Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-12-07
STEEL FOR THE NAVY.
Secretary Tracy Delighted With the
Carnegie Harveyed Metal.
THE BEST ARMOR IN THE WORLD.
Serious nelay Prevented by Contracting
With the Local Firm.
COMMENTS on THE CHILEAN AFFAIR

President 1t embraces a number of i'm
portant topics, the Chilean matter cover
ing number of pages, and the armor tests
not being at all sighted. Besides, the
information relating to the building of the
new navy is voluminous. Secretary Tracy
prepares his report with no introduction.
lie merely saws, "To the President" and
at once goes into the details of the construc-
lion OF the new cruisers and other vessels.
He SAYS:
During the past year four new vessels
have been placed in commission, making
total mum Der Of l3 since March 4, 1889. as fol-
lows: Chicago, Yorktown. Petrol, Charles
ton, Baltimore, Cushing, Nesuvius, Phlladel-
pEia. san Francisco, Newark. Concord. Ben
ningtOn, and Miantonomoh. There are y YES
sells remaining under construction, and salts
factory progress Is reported on all.
The delays in the delivery of armor may
cause the dates Of final completion OF the u
armored vessels in the list to be somewhat
later than was contemplated when the con-
tracts were drawn: but with the increased
sources OF supply of armor plate now avail
able it is probable that this delay will be
short and it will be much more than com
pcnsated for by the superior quality of the
armor which has been developed during the
past wear.
BY far the most momentous question
which the Department had had to consider
in connection with the construction of the
new navy Is that of armor: First, to secure
4 supply of American manufacture, and sec
Ondly, 10 determine what kind of armor
should be adopted, having reference both to
its comnoSirion and mode of treatment. The
more this subject is studied the more re-
mark8Dle appears the foresight and judg-
mcnt with which the first contract of 1857
was effected, and the creation assured of the
uneCualed plant now in the last stages OF
completion At South Bethlehem.
That difficulties and delays should attend
q work O. such magnitude is unavoidable
and the establishment of armor manufacture
il the United states has been no exception
10 the rule. The report of last year des-
Cribed the unsatisfactory condition. at that
time, OF the work under the Bethlehem con-
tract. and the efforts that had been made by
the Department to hasten ii.
In view of the delays incident to
the work under the Bethlehem con-
tract the Department, in the sum-
mer of ls90, endeavored to secure second
source OF supply and on November 20 of that
Year entered into contract with Messrs.
Carnegie. Phipps & Co. for 500 tons of ar
NOR plates at the sane price as that stipu-
lated in the bethlehem contract. The time
fixed for deliveries TO begin, July ], 1891,
seven months from the date a. the contract,
was too short to enable the company to com
plete the necessary extension of its plant.
Advantages of the Carnegie Contract.
The work has. however, beer vigorously
pushed, and $50 tons OF nickel-steel armor
for the Monterey have been turned ont, and
are now only awaiting the required ballistic
tests prior to acceptance. If this contract
had not been made. it is safe TO say that the
completion of many of the armored ships
now under construction would have been
postponed for an indefinite period. The
balance OF the aTmor not included in either
contract, estimated at between 1000 and 5000
tons. viii be opened to competition.
The contract with MessrS. Carnegie. Phipps
N Co. provided for utilizing nickel in con
Icctiuu with steel in the manufacture of
armor. Negotiations have also been entered
INTO with a view OF substituting nlckel-steel
5G nlac" OF all-Steel armor for the vessels in
ciudcd in the Bethehcm contract Under
the appropriation made last year the De-
1aTtment has purchased $50 tons of nickel
matte. containing about SeJ tons OF nickel, |
for this purpose.
The supply of arruor OF domestic manufact- |
urc having been provided for. it remained |
for the department. to determine finally the /
material and the method of treatment that |
should be adopted.
Results OF Competitive Tests
The experiments made last year at Ann
apolis, described in the annual report for
1850 consisted of a test of the two principal
foreign types of armor, the English com
pound plate and the French all-steel plate
and an entirely new plate, also made in
France upon the special order of the depart
lucut, of nickel-steel. The result of the trial
showed that the compound plate was de-
cidedly inferior. and that as between nickel |
steel and all-steel the former had distinct |
and positive advantages, the all-steel plate
bcmw broken into four pieces, while the |
u icEel plate remained a absolutelv uncracked.
\ series of tests made during the follow !
ing the spring and summer confirmed the |
conclusions formed at the Annapolis Trial |
~ TO he superiority CT nickel-Steei and the |
Department accordingly decided to adopt |
st. and made arrangements with the con- |
tractors looking to that end. 1t remained, |
however, to give thorough trial to the first |
armOr OF domestic manufacture before be- |
ginning 20 place it upon the vessels, and for |
this purpose it was decided to order typical |
O#fUs, which should be made the subject of |
aU governmental test. This trial was to as |
certain two points: first whether our do |
IGa>tic manufacturers could produce an |
aIm0r that would stand competition with |!
t#g material manufactured abroad: and, |
-rrunG. which OF the various modes of treat |
.ent suggested would give the best results. |
j. reference to the latter point the ques- /
ri'Hs TO be considered were the relative |
merits o. rolling and forging in the manu-
iarJUre. and the effect of a new method of |
treatment. named, from its inventor the |
Harvey process designed TO harden the sur
i"cc Of the plate while retaining the tough
ness OF its body.
Satisfactory Trials at Indian Head.
OF the six plates tried three were furnished
by lhe Bethlehem Iron Company and three
10y Carnegie, Phipps & Co. In these trials
y hicE took place at Indian Head on Octo-
}er 81 ana November "A the plates were sub
jacted to tests more severe than had ever
been applied at any foreign government
trials -Four shots were fired at each plate
from n siN-incn gun with an impact velocity
%; 2o15 feet per second and an energy OF
: "so loot tons, using the HOltzer proiectile
oi lrO pounds. one shot was then fired at !
the ceuter Of each plate from an eight-inch
gun WIN an lmDact energy OF 4.9SS foot tons. |
G~.n- ElTmnY and Carpenter projectiles of
~ ana 25O pOnnds weight respectively. The
] -atc> were placed normal TO the line of fire
The results OF the trial were in the highest
'i'gIrC satisfactory. Zach of the six plates |
manufactured III rhis country was superior |
TO the English compound plate, while the
nickel lla'NcYed plate and the high carbon |
nickel plate were superior to all the foreign
la'cS o. the Annapolis trial. They may
therefore he pronounced in advance of the
best arnor hitherto manufactured in Eu-
Further light was thrown upon the ones
2 'ap OF the relative merits of all-steeI and
IH.,g steel arIaOr, and any doubt which
aI nave remained upon that subject was
.fHHi.v sci at rest. Of the three plates made
"N Bethlehem TWO we're of nickel-steel, one
i""teu by The Harvey process, the other
B. 'I ana The thlru was OF all-steel, Harveyed.
i.''G the nickel plates proved to be far su-
IDfur to the al-steel Harveyed plate, not
r .u-taudiug the advantages which it NAV
-lN. derived from the special treatment:
.Ag both proved superior to the French all
steel plate tried at Annapolis.
NiclIie Plate Superior to All Steel.
5 third nickel plate, manufactured by
s.ri-egle, under the rolling process, also
-HoF,,u a marked superiority over the all
-.eei ulaue OF this year, and both it and the
corr. >poHding Bethlehem plate manufac-
,u,uI u,.dcr The hammer showed a capacity
BI resistance IA npJ'fors non fullr 10 ,.,r cant