Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-12-01

the gun and to complete the test 1t became
necessary to use higher caliber. Ihe slgnt
inch gun was accordingly fred at alI tne
plates, with the result that the proJectIe uS
stroyed the compound plate and broke the all-
steel plate into four separate pieces, heIu so
gether only by the hbe-s. The nickel pidte'
though slightly more penetrable, remalneua u az Y;
solutely uncracked; the apeTtures maze III ~
were plugged by the projectiles. ana iol an
practical purposes of protecting ship IL " was ~
as perfect at the close of the trial as II no sno'
had been fred
In view of the great superiority. shown at
this trial. of the nickel plate over the others IN
use at the present time. Congress AZ ; tne
quest of the department, made an approDIiia,1
ton of 81 0000 600 with which to purchase nlckel
matte. Before entering upon extensive puI-
chases, the department has thought 1t wise 70
make still further tests and with TINS IN view
limited Quantity Coo OF nickel amSunsds Sused No
more will be procured until complete eApeI-
ments have been made.
The vice of the all-steel armor is its tendency
to crack This liability to crack at snoch OF
perforation seems to be removed by an alloy oi
about per cent of nickel. The mixture en-
hances to a noticeable degree the qualues oI
elastic limit and tensile strength. leaving the
percentage of elongation at figure n %hlcn
makes cracking almost impossible. tneee
qualities are precisely those necessary IN Al uLoi W
plate. Another peculiar feature, whose peai, =
ings and causes are not yet fully ascertalned, Is
the retention of the projectlle il the aperture
which it makes in the plate. The substance OF
the metal appears to seize upon the pro1ectile
and hold it fast thereby closing the very shot
hole that it opens. Striking as these character
istics are, the department has no disposition to
adopt hasty conclusions, however senSatlonal
their character, upon imperfect or lnadequate
trials, and proposes to continue Its experiments
until absolute demonstration has been reacneu
In view of the special qualities which nlckei
steel has apparently developed in lis appllca-
tion 10 armor and of the possibility that resuits
of equal Importance may be accomplished by
the employment of alloys OF varying propor-
tions for other purposes. the department mas
directed the Bureau of Ordnance TO lnsutute
experiments with small samples of nickel steel,
varying in their composition, for the following
purposes:
(d) Construction plate similar to that used In
ship building.
t6) Boiler plate.
(c) Construction plate which shall be used IN
comparative test with the ordinary steer piate,
as to its non-fouling qualities, when used as
bottom plates of steel vessels.
(d) Metal for projectiles.
STEEL INSPECTION.
In view of the delays that have been expert
enced by the department and by ship builders
engaged upon contract work, in obtaining
materials, the department invited the repre-
sentatives of the principal ship-building firms
on the one hand and of steel-casting compa-
nies, rolling mills and manufacturers of steel
forgings on the other, to a conference, which
was held at the Department October l6, 1870.
The statements made on both sides as to the
causes of delay were full of instruction. Vari-
Gus causes were mentioned. all of them relat-
ing to the method of inspection, and including
especially the Inadequate number of the force
of inspectors. the length and multiplicity OF
the tests. and the infleXible rules by which ad-
herence to the letter of the specifications was
exacted In some cases objection was also
raised to certain tests, among them the phos-
phorus and sulphur tests, but more particu-
larry the tests for surface defects.
In order to meet the former class of obiec-
tions the department is now taking steps to in
crease the force of inspectors and simplify and
hasten the work of inspection and to lay down
rules of Interpretation that will admit of the
exercise of a reasonable judgment on the part
of the inspectors. As was stated at the open
ing or the conference, the department has no
intention of modifying in any way the standard
of steel already adopted, and it is satisfied that
by the measures thus taken the causes OF delay
will be largely. if not wholly, removed.
Since March 4, 1889, nine new vessels, which
were at that time in various stages of progress.
the first two being practically out of the con-
structor's hands, have been completed and put
in commission, as follows: