The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1894-05-26
|SuIVERED THE ARM0R PLATE
A Twelve Inch Gun too Much fol
Harveyized Steal.
Eighteen Inches of Solid Metal Penetrated
and the Plato Cracked and Ruined
May Mean a Big. Loss
to the Maker.

WASHINGTON, May 2l.-With a roar
and q shock that made the earth trem-
BILE the navy pet, the twelve inch rifle,
hurled its s5o-pound projectile against
an eighteen-inch nickel steel Harvey.
lied plate, the most powerful ever
tried, at the proving ground Saturday,
and tore the thirty-three ton of
eelinto great fragments. The result
was q complete surprise for nll of the
experts and a sad blow to the Bethle-
hem Steel company, for unless it can do
better with the next plate 1t will lose
$500, 900 represented by the group Of
rmo plate, OF which the sample tried
was the test piece.
Tho plates submitted to test were No.
8, 107-B, representing 6l3 tons OF side
armor, intended for the battleship In
diana and made by the Bethlehem Steel
company. 1t weighed thirty-three and
u quarter tons and cost about S15, 900.
In shape 1t was an irregular oblong, Is
feet long by " feet high, IS inches
thick above, with the lower edge, AZ
inches, beveled off to n minimum thick
ness of 8 inches. 1t was nickel steel,
forged by hydraulic press and Harvey
lied. A thirteen mel rifle, the largest
In naval use, was to be fired against
this, hut the plate was found to be too
narrow to warrant this severe test, so
the twelve inch gun, which will hore-
after be the maximum in ordnance
the plate, distant about 400
feet The projectile, a Carpenter ar
NOR piercer, weighing $50 pounds and
driven by 2694 pounds OF Duponts
brown p%rismatic powder, flew across
the space with u velocity Of 1,465 feet
per second and struck the plate about a
foot to the right of the center.
When the smoke cleared away there
was an exclamation of surprise from
the spectators. About thirty feet in
front of the target lay the shot, appar-
emily little changed, while in the plate
there was a gaping hole, and worse
than that, three great cracks, yawning
open eight inches and running clear
ncross from bottom Co top and from the
shot hole to the left edge. The shot
had forced It's point through the plate
to the backing and had then rebounded
after cracking the plate. Had the plate
been fastened on the lndiuna's side in
stead of against thirty-six inches of oak
backing against n hillside, the chances
are that the battleship would have had
q frightful wound.
Further experiment seemed to be
needless, but the contract conditions
requiring it. another shot was fired at
the fragment Of plate on the right,
about seven feet broad, that remained
un%injured. This time the gunner put
4l9 $40 pounds Of powder in the gun,
and the projectile, another 12 inch
Carpenter, was given additional force
and sent ut the maximum velocity
1925 feet per second. Again the plate
was rent in twain, splitting widely
across, but tho shot did not escape,
for while 1t forced its point through
the plate, and about 8 inches into the
oak backing, it was twisted IN several
places, the point remaining in the hole,
and the remainder lying in fragments
outside the plate.
The Bethlehem company will have
an opportunity to submit another
is inch plate to test before the entire
group OF twenty plates for tho Indiana
is finally Judged, and as 1t will doubt
less take this chance to save the $780,
900 which the plates cost, the noxt
trial may finally set at rest tho doubt
that now exists as to the cause Of the
failure.