The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1892-12-05
THE CUT VAIL VICTOR.

The Government Test at Waterfowl Az
sonnl-The Wire nnd Cat Sail Contest
Results in n Victory Tor the Lnttnr.
BosroN, MASS, Dec. 3,-Several inter
esting tests of cut and wire nails have
been made the past week at the Water
town arsenal, with a view to demon
strating beyond all argument the rela-
tive holding power when used in ordin-
airy building material. So conflicting
have been the claims OF the manufac.
turers rs to the merits Of wire nails and
cut nails that an association OF promi-
nent manufacturers arranged for this
series OF tests upon the government
testing machine at the arsenal.
There were present the following
well known gentlemen, who through
out the series OF tests have taken much
interest in tho accomplishments:
Arthur B. Clark, president OF the Old
Dominion iron and nail company, Rich
mond, Va, and Horace 2. Tobey, OF the
fremont nail company, Wareham.
Mass, representing the association OF
manufacturers; B. NJ. NJ. Blankenship,
OF Richmond, Va, with the Old Domi-
Mon company: W. N. Severance, OF
Duluth, Mimi, OF the Severance nail
machine company OF st. Paul, Mimi.
Henry L. Leeds, OF Boston, OF Leeds,
Robinson & Co. Henry 3. Leonard, OF
Mount Hope iron company, Somerset,
Mass. F; Major Reilly, Lioutenants w. w.
Gibson and Q. II. Davis.
The nails used were selected from
market stocks, those OF the wire being
Of corresponding size OF the cut nails,
both in weight and length, and every
detail OF the contest was conducted by
the committee so as to be recognized as
authoritative and absolutelyiiait. Major
Reilly, the commandant, selected the
nails and assorted them in packages,
each one being weighed and recorded;
Tho size Of cut nails ranged from II
inch nails, Sd, fine, 764, to 6-inch spike
nails, 40d and God, 6 to II to the pound.
The wire nails were secured to corre-
spond Us nearly'a as it was possible.
The packages were made up and
sealed and were tested in the order OF
their sizes, beginning with the six cut
and 6-inch wire. a spruce plank, we'll
seasoned and free from knots, was
selected and planned perfectly smooth.
Into this the nails were driven, first q
cut mil, then q wire nail, the depth be-
ing precisely 4 inches each for the g.
inch sizes. Before being driven they
were weighed. and showed a difference
OF only two grammes-the wire weigh
ing 214 grammes. the cut 2l2
Tho first test upon the machine was
with a wire nail, and it required 1913
pounds to pull it out. Then the nip
pers were placed over tho head OF the
cutnail, and onthe beamof the indicator
was registered $50 pounds. The second
wire nail registered 673 pounds, and its
equal In a cut nail 742. The third wire
nail registered 675, and a cut nail of the
same size S04.
The fourth nail tested was pulled out
with a pressure OF 594 pounds, but it
required 954 pounds to draw the cut
nail, nearly 400 pounds more. The
seventh, and by far the strongest hold
ing nail tested. was drawn with $40
pressure, but the cut nail resisted until
1,2O0 pounds was put to bear upon it.
This enormous resistance was accounted
for by the nails entering q knot on the
inside OF tho plank.