficiency 10 bs
demonstrated in The capacity Of their prototype. tbs
homogeneous steel &" Lc CrrINot. These plates came
from abroad and purchased by the Government,
which. behalf Of honesty and fairness. cXactcd ter
tain conditions uf dmc;lsOa. The experience ano
skill of two fonndr.cs-tiarics Cammel & Co., oi
slef ID. England aud schneider 4 Co.. o Lc Crcusot
Francewrc understood t. be taxed in the production
The former firm contributed a compound plate. Of
lacLi Z ir,)ii
under t ca.l.d Wilson patent. The CreuSot works
sent tv" plate. Of >Dli >;''l and the other "f
steel with alloy - per cent Of nickel The plates
Nrr .cct h.lI. broad and 10 - inches Thick.
except the Cammr plate which exceeded slightly that
d.:r. II h, tn">>. This was an inadvcrt''t result
in tie rolling which. circumstances dcvcl"p% nan
no material effect. still. IT advantage for that
plate
rl. plates arranged a. 10 present All cNars
and rrlav" lr,td ,ic t. the rl"uth ~ Tho from
Win, they >t,d thirty fret IN" plates w"~ Dseri"d
ltwrcn >t.r! SIS al securely bp!i'i t. three Feet
%. oak l,, Kim. representing the hull proper o ship
@. war The braces were h.avy inclined struts. in.
M dici in a huge mound ni r,rnncd earth. serving fhs
doubc purpose of sustaining the props and retaining
stray missiles The programme Of the BOARD was -
+, fifteen >liu-. ~ each plate >nrrc,~vc!y.
Tn, plan 10 direct The fist shot al the lower
rlct hand corirr. the second ia" core, Ihntins left
hand corner the thi!d directly above the second and
the fiIi:n. competing tiIl III upper
rl.'t hand Tn" points Of imlat were two
feet from the cd:"> ~ the plate. Provision for the
,a:rtv Of >pccta'r~ of whou both days there vera
;,pU 100. took tn" form at distant icd"ubs ana
hai n, u.r~ which di not entirely remove them from
the r,Jri II rs Iiu: chips ~ STEEL following each shot.
The :ururr. Eu>i.n pa,hcll. and assistants wcra
p"ic,tc behind a Formidable ARRANGEMENT Of pIl"s
and old steel r!in.. ten feet distant from the gun.
The discharge effected 1y pulling lnyart from
IN All
second, for The >tc,i >llNrr> to descend.
T!i" arrangements an both d,v> were ample. and the
c,,nplc"ur,, ~ detail and freedom from accident tn
c.thcr man machinery arr due to the eAccllcns
general maua-"ncmt "f tomm"dorc W VI. Foleer.
,hmf Of nrnln,r aud IT, of details by tho
Board. ,ornp,,.d of ldni'Hl l.. \. Kimberly
Clp;,in f. - Matthews. Commander W. Il. Brid,-
mau Lieutenant Commander W. Maynard. Llcntenans
J. T. Mig. e.. -. ~t4i". ". H. H. >nuhcr!and. I. P.
Fletcher .rd X. N'~ En>i-n> =. Il. .\lccr. \. A.
Alderman aud Il. H. Di>h;cll
The nrn: of THURSDAY wa> don" with a modcrn
h,h powered brrc, Ii loadng rifle, ,onstrlctcd
for ih> test. at the Washington ordnance shop.
IN nity two day. unparalleled piece of work 10
thi, country. lt> p ri"tinan'c, wcrr without faun.
and il Will bc added 10 the armament of one Of the
urW cruisers. The .In j. slightly longer than the
other :, inch pieces, hcln. b ra6rc seventeen and one
half feet IN length. instead II -. calbrc t>Xccn fccf.
Til, iArrc,>r afford ii higher Initial vcocity tor
the projc tale Of :O1j feet per second. against tie
vclmity of a like pr"irctilc from ah English 6.ucA
Gun IT 9.6 feet. The Gun u,;d +i Ii pounds u
co,oa powder to force the projcctIlc. and had .
chamber pressure uf fifteen tons to the square inrh.
The prnrcc- used weighed 100 pound, each.
and were manufactured at rnicnN. France. by
IIoltl,r A Co. They of forged steel. with points
~ clr,mr steel. The idea of >uth a comb bnation IS
to riyc the head of the pr"c,te harfnc>S 10
resist the ,hmk. while the base. with its greater
ductilty in,i.reS tcna,iiy. The length of the she'll
i, seventeen inches. Tie pr'jc,tc and the powder
vcrt subjected To ri;d iNpccoii almost ml'rocopraI
! IN IL, nature. This insured cAactres, Of size and
ou,utty which wa, destined 10 surround the test with
nothing savming Of prejudice or partality
The rr,t shot fired shortly after II O'Clock.
ot the schneider a>ccl plate. The dcafeninc. earth
.h,Lju. cloud producing report that indicated the
hurln: Of a steel wcdGc quicker than sight was not
Gin OF NJ ut Tha