The sun., 1891-03-17
THE NEXT TRIAL or ARMoR PLATES.
The New PROVING GrosuA at Inaiaa Mead
and it, Inaucnral Test.


wAsHrSoroS. March 10.-Ths naval ordinances
trial ground at Annapolis. which has long
boon 50 useful. ia now 10 be abandoned. Its
work ends ut its climax Of celebrity. The
great competitive ttial last autumn OF all.s'eel,
nlckel-steei aud compound plates wns the
most important contest OF guns against hrn,or
ever known on this continent, and one OF tho
most important evor held anywhere. 1t has
been the talk OF Europo as well rs America.
and has made tho Annapolis grounds familiar
In discussion. like Spezia, Portsmouth. and
Shoeburyness. not to speak OF Gavres. Meppen.
AmaRer, Pola. and Ochta Since then other
valuable tests. both Of plates and projectilcs.
havo been held on the Annapolis grounds.
supp!em entinE those OF last September.
However. before this famous series OF OK
perimcnts, the Naval Bureau OF Ordnance had
determined to give up the grounds MS soon as
better ones could be obtained. They were
needlcss!y distant from tho ordnance yard in
Washington. aud wore not designed for testing
sue such guns as ato built now. A new tract 9f
6Go ceres was selected near Indian head,
ths uEs afySS. aSaS., 'ff has h as:ut 3: %s
Of rIyor front. and runs back to Mat
S. G,'sS ssyS hSh
Ialgss there q available a stretch q at least a
Washington. which is fifteen nenrCr than the
targets are In the valley or rayine. across
S sssP sb, bS SIU5r 5% S Ssos fsSf rS..
a gun can be taken from tho tracks at the
transferred agaln 10. the rails at Indian Head.
Ia anGnn Gnn III tIms and Sass q handling heavy
taEo down f.om the navy yard. proved. and
soft back on tho same day
THO, site is not an ideal one. as an overland
stretch OF about ten miles would 10 preferred.
nnt this wonld c cost q groat deal. and after ALI.
when tns s1it,oinr , range q one gun Of given
%s 5sRf' vsos anf ss i: day y.n
Tsxs xs en 81 Ss S1 =. the ss5ssaasa
lsst .ha v 1ps SsrsH s ss sFss
experimental PIECES:
OF the best modern sort Electrical apparatus
an, ana instrnments for determining the speed Of
te m, pr9IsStie bomb proofs and large travel.
sound work ss S.sn far 1ns Snons nsH
But the rst no,isesSe w sss ses os srmsashs
oPsntps game the p players might cal
perimec ctsI plates Which are e now low under IN mdV con. on
Sasso Co. q Ph,,sHfusS This 4 the Im which nag
the M Navy Department ior the manufacture oi
that were given to the Bethlehem Company.
These plates. like those used In the trials last
autumn. are OF the. familiar dimensions. 8 feet
high and 9 feet wide, but are to be only inches
thick instead of 1OS inches. This. however,
viii 20 sufficient for the Immediate pnrpose.
which Is TO make iurthsr test Of the Harvey
and nlso Of the proper percentage Of nickel to
be nut In steel plates.
Additonal interest and Importance are given
to this test by the fact that tho European own
ers Of the process Of manufscturine nickel
steel. including among them Schneider q Co..
whose methods are used at Bethlehem, claim
z royalty from the Government. The Pitts.
burgh firm holds that its process OF manufae.
turing niekel.stsel armor is essentially differ.
Snt on ana th.s p9lnt viii pave to be detsrpin I'd
furnishes in the five plates two Of steel. ono
process. and three Of nickel steel with differ.
The Harvey process. OF course. the gun and
its powder charge will DO selected with view
Of steel IN. Instead @ q lot.:. Apart from the main
s;eei vessels have proteotiye decks or armored
shields OF about three inches In thickness will
giyo IL additional interest ~