New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-07-06
ARM pR-PiERl SHELLS TESTED.
SUCCESSFUL EXPERIMENTS AT INDIAN HEAD
THE ATLNNTN RAlK FROM NICARAGCA

SUCCESSFUL EXPERIMENTS AT INDIAN HEAD
THE ATLANTA BACK FROM NICARAGUA.
Washington July Speclan.-A highly successful
test u the largest PIERCING shells ever manu-
featured In this country WAS held at the naval prov
Ing grounds. indian Head. to-day. The shells were
the product Of d." Carpenter steel Company and rep
resented lot Of about 80 which the Government
u.l, contracted TO prchn,c from that concern. lhe
tests were under the personal ,upen ision Of Commo-
co.c ,.mr.on Chief OF tie Bureau Of ordnance In h
shell vel shed so pounds aud Is intended for opera
ions agnin,i amor. such shells do not contain burst
nc charges but damage by the force OF impact
alone The shells were discharged against one Of the
several cr,u,ot plates recently bought by the Navy
Department for experimental purposes
Cnlv two she'll, tested today. The first hhd
a velocity Of Loo feet s,eond II penetrated
sixteen nchc, OF late and backing. rcbounded and
wa, fonnd 10 be- only slightly distorted I'm body. The
.,rorc she'll had a velocity Of .a25 feet second.
IL went through both plato and backing and fell nine
feet In rear Of the target. 1t was practically nnde-
,ornled when examined. IT, the contract requirement
.hell, II hi, large calIhrc must. to be acceptable
20 through plates without serious distortion or Dreah'
Both she'll, used to-day met the requirements In Il
aghly satisfactory manner. and the lot which 'Aey
represent will be- accepted. Three other represen-
;ativcs Of The group will, In few days. be tired
against III" sevc tecnnch plate which Is intended for
the ndiana', barb, tie In speaking OF to-day )
tcst, Commodore >amp-on said this evening that the
result, proved notable victory for the manufacturers
who have shown conclusively that their record made
With she'll, Of smaller diameter IS TO be ma'tained
IN producing others OF greater sz, The trials demon
trated the excellence of both material ana workman
,hlp. The Commodore thought that the shells could
have been AGAIN fired from the gun without much
danger Of Increased distortion. The Only distortion
Observable after measurement today was about
ilC0th II an inch
The Navy Department today received news OF the
arrival Il the Atlanta at Norfolk from Nicaragua.
Ii, + the vessel which Captain lggInsOn commanded
lt The time Of hI recent unpleasant experience In not
promptly Obc ing the orders OF secretary Herbert TO
sail for Grcytown during the Nicanguan revolution.
Ipon the receipt u the news OF the vessels arrival
# Norfolk orders pr, pared by the d. pariment
fl, put the ship out Of commission. Her officers will
be- detached and her transferred to the receiving
Ain franklin. The ship, boilers need extensive
oyryhaulng. and among other repairs will receive II
number of tubes To make the vessel serviceable
for further cruising. The inner bottom of the ship
demands repairs. Among other things the cement
mt I'm her bottom when she constructed will
| il likely to occupy two months time. When again
meme squadron. Her repairs Will be made the
norfolk Navy Yard.
,'nrtaiu Train. who ordered time ago
q, hnd himself In readiness To command the gun
Lont Machias received orders to-day to proceed to
orismouth. " H.. and assume command Of that