The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1892-05-24
The Superiority Of the Product Of
American Iron Works.
BARON FlTA CALLS On TIE PRESIDENT.
Cordial Relations Between The United States and
Italy Reiterated AbOiShing POSt.TraderS
Places in The Army.
Special to THE MORNING CALL.

WASHINGTON, May %. - The thickest
piece of armOr ever manufactured in this
country was successfully tested at the In
dian Head proving grounds Saturday. 1t is
one OF the 14-inch nickel-steel diagonal
plates for the Indiana, and is the first of the
battle-ship armOr- plates completed by the
bethlehem Iron Works. Twenty diagonal
plates for the battle-ships Indiana and
| Massachusetts, aggreGating 300 tons, and
representing 100000 in value, will at once
be accepted as the result of the test. The
result shows concluSiyely the ability Of the
American armor-makers to supply armor-
plate Of the highest quality. The con-
dltions were more severe than the
tests imposed by foreign countries.
Under the terms of the contract pro-
Jectile might 60 nearly through the plate
and the backing and be accepted, If no
serious cracks were developed. None of
the three shots fred succeeded in getting
lar enough into the plate TO show the back
ing. Three shots were fred near the
middle region Of the plate, the three points
OF Impact forming an e4uilateral triangle.
All three shots rebOunded, one Of them back
to the muZZe Of the gun, distance of 13j
teet. lhe deepest penetration was 14luches,
the other two an inch or two less. Only
the burr OF each orifice were made. A 10
inch gun was used in the test. Two of the
prolectlles were the Firth imported pro-
Jectlles, the third being made by the same
process III this country. The latter was
thrown out entirely Innjured, while one of
the imported broke in two, thus showing a
splendid record for the American pr0jectile
as well as the American plate The pro-
Jectlles weighed 500 pounds. The powder
charge was 140 pounds giving a striking
velocity OF 1410 feet per second
Cordial Relations With italy.
Baron Fava, the Italian Minister, made
formal call on President Harrison this
morning in company with Secretary Blaine
Inere were no particular f0ImalltleS ant no
set speeches. Baron Fava took OCCASION
however. to inform the President that the
King Of Italy, the Italian Government and
the people alike were greatly pleased aud
satisfied By the settlement of the recent
difficulty in manner so honorable u both
Italy aud the United States. The Pres-
Dent replied, in substance, that lie person
ally and officially was gTaufied at the return
OF Baron EaVa, Whose service IN promoting
tho good relations between Italy and the
United States, he SAID, had always been
highly appreciated The President added
with earnestness that he was especially
gratifed that the differences between the
two countries had been settled with honor
TO both.
o6fGIdi CHlPIS OF DIVISIONS IN tie l6HSIO0
Office testified before the Raum inveStigat-
Ing committee to-day that no tavOrtism or
preference had been shown any attorney or
attorneys. aud that tie completed files order
was OF great benefit TO claimants.
An Oregon Railroad Case.
In the Court of General Term to-day
Judge James delivered tile opinion of the
court in the case Of the Union River Log
ging Railroad Company Incorporation
under the laws of Oregon against Secretary
Noble ct al, granting an injunction To
restrain carrying out the order setting aside
an order made by Secretary Villas granting
certain easements, right of way, etc. The
court holds that tile authority of Secretary
Villas TO pass upon the questions was I'M
questionable, and he having acted and
made an order, it could not be annuled or
set aside excepting by judicial authority,
and the granting OF The order OF 1889 con-
veyed certain rights IN the nature 0i title
which could only be aSSailed by judicial pro-
ceedings.
Abolishing Post-Traders.
The bill intended to abolish post-trader-
ships IN the army, which has the approval of
the War Department and General Schofeld,
was faYOrably reported from the Military
Affairs Committee to-day by Senator Proc
tor. The measure will not produce radi-
cal change immediately. and the present
system will continue until those persons
who are now post-tradeIs shall either die CIR
TttIe, UuI WDeu vacancies occur kutu the
Office is TO be abolished.
Commissioners to Spain.
The President has appointed Admiral
Stephen B. Luce, u. S. n. Geired), COM
missioner-g general, and Professor e. Brown
Goode, assistant in the Smithsonian Institu-
tion, and Professor James G. yelling, pres
ideut of the Columbian University, assist
ant commissioners to represent the United
States at the Columbian Historical Exposi-
ton, to be held in Madrid in 1892, in COM
memoration of the four hundredth anniyer-
sary OF the discovery Of America
Capital Notes.
The President to-day withdrew the nomi-
nation Of Frederick Bancroft as United
States Consul at Brunswick, Germany.
Truxton Beale of California. United States
Minister to Persia, is here on leave Of alb
sence, and it IS announced that he iilmarry
Hattie Blaine before returning to Persia
j. Stanley Brown has gone to Port Town
send to take passage for the Pribyloff
Islands for the purpose of obtaining eddi-
tioual information in regard 10 the sealing
industry for the Secretary of State.