St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1892-12-12
FIRST ON The SEAS.
The Navy Of Uncle Sam Fast
Becoming the Grandest in
the World. "a
Il
&
Our Nickel Steel Armor Is
by Far the Best Made in 2
Any Country,
ProiectiIes Thro Wn With the
Greatest Force Only Affect Z
1t Very Slightly.
Secretary Tracy Satisfied
With His Work in Build
ing the Navy.

WASHINGTON, Dec. 11.-The secre-
| tary of the navy in his annual re-
| port sets forth the fact that when the
present administration came in, March
| 4, 1889, besides old and obsolete wooden
ships, only three modern war vessels
were in commission. During the ad-
ministratiOn nineteen new yes
sells nave been added, with an
aggregate tonnage Of 1882 tons,
| mounting 2 twelve-ineh, 6 ten-inch. IL
eight-inch and so six-inch guns, all OF
which, with the exception of five of the
earliest, have been manufactured III
this country. Three new steel tugs
also have been constructed and put IN
service. There are in process OF con-
struction eighteen new vessels, certain
to be completed. should armor be dellv--
cred, within the next year, OF an aggre-
gate tonnage of 93,497 tons, and mount
ing altogether IL thirteen-inch, 6 twelve
inch, 16 ten-inch, 80 eight-inch
30sSix-inch, 50 fiye-inch and "a f0ur-lncn
guns, all of which have been or are to
be manufactured in this country. The
development of the past four years has
not been confined to ships alone. AT
the beginning of this administration,
says the secretary, naval equipment
was entirely destitute of the elements
of efficiency each one of which are in
dispensable to its practical employment
as fighting force, and the absence OF
which, if it had been possessed OF hun
dreds of ships, would still have left it in
a condition of paralysis. These were:
Amor, t0rpedoes, heavy rapld-hre
guns, armOr- piercing shells, Sm0keieSS
powder,
High Explosives.
The secretary details at length note
worthy progress in the production OF
these things, and says the progress
noted, by which the United States has
emerged from its condition of helpless
ness at sea and, by The employment or
its own resources, has dStanced its
most experienced competitors, marks All
epoch in naval development not only OF
this country, but of the world. Delays
in the delivery of armor have caused
dates of final completion of armored
vessels under construction to be some
what later than at first contemplated.
The only compensation for this delayilS
the superior quality of the arm0r that
has been recently developed. In con-
nectiOn with the development Of nickel
steel for armor, the department has I'M
dertaken d series of experiments in the
application of this material to other
purposes of construction which promise
no less important results than those
already attained Ii expectations
now formed are realized, cit
will not be long before nickel
steel will be extensively used,
both in ship frames and marine engines.
with myrked improvement, both in the
strength of the parts and reduction of
weight, while its non-corrodible quali-
ties. already partly demonstrated. point
to the probability that it may ultimately
present solution for the haraSsing
problem of preserving
Submerged Plating
of ships. Coming down to detailed
statement as to armor tests, the secre-
tary tells of the work accomplished; of
the tremendous teStto which Harveyized
nickel steel plate was subjected in
November, 1891, as a result OF which
improved methods were introduced in
the manufacture by the Harvey process
and final test made July 80 last. The
plate was nickel steel Harveyized, of ten
and half inches thickness. An eight
inch gun was used in the test. Five
Hotter forged steel shells, weighing $50
pounds each, with striking velocity Of
1000 feet per second, and each with an
energy of 5000 tons to the square foot.
were fired at a plate at distance of
thirty yards. Never before these trials
had any armor plate in the world been
subjected to such test as represented
by these five blows of total energy of
25,OOO-foot tons. All five of the pro-
iectiles were smashed upon the surface
of the plate. which showed no sign of
injury beyond the opening of Slight
temper crack four inches in length from
one edge, and a vale less than one
inch in thickness on the back Of the
plate opposite each point of impact.
The result has never been approached
before by any armor plate, American or
| foreign. 1t has Leen demonstrated that
the United States. in the reconstruction
of its new navy, which, ten years ago,
Had No Existence,
even on paper, is enabled to place upon
each and all its armOred vessels ma
| terial the like of which the world has
| not up to this time seen; and. while vast
sums have been spent plating the sides
| of foreign men-of-war with inferior ma
| teriai. this country will employ for the
| purpose an armor which is not only far
| more efficient. but which represents
| un1uestonably, having reference to di-
menSion of plates thus far tested, the
| highest development Of modern science
and the development reached by its own
| independent efforts. Following our
| example. the English government
| four weeks ago held trial Of the new
| American armOr, and it is clear from
the highly successful results that the
United States. instead of being the last
I in the race in the construction of YES
| sells of war, or borrowing its best ideas
| from abroad, has set an example in this
| respect which other maritime nations
| will speedily follow. With regard to
| armor contracts. the secretary says
neither the Bethlehem nor Carnegie
companies are making such progressa at
present as the department could desire.
But both are increasing their output
from month to month, and the depart
ment is now preparing to advertise for
! proposals for the remainder of the
| armor required to complete the vessels
| now authorized. When these plants
are able to turn out, as will shortly be
| the case. the full quantity Of armor re-
ouired by contract, the aggregate sup
ply will still amount TO only $500 tons
| per annum. not more than enough for
the construction of
Three Battle Ships.
TO provide armor for eight such ships
in addition to those now authorized
would require three years after the full
fillment of the present contract, with
the works running at full capacity, 1t
is the belief Of this department., in COM
mon with the naval committee of the
present house, that this number of adj