The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1894-05-20
SHOTS PENETRATE PLATE
An UNSUCCESSFUL TEST At INDIAN
HEAD GEOUND.
Heavy Side Armor Eighteen-Inch Plate
of the Battle Ship Indiana Riyen into
Three Pieces by Projectiie.

WASHlNGTON, May l9-Ine armOr
test at the Indian Head proving ground
to-day gave everybody a big surprise.
The test had been looked forward to with
great interest by naval officers and armor
and ordnance experts. because the sub
ject was the first plate of the dimensions
ever forged in the world, and the party
that went down on the Triton included
representative men from all interested
classes. Captain Sampson, chief Of the
Ordnance Bureau, Navy Department, was
accompanied by a number Of officers Of
the bureau.
The plate chosen for the test was one
of the Harvey side-armor plates OF the
batte-ship Indiana, forged by the Beth
lehem Company. IL was seven feet SIX
inches wide, sixteen feet long, eighteen
inches thick for four feet of its width
from the top edge, and tapering TO eight
inches thence TO the bottom edge, which
will be under the water line. II weighed
80 Ia tons, and was selected for the
balistic test as the representative Of six
hundred tons. The plate contained twen-
ty-six 3-inch bolt holes. 1t was set
against three feet of solid oak backing.
| feet of additional building work.
RIyEN INTO THREE FIECEs.
1t had been expected that the attack
would be made by the thrteen-inch gun,
but Capt. Sampson concluded that the
tweve-inch rife would sufficiently Try
the temper Of the plate. The first shot
fired was a Carpenter, armOr-piercing
projectile, propelled by a 26J l-i-pound
charge Of Dupont brown prismatic pow
der, having a muZzle velocity Of l,465
feet per second, and striking with the
energy of Il, ,660 foot tons. This was called
the "craclSing shot" and such it proved TO
be. The projectile penetrated the plate
depth Of eight inches and rebOunded
thirty feet having been "set up" but
four-tenths Of an inch. and apparently
as good as ever. The plate was riven
into three great pieces by one irregular
crack extending from top to bottom,
and another from the left hand edge to
| the centre Of the plate where the shot
struck The upper portion Of the plate
was lifted, with all the massive backing
20 which it was attached. seven or eight
| inches. Such another destructive shot
| had not been witnessed at Indian Head.
| Capt Sampson. after consultation with
! Lieutenant Mason. the officer in charge
| of the station. and the representative OF
| the Bethlehem company, decided TO fire
against the largest fragment the shot
| that previously had been arranged for,
on the theory that the first shot would
| not penetrate or shatter the plate.
| THE SECOND PROJECTfLE.
This was projectle Of the same
size as the first propelled by a charge
| IL E having m
| uuzzle velocity Of 1926 rect, and strlh-
| ing with an energy Of H,ls2 foot tons.
The plate was split in two the back
ing almost wholly destroyed. the bolts
by which the plate was fastened there
10. being twisted and torn; the proJecue,
which penetrated the full depth OF the
| plate. was shattered into fragments, the
point being twisted out Of all semblance
to its pristine beauty. This feature OF
the affair was 10 Lieutenant Mason the
| most ineXpiicabie.
II had been the intention 10 fire several
smokeless powder cartridges from the
four and five inch rapid fire guns to
close the days programme but heavy
downpour Of rain Just after the second
| shot was fired at the plate drove every
one to shelter and thence 10 the Triton
| for the return trip TO the city.
After the first shot had wrought It's
| destructive work. it was said that the
| plate was suspected Of being defective,
| and that the cleavage demonstrated the
! fact Lieutenant Mason said there were
no evidences of a crack in the metal
while the plate was being put in shape
| for the test. But that was not, he said,
| conclusive upon the question.
LIEUT. JACQUES VIEWS.
Speaking of the test afterwards, Lieu
tenant Jacques, of the Bethlehem Com
| pany. said.
"'This plate was selected for the test
by the Government inspectors at the
works because ii was suspected Of be-
ing defective. That it was so, the first
shot demonstrated, that lateral opening in
the plate running along very close TO the
suspected crack. We will be given an
opportunity to demonstrate the effective
ness Of the armor. that right being re
served by the contractors under the specl-
fications."
The Government inspectors VIII select
the plate for the next test also. The
contractors take all the responsibility in
these matters. They lose all rejected
plates The test to-day will cost the
company nearly. if not quite 5000. Had
the test been successful the whole lot Of
the Indiana as side arm0r could have
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