New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-11-01
MORE ARMOR TESTS.
SUCCESSFUL TRIALS AT INDIAN HEAD.
IMPORTANT RESULTS WITH NIoKELsTEEL AND
HARVEYIZED PLATES.


ing Secretary Tracy, senators Edmunds Doph ana
higgins Admiral, Walker and Commodore FOlgcr,
chief Of ordnance Three OF eight plates TO be 'esteo
were fired at todaya high Carbon niekels pi''c
untreated and low carbon all steel plate HarVesiho'
from the bethlehem Iror Works, and a low CARBON
nickelsteel untreated, from Carnegie. Pbipps 20
The plates were 6xs feet and 10 IL inches thc''
Thu slx-inch gun WAS first used the striking velocity
bling 2o7o; the pojectle, Hsltzer armoi-piercins'
weighing 100 pounds the powder being IA pounu'
and the distance between gun and targets % iee'
The shots were fired In the same oruer DIS ~ '''
Annapolis trial. the first at the upper nShthano vine
the second at the upper eft-tand conner the tu az
the lower right the fourth at the lower eit anu ''
fifth at the centre. The results were us ioio"s
R1nns one-.First shot at high carbon nickel PINE
no cracks; the shell penetrated thirteen hehes' "
ooqnS t ,Urs Nrt shot at low carbon nickel plate;
no CRACKS the base of the projece was onna 20 oe
eleven and half inches from tne daoe twentve
which indicated a total peneuauon Oh wei" "e"'
Re,d threeFirst shot at the carbon steel Har
vac plate no cracks the edges Of point OF impact
We spasbeJ: the point of the projecule penetrated
about ten inches, while the base ieooanue" ''o 'o
fragments were scattered.
The situation at this period afforded no opportunity
for comparison the latter plate showed marVeioas
resistance. a.,
Round fourThc second shot at the high carbon
and three short radial cracks appeared the puot VI
the projectile rebounded and was broken .,.,.o,
r,ae the penetration was twenty inches the pro
iecte remaining in the plate There We're no CRACKS;
Harvey plate The proectie entered the plate about
seven inches, part remaining in the aperture badly
broken crack to the rlghg edge from the hIst
point Of impact and i've inches appeared The rea,
tive value Of the plates az the completion Oh The
Round seven-Third shot at the high carbon nickel
There were no cracks Ths re-, sheM nI gSnss'eo
Round eight-Third shot at the low-sarbon nlckei
plate. There still no cracks. Inc proec the
base being nearly flush with the face of the plate:
Round nine-Thrd shot at the low-carpon s, .sa
base penetrating nearly ten inches from the race OF
the plate crack from the point of impact TO he e
lower edge appeared deepening TO three inches as the
plate cooled from the heat of the blow.
The situation at this juncture was in favor Oh inc
nickelsteel plate as against tho Harveyzed an-s"e'
All three plates, however, showed sooo RESISTANCE !"
tho projectiles ..,
Round ten-Feurth shot at the high carbon nickel,
r,ate The point OF shell penetrated ten inches the
proiectDe rebounding and partly breaking up i"'''
Ropnd eeven~Fourt shot at low carbon nickel
The penetration was thirteen and hran SfoS n ue
shell reboundng twenty feet the base prea s,nssonp
while the head remained intact taking an'soiad
direction from the plate. -, -, ,or
Round twelveThe fourth shot at the low CARBON
steel Harvey plate The she'll entered the target p
pareny SIX inches bullying n H. p so crack was
diagonally downward TO the right edge
The relative efficiency of the plates remained about
the same the weakness in the Harveyized aIlseei
plate over the nickel plates was still apparent aiInouK
il had succeeded than the nickel plates In its pur
pose OF demoshng the shell its hard surface before
the projectile could cut its way into the target Inc
work of substituting the eghtinch gun and carriage
for the weapon used In making the twelve ROUNDS Oh the
morning Illustrated practically the improved equipment
of the Indian Head ground over the Annapolis GROUNDS.
At the armOr tests OF last year. at the latter place IL
took three DAYS 10 make this change of guns To-day
do1ap yoke n
the use OF Ensign Dashcs system OF tracks and trav-
cling crane the transfer OF guns was made In two
hours Firminy projectileS weighing 10 POUNDS,
backed by seventy-four pounds OF powder ana WIN
striking velocity OF 1850. were used In the elgtlhch
gun and the last shot at each plate was delivered IN
sueeesson.s o., $40. -,
Round thirteon-The fifth shot at the high-carbon
,&fsi mate Tile projectile penetrated fifteen and
half inches ami rcbounded, intact, nifty feet. Two
cracks extended from the point OF impact to uhe Two
INNER corners and TO the lower left hand corner
Round ouTteen-he NTH shot at the &c TsR
into target until tho base was TWO lnes IRON lne
face Of the plate crack me Sn one no 10 nnWa
through the second point Of impact to the lefthand
upper corner. -,
Round fteen-The fifth shot at the low carbon steel
Harvey plate The proiece perforated the plate enter
inc the wood backing at the base OF the STEEL being
plate - There was crack from the point OF Impact
10 the upper right hand corner and thence TO te tSp
fourth point OF impact, and In the direction Of ana
nearly to, the lefthand corner.
This ended the days firing. 1t is not proper To
draw conclusions other than generally in the face OF
today's results There are five more plates to be
tried and until the results Of the attack upon the re
manning plates can be known the relative efficiency
OF the eent degrees Of carbon and different methoas
of treatment and manufacture should not be judged
At the close OF todays test it must be confessed tha
the Harveyzed plate did not prove so nvunerable as
was expected but previous results Of tests Of plates
hal ined
plates ranked in the light Of the days firing as follows
The low carbon nickel steel, first: the high carbon
nickel STEEL second, and the low carbon all Steel liar
yevized third. 1t was gratifying to note that tile
nickel plates surpassed in those qualities that make
good armor the sample plate cent from the Creusct
Works last year 1t Is certain that the ateel Plate
Ha,veylzed stood the attack better than simple steel
plates untreaed have hitherto and the combination OF
nickel steel treated is expected to sustain the favorage
tests which have gone before and which haSy judg
ment OF today's occurrences might assume 10 be con
tradlcted
The Bethlehem people have plate remaining to
be tested 50 carbon nckelsteel. Harveyized plate.
The Carnegie Works have four plates remaining for
trial, 4O-carbon, nickelsteci plate untreated 40
carbon, >nickelsee plate, Harveyized; low Oscar
bon, nickel steel plate Harveyzed, and plain steel
% carbon Harveyized plate. 1t viii lake two days TO
complete the test, the work will include the mount
ing of these heavy plates on the secure oak backing
and then too, only TWO OF the plates had reached the
proving grounds up TO to-day.
The Carnegie representatives made au Interesting
discovery that will be of value 10 them I'm future man.
ufacture Their plate, the lowcarboD nickel steel,
proved efficient in IT. lower half than in the upper
portion att1bu ed 10 the double emperlng the
lower part Of the plate received by accident. The
workmen deserted the plate while it immersed in
oil on the liquid taking fire. and was permitted to 90
through the process twice. The result is that added
strength is given plate which is so treated and an
important method has grown out OF what at the time
was considered al incident Of carelessness.
The present tests. on complexion. will afford the
ordnance expert opportunity TO make various com
Parsons which cannot, IN justice to plates manu-
factrers or the Government be than alluded to at
I'D One the comparson between Amer