The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-07-12
THE BEST ARMOR EVER MADE
PHENOMFNJB RESULTS OF YEsTER-
DAYS TEST At INDIAN Held
Three shots Fired Mt n O.inch Plate and
Three More nt 17-inch Pinte-Both
Plates Penetrated Mt 3.ioot Intervals,
hut There Were No sign. OF Cracking.


hut There Were No signs OF Cracking.
WASHINGTON. July 1.-The third OF a series
OF armor plate tests Of world wide interest and
Importance took place to-day at tho naval
proving grounds at Indian Head. twenty miles
south Of the city. on tho Potomac River. Tho
first OF these tests was ut Annapolis several
years ago when plates from England. France.
and the United States were In competition:
and the second In the fall Of 1891, when tho
merits Of the Harvey process were demon
strated. To-day the results OF the lnbors Of
American manufacturers, encouraged by tho
liberal inducements OF Congress and the ad-
ministratIons Of tho Navy Department. were
subjected to the requirements embodied in the
contracts for side and turret armor for the ves-
sells of tho new navy now approaching compile
tion. The results. generally speaking. were
mos satisfactory.
Among those who witnessed the tests were
Secretary Herbert. II. C. Frick Of the Carnegie
Prick company. one OF the contracting firms;
representatives OF the Bethlehem Iron and
steel Company. also contracting firm: Can't
Ord Brown the famous English ordnance ex-
pert; NJ Bouvard. superintendent OF the armor
department of the Cruzot works. France; Rep
resentative Mayer OF Louisiana. member OF
the House Committee on Naval Affairs in the
last Congress. and attaches Of the Ordnance
Bureau. Navy Department.
The party made tho trip by invitation Of
Commodore Sampson. Chief OF tho Ordnance
Bureau. in tho tug Triton. There were two
plates tested which were attacked by three
projectiles each Tho tests were for acceptance
and for premium. 1t having been stipulated
that IL the plates resisted penetration under
certain prescribed velocity the makers should
receive premium OF $50 ton in addition to
the contract price OF S575 ton.
The first test was Of nine-inch plate. feet
and inches wide and feet and Z inches. long.
sample OF the side armor Of the monitor
Monadnock. 1t was nickle- STEEL weighed ton
tons. and was made by the Carnegie-Frok
Company. Three Hotter projectles. weighing
$50 pounds each. were fired against It from an
iectiie had a velocity Of ]. 400 feet second at
plate and oak backing to. q depth Of. III
inches The SECOND projectile. with striking
Of o e the
The third projecte had . velocity Of 1885
the strain Of the attack. no cracks being per.
for acceptance. But the result of tho second
shot deprived the makers Of any, chance for
about 55o TONS e pa
The test Of the SECOND plate was On exact
duplicate OF tho first in Its results. 1t was o
the made By
sions We're feet inches In height IL feet /
inch in length. and II inches thick, forming q
pas TsnRs .a %
there Ell !. . eSanss r the Method Of aavsl war:
Fs% :s Ess
was lS22 feet second and # penetrated ted
second shot was fired with velocity OF 1.4p5
feet q second and went three inches into the
be paid. and the velocity was raised to 1858
the hsd
that the shell had gone clear through the plate
h ndins the embankment rather thin aW Was s de
Elected into the air and plunged into the riyer
this this point point differed but that t had poughed
it's way through all obstruetions and disap-
secured for its makers the acceptance OF the
whole contract. amounting to from 500 to 200
nsdnoeE plate. it showed no cracks under the
terrific strain to which it had been subjected.
Even th ~ the snoTns
The eiGht-inch shells were Of the Hotter con
ical pattern and the l2.inch OF the Carpenter
concal pattern. All four Of the shells that
We're recovered appeared wholly unchanRedto
the Unparalleled eye Of the layman:, and the
such u small! degree that they might again be
fired with the attachment OF new strip for
rininE. Some idea OF the force with which the
shells struck the face OF the plates may be
gained from the fact that the energy OF the
last shot fired WAS equivalent to the force no.
cessary to move q mass OF 21.0OO tons through
one foot OF space.
The cost q the tests to-day was no small!
item. and as they compelled the acceptance OF
the plates represented. 1t falls upon the Gov
plate cost 81 900 the armor plate SIS. 900, and
tho firing OF the rifles III the proJectiles are
hot again usedl $1,000
After the tests had been concl uded all the
OFFICIALS and experts expressed un6onnded
OF England, looking in admiration at the bar
:" It is a piece OF magnificent metal. lido not
hole to another"
The holes Were less than three feet apart.
day demonstrate that the United states makes
the best armor in the world, and makes 1t
produce 1t. We pay for the addition OF nickel
ton. Mr.. Bouyard Of the Crnzot Works, who
was with us to-day, tells me that the French
Government pays $40 ton, for the addition
OF nickel to the steel plates"
We're Goinx 10 show or tho New York.
PHILADELPHIA. July IL. - The armored
cruiser New York Is now within few days OF
randi nesg for commission. The Cramp Com