The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1891-12-17
Our Naval Gums and Armor.

No part Of the past years efforts toward
national defence by land and sea has wit
messed more signal successes than those
which belong to our naval ordnance and
armor, Secretary TRACY has said that the
production Of armor plates was " by far the
most momentous question which the de-
partment had to consider in the construc-
ton Of the new navy" The story Of the
steps by which this problem was brilliantly
solved form q most interesting chapter in
Commodore FoIaER's report Of the opera
tions Of his bureau. The study and ex-
periments Of many months led to
series Of trials at Annapolis and Indian
Head which made our American Naval
Proving Grounds the chief centre Of in
terest for the armor-making world. It Gull
minated in tho production Of American
made plates. decidedly superior even to the
famous French plates tested in September.
1850. The six American plates tried last
month and the month before "were SUBJ
jected." says Secretary TRACY. Ito tests
more severe than had ever been applied at
any foreign Government trials;" yet three
Of the six kept out every projectile. whether
6-inch or 8-inch. and the Harveyed high
carbon nickel showed itself to be "the best
armor plate ever subjected to ballistic
test." While this and q second Bethle-
hem6 plate were Gin advance Of the
best armor hitherto manufactured In
Europe" the success Of o third nickel plate.
made by CARNRoIR. showed that excellent
armor can be produced by rolling In place
of forging under the hammer. This highly
important contribution to the ordnance
40 All MI 11xy$ o.,
this country that it's present armor-pro-
ducing capacities could be quadrupled with
In eighteen months: and further, that since
existing steel works. without o costly
change Of plant, can make rolled armor.
the price would then greatly fall. Finally.
the Bureau OF Naval Ordnance has devel-
oped o most valuable new principle in the
super-carbonizing Of the surface of armor
plates. which promises when perfected in
details, to be the great step In advance for
American srmor during the year to come.
In naval gun making the years gains
have also been most satisfactory. Secre-
tary TRACY declares that the results ac-
complished In the gun factory. both In tho
chssacter Of the work done and in its
economy. have Justly given 1t the reputation
all over the world OF model establish
ment" The report OF Commodore FoLaER
chief OF the Bureau OF Ordnance. shows
that hgh-power breech-loading rifles Of all
calibres up to twelve inches are now turned
out tor the ships In ample season. Forgings
for the hrst OF the, big 1s-inch guns are
ready. and Commodore FoLaER desires
to construct at least one 'l6inch gun. be-
lieving that tho. dinlnultias- experienced
In British ordnance o. that catbre can
easily be overcome here. The improve
ments In manufacture are illustrated by
the increase OF the 6-inch gun to 10 cali
bres in length. with resulting velocity OF
also feet per second. although even the in
crease to IS calibres dates back only to tho
summer Of 1890. An improved device for
operating the breech mechanism Of the
heaviest guns by hand has already been
successfully applied. and other changes in
breeCh mechanism and mount. after the
rapid-Are system. will greatly increase their
effectiveness. The new 4-lnch rapid-fire gun
proves to be complete success. and the
secondary batteries IRE satisfactory.
In powder the most prominent gain OF
the Ordinance Bureau during the year has
been an invention Of Prof. MuSRoE OF the
Naval Torpedo station. developed and man-