New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-09-04
cREAT DESTRUCTIVE FORCE.
TESTING A SHE'LL AT SANDY HOOK
r,vv ARMoR PLATES TORN TO ATOMS BY
SHOT FROM A MORTAR.

.,vv .RMoR PLATES TORN TO ATOMS BY
SHOT FROM A MORTAR.
Tho work of the officers at the SANDY noo'>
o,anance Proving Grounds is done SO uhV'V'H' .
.,ousv that the great value ana lmpoI',i''
,ho;t difficult duties are perhaps not A"AS ~
.recated The number and Importance =,
,ss,s which have been conducted uioio -
s,s surprising and gratifying. Not ceh'en1 ~ vi
,he success which they have so lai s.,ot,
18th smolxelesS powder and the great '"'i
steel rife, they have been busy LOT SoniI Iii
in making calculations for a perlecV ,t inol,
which could pierce four ana ene ', vorl-s
.+ssl deck-plate. The Bethlehem steer "olNo o
made shells accordingly, and one ol 'i'1'
Cred Yesterday with good eiect' ~. I+
The shell weighed 62s 1-2 pounds eXacuS. ~
..s made Of tempered steel and was tmcKel ''i'''i
hs ordinary cast-iron she'll There was iVo"
;nside for about twenty-five pounds OF pO"uo'
n warfare the shell would be loaded anu LUIS,
;rniting nv impact. would explode the chus,' !"
,ests Of course the shells are fired without
ohorgcs The shape was the same as ',i"O u
.ho ordinarv shell The mortar used 1or 'iio "9O
,,,s ono ~ tho twelve-inch rif1ed mortars oi o'sV
;ror roinforced bv two rows Of steel hoops oNer
,ba roar uortion 1t weighs fourteen an" '"o .
holt TONS and its total length Is ten a'iu Viiieo
quarters feet. s.,. oo
rrho mortar was mounted alongside of the grace
fpl tweIve-inch steel rifle, and at uls'anoe Vi
obout fifty yards great butt had Deeh eIecVeu'
7. ,os oomnosed of one steel plate four and one
half inches thick and another plate three and one
baIf inches thick beside it. They were strongly
hr.oad and backed by huge oak timbers with a
,rsot mound Of sand behind them, and had been
set nm with slight slant TO represent secuOh
% sbip's decking The charge which was USED
was only fifty-one pounds of Dupont POWDER WHO
,be regular charge for this mortar is eighty pounds
Rut the load was reduced, so that at the distance
IL would assimilate the striking velocity at Datte
ranges The plate was an exceedingly good one
and without doubt was as good, and perhaps bet
ter. than most of those used now on armored shlpS
When all was ready the shot was fired. There
was a dull heavy report, and instantly fragments
Of timber steel and earth began falling in shower
which lasted several seconds. The shell was seen
TO leap over the sand embankment and whlz lar
down the beach. 1t was found about 500 yards
beyond the butts. The result of the shot was
wonderful. The shell had not only gone through
the great massive barrier Of steel but had de
stroyed it almost completely. The greater part of
IL had been torn away and smashed into small
pieces some Of which were found great distances
nway What was left of the plate was cracked
and splintcred, and the wooden braces and great
heavy bolts had been crushed and torn apart
leaving what was indeed scene of destruction.
Not many of the invited witnesses present had
looked for such complete success The most
that they had expected was that the shell would
pierce the plate That it should then
fix almost half a mile beyond astOnished them
greatly. What havoc such shot would create
on an attacking vessel can be only family inag-
ined, especially when it is considered that the
mOrtars in active service are to be mounted in
batteries of sixteen consisting of four groups, with
four mortars in each group At trial of one of
tho mortars, ten shots all fell within a space
l95i-S yards long and eight and one-half yards
wide, or about the same space as that occupied
BY one Of the large transatlantic steamers. The
effect Of sixteen shells, all falling together, and
filed with explosive charges, would be stupendous
The she'll did not quite satisfy the officers OF
The proving grounds, as it was split open ongltu-
dnaly when found. 1t had apparently been of
100 high temper and ii is expected that the
next shell, if made of a lower grade Of steel, so
that it will not be hard, will prove more salts
factory.
The plate also was of a somewhat high
ternUer When shell and plate are improved
slightly, it is expected that still more gratifying
results will be obtained.
A large number of officers from the Willet's
Point station came in the Government boat Run
away 10 witness the tests. The trials were con-
Of the Ordnance Proving Grounds, and by Lieu
tenant Gibson. Lieutenant Wheeler, who has
Just returned from leave of absence. was also
present.