The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1894-07-18
HEAVY ARM0R PIERCED.
Failure of the 17-Inch Carnegie Har.
veyized Plate.

A l7-inch Harveyized armor plate manu-
facturcd by the Carnegie company, met will
disaster at the test Mt Indian Head. Tn,
plntc itself cost s2l 900, weighed 80 tons, and
was one Of n group Of plates Weighing 3si
tons, which are worth TO the Carnegie com.
pany s2iG,0OO The plate had been made
with as great care as possible Wy the Carnegie
company, and II was hoped that successful
group had been secured. for II was desired ,c
remove. ns far as possible, the doubts cast on
IInrveyized steel plates by the failure Of the
ls-inch plate made by the Bethlehem
company, and tested some time ago.
This plate was ms sound and Anc
specimen Of IIaryeyized armor rs has
ever been turned out. AZ least that IL wha,
the Carnegie company thought. The second
test was the one that did the damage. The
Wheeler-Sterling l2-inch shell weighing $50
pounds wns used, with 1906 pounds Of brown
prismatic powder, giving nm initial velocity
Of 1883 foot pounds, and an energy Of 90 $40
foot tons.
The she pierced the plate entirely, smash
Ing through the three and n half feet OF onlS
backing three feet Of oak supports; through
80 feet Of earth beyond, and Into the woods
for 100 yards.
This wns the FIRST shell Of the kind which
was manufactured by purely American pro-
cesses, which had been developed In this
country.
The shot did as much damage ns any shot
ever did. The result wns entirely unexpected
to the Carnegies and the ordinance officers.
Capt. Sampson said the shell wns phenom-
enal one and the plate soft. The failure on
such ngood plate was entirely inexplicable.
In the first test Carpenter special No. 80,
weighing $50 pounds, was used. with charge
OF $50 pounds Of brown primatic powder.
The velocity OF the shell was .4l0 feet, aud
II had an energy Of II ,72g foot tons The
shell pierced the plate i3lE inches. and with
out being smashed the shell rebonnded some
60 feet. The plate was uncracked and the
structure as rigid ms ever. The shot exhb-
tied that the she'll was phenomenal, and had
come In contnct with nm insufficient hardened
Harvey plate, although the company thought
u had done everything necessary TO make
the plate perfect.
Representing the Carnegie company were
Chairman II. G. Frick. Second Vice Chairman
Schoinnker, Attorney 7. G. Knox and super
intendent OF the arnor plate manufacture,
Millard Hunsicker.
SECOND TEST.
The second test Of fragments of the Car,
negie l7-inch Haryeylzed plate, held at Indian
Head by Secretary IIcrberts order, was much
more satisfactory than the first. The pro-
jectile used was selected from the same lOt ms
the one which failed to pierce the Bethlehem
plate In the test. OF May last. II was "a CIR
pcnter s00-pound shell, fired with the same
velocity, 1856 feet per second, and with the
same powder charge as the projectie which
pierced the plate.
This shot pierced the plate. but did not go
clear through II, the point projecting about
two inches beyond the back. but the shell re-
manned firm In the plate. The plate was
cracked, but this was TO be expected Of any
plate which had had three shots fired at It..
The prolectile was no; seriously damaged.
Captain Sampson after the result Of the sec
a Al l.. n
In the same way as the last. the plate would
have been accepted. As II is, the group of l3
Barbette plates for the Oregon have been re-
jected.