Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-11-16

The second days test Of the American armo
plates made for the protection of naval vessel
took place Saturday at the naval proving ground
at Indian Head, Nd. Three plates were fired Z
to demonstrate the qualities Of three differen
systems OF armor making. The results bu
confirmed the conclusions that were draw
from the first series Of tests q fortnight age
that the American armor plate il at present ii
the lead as against all Europe. The tests wer
witnessed by board Of naval officers, heade'
by Admiral Kimberly. and by number o
high officials, including Secretary Tracy, Assist
ant Secretary Solely. Senators Ha~ley and Nor
rill Solicitor General Taft, Gen. Flagler, chic
Of ordnance of the army; Capt. d. NJ. Taylor
recorder Of the army ordnance board. land sew
eral foreigners. including Capt Langley. nava
sttsche Of the British legation; Maj Carrie, mil
itary attache Spanish legation; Count Lottin
French legation, and Count Nakimura, Japa
nese legation.
THE PLATES TESTED.
The plates were set in position against
stanch wooden backings, and we're labeled to
indicate their characters AS follows: At the
right was plate labeled "High-carbon nickel
steel, Carnegie. Phipps Co." In the center
was plate marked "Low-carbon nickel steel,
third plate, on the left, was marked High
carbon nickel-steel Harveyized, Bethlehem
| The proportion of carbon in the plates was
| 40. rs and IS per cent, in the oxder named. In
| the trial of October 81 two Bethlehem plates
and one Pittsburg plate were tested. This time
| it was one Bethlehem plate and two Pittsburg
| plates.
The firing began at 9 and was over before
| 1890. As before, one Hotter shell was fired
from the six-inch gun at the upper left-hand
| corner of each plate. beginning with the high
| carbon Carnegie nickel steel at the right.
Three other shells we're fired in succession at
| the upper right-hand corner. the lower left-hand
corner. and the lower right-hand corner. Then
teams and negroes and the eight-inch gun put
in its place. From this gun three shells were
hurled against the centers Of the plate
| Carpenter projectiles were used to iest the
| Carnegie high-carbon and the Carnegie low
| carbon Harveyized. The Bethlehem plate was
| tested with Firminy projectile. Each of the
| eight-inch shells weighed about 212 pounds,
| with charges so reduced as to subject the plate
to a trial equal to that by full-charged gun at
| q distance of 500 yards.
| RESULTS OF THE SHOTS.
The shots made effects as follows: Carnegie
| high-carbon nickel steel: First shot, six-inch
gun-Fired at upper left hand corner Pene-
| tration. 1917 inches. Projectile rebounded IN
| injured Small radical cracks in the circular
| burr around the hole. The wood backing
| could be seen through the shot hole. Pro-
jectile. a six-inch Hotter armor-piercing
Charge. 421s pounds Dupont brown powder.
| Striking velocity, 2075 foot seconds.
Second shot-Fired at upper right-hand cor
ner. Penetration 1914 Inches. Projectile re-
| bounded. broken. Short radlal cracks IN the
burr. Projectile. charge and velocity same al
| before.
Third shot-Fired at lower left-hand corner.
Penetration. IL inches. Projectile rebouhded,
| leaving wood backing exposed to view. YER
| teal crack was developed from the point of i'm
Il act tn fha hot of ha MIA Drnia efr lie
| charge and velocity same as before.
| Fourth shot-Fired at lower right-hand cor
ner. Penetration, l1ts inches Projectile re-
| bounded intact. horizontal crack extended
through the lower left-hand shot hole to the
| left edge of the plate. Projectile, charge and
| velocity same as before.
Fifth shot-Fired at center. Penetration.
| 80 inches. Projectile rebounded. badly upset.
Cracks connected the center hole with the upper
right-hand hole and the lower left-hand hole
jectile, s-inch Carpenter; weight, $50 pounds;
charge. ~ pounds Striking velocity, 100
| foot seconds.
Plate No. 2, low-carbon nickel STEEL Harveyed,
CarnegIe-From six-inch gun: First shot
Fired at upper left-hand corner. Penetra-
ton, 1415 inches. Projectile remained in
\ plate, apparently intact Short radial cracks
in burr. Projectile; charge and velocity same
| as before.
Second shot-Fired at upper right hand
corner. Penetration, l4s. inches Projectile
remained in the plate, apparently intact. Pro-
| jectile. charge and velocity same az before.
Third shot-Fired at lower Ieft-hand corner.
Penetration, 9s4 inches Projectile rebounded,
| shortened two inches Projectile, charge and
velocity same before.
Fourth shot-Fired at lower right-hand cor
| ner. Penetration. 20l4 inches. PrOjectile re-
manned intact in the mole. Projectile, charge
| and velocity same as before.
| From eight-inch gun: Fifth shot-fired al
center. Penetration, 1874 inches. Projectle
rebounded, broken in many pieces. Plate
| cracked from center to upper right and left
hand holes and lower left hand hole, and from
| the upper left-hand and lower left hand holes
to the edges Of the plates. Projecule, charge
and velocity same as other eight-inch shot.
THE BETHLEHEM PLATE
Plate number 8. high-carbon nickel steel,
! Harveyed, from the Bethlehem works-From
the 6-inch gun: First shot-Fired at upper left
hand corner. Penetration, IL inches. Pro.
jectile rebounded, much broken. No cracks
/ Projectils, charge and velocity same as before.
Second shot-Plate 6igh-carbon nickel steel
Bethlehem. Fired at upper right-hand corner.
Penetration, inches. Projectile broken to
small fragments and widely scattered the point,
much fattened. remaining in the hole Nc
cracking. Projectile, charge and velocity same
| as before.
Third shot-Fired at lower left-hand corner
| Penetration, Ia inches. Projectile rebounded
/ intact Eight flne cracks radating from the
i hole from one to three inches in length. Pro
| jectile. charge and velocity same before.
Fourth shot-Fired at lower right-hand cor.
/ ner. Penetration, 81 inches. Projectile broken
| into fragments its point remaining imbedded
in the face of the plate. Projectile, charge and
/ velocity same as before.
Fifth shot-Fired at center. Penetration
| 1881 inches. Projectile rebounded slightly
| Clipped. Plate cracked from center through
upper and lower left-hand holes to the edges oil
the plate. Projectie, Firminy; weight, 2l(
pounds. Charge, 7411 pounds Of powder
Striking velocity, l,75O foot seconds.
| ExAMININa THE FRACTURES.
When the firing was finished the Carnegie
high-carbon plate showed more cracks and more
clearly defined than either Of the others. The
Carnegie low-carbon Harveyized revealed the
least conspicuous fractures. The Bethlehem
high-carbon plate was cracked, the fracture
| being confined, a. in the Carnegie l0v-carbor
plates, principally to the left of the center In
the Carnegie low-carbon Harveyized and the
Bethlehem plates the fractures did not become
strongly apparent until after the attack by the
eight-inch gun, which greatly increased all priol
injuries.
OF the fifteen shots fred, therefore, ter
were successfully resisted by the plates and
repelled in more or less damaged condition
after penetration, three remained Embedded
and two were totally destroyed, with little OIL
| NO enetration-
Lauxhed Hersalf tn neath