The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1893-07-12
TESTING ARNOR PLATE
Interesting Experiments at the
Naval Proving Grounds.
AMERICAN MANUFACTURERS LEAD.


Commander Sampson, Chief Of the ord
nance Bureau, Says the United state
Makes the Best Armor in the world
and Makes It cheaper.
WASHINGTON, July 12.-The third of
series Of armor plate tests of worldwide
interest and importance took place yester
day at the naval proving grounds, twenty
miles south Of this city, on the Potoma,
river The first Of these tests was at An
napolis several years ago, when plates
from England, France and the United
States were in competition, and the second
IN the fall of 1891, when the merits of the
Harvey process were demonstrated. Yes.
terday the results Of the labors of Ameri
can manufacturers, encouraged by the lib
eral Inducements Of congress and the ad-
ministrations of the navy department.
were subjected to the requirements EN-
bodied in The contracts for side and turret
armor for the vessels of the new navy now
/ approaching completion. The results.
/ generally speaking, were most satisfactory,
! Among those who Witnessed the tests
/ were Secretary Herbert, Captain Ord
Brown, the famous English ordnance ex-
pert; NJ. Bouvard, superintendent of the
armor department Of the Cruzot works,
trancei Commodore Sampson, chief of the
ordnance bureau. and representatives of
the contracting firms.
There were two plates tested. which
were attacked by three proiectiles each.
The tests were for acceptance and for pre-
MUM, it having been stipulated that If
the plates resisted penetration under a Ger
tain prescribed velocity the makers should
receive premium Of $50 a ton, in addition
to the contract price of S575 n ton.
The first test was of a 9-inch plate.
feet and inches wide and 9 feet and z
inches long a sample OF the side armor of
the monitor Monadnock. IL was nickel
steel, weighed 10 tons and was made bv
the Carnegie-Frick company, Of Pitts
burg. Three Hotter projectiles, weigh
ing $50 pounds each, were fired against IT.
from an s-inch rifle, the muzzle being So
feet from the face of the target The first
proiectile had velocity of 400 feet a sec
ond at the moment of impact, and pene-
trated the plate and oak backing to a
depth of III inches. The second project
lie, with striking velocity of ,6S3 feet,
went through the plate, 3 feet of oak back
ing and lost itself in the earth against
which the butt was built. The third pro
Jectile had velocity of ,536 feet, and pen
etrated plate and backing to a depth of
l413 inches The plate well withstood the
strain of the attack no cracks being per
ceptible, and it fully met every require
.uent for acceptance. But the result of
the second shot deprived the makers of
any chancef5 - the premium. Depending
on this test were about 25O tons Of plate.
involving nearly $l5O.0OO
The test of the second plate was an ex-
act duplicate Of the first in its results. II
was sample of the curved plates for the
barbette on the Indiana, made by the
Bethlehem company, and, like the first, of
nickel steel. Its dimensions were feet
inches in height u feet inch in length
and Il Inches thick, forming a mass weigh
ing 3l15 tons. It was the heaviest plate vet
tested, and its thickness will probably not
he surpassed to any great extent until
there is a change in the method OF naval
warfare and shipbuilding. 1t was sub
jected to attack from a 12-inch rifle
which threw monster Carpenter shell
weighing $50 pounds. It's muzzle was S1g
feet from the face of the plate. The strik-
ing velocity of the first shot was 1,322 feet
n second and it penetrated to a depth of
1876 inches, lacking less than half an inch
of going through The second shot was
fired with velocity of ,495 feet a second |
and went inches into the oak backing.
The third and last shot was to determine |
whether or not the premium was to be !
paid and the velocity was raised to / .s5s
feet a second When the smoke and dust
following the discharge had lifted it was
found that the shell had gone clear through
the plate and 36 inches of oak backing,
and then, finding the embankment rather
thin, was detected into the air and plunged
into the river some hundreds of wards
away, or was lost in the woods on the hill
SIDE. Expert opinion on this point dif
Tered, but that it had plowed its way
through all distractions and disappeared
from view was obvious. The plate secured
for its makers the acceptance of the whole
contract, amounting to from 500 to zoe I
tons, but earned no premium. Like tn,
plate, it showed no cracks un-
Ter the terrific strain to which it had been !
subjected
Even more satisfactory than the show
ng made by the plates was that of the
)rojectiles The S-inch shells were of the
Holtzer conical pattern, and the 12inch OF
jhe Carpenter conical pattern. All fouroi |
he shells that were recovered appeared
wholly unchanged to the Impractical eve
If the layman, and the gauge showed that
hey were disturbed to such a small de /
gree that they might again be fired with |
he attachment of a new strip for rifiing
some idea of the force with which the
hells struck the face OF the plates may be
gained from the fact that the energy Of
he last shot fired was equivalent to the
orce necessary TO move mass Of p 800
ons through one foot of space
Tha cost of the tests was no small item.
nd, as they compelled the acceptance of
he plates represented, it falls upon the
government. In round numbers the bar
ette plate cost $4,000, the armor plate
5000, and the firing of the rifles Gf the
rojectiles are not again used So, 600
After the tests had been concluded all
he officials and experts expressed I'M
ounded qualification at the results Cap
ain Ord Brown, of England looking In -
dmiration at the barbetJe plate, said: 'It
piece Of magnificent metal | do not
Understand why there are no cracks from
ne hole TO another they were less than
hree feet apart. Commander Sampson
aid, "The tests demonstrate that the
Inited States makes the best armer in the
'orld, and makes it much cheaper than
ther nations are able to produce it,"
NJ. Lepine 10 succeed NJ, Loze.