New-York tribune., 1894-10-29
NEWS OF THE ARMY AND NAVY
REVIVING THE PROJECT FOR A DEPART
MENT OF THE SOUTH.
EXPERIMENTS WITH PLATES FOR GUN SHIELDS
NEW TRIALS ORDERED FOR SERVICE
RIFLES - THE CHICAGo's
RETURN HOME.
IBY TELEGRAPH 10 THE TRIBUNE.l

tBY TELEGRAPH 10 THE TRIBUEE1
Washington oct. 2S.-The proposition to establish
n military department Of the South is to be re-
vved. The subject is likely to be which Com
gress will consider at the session in the event
of favorable action not being taken by the War De-
partment at an earlier date. 1t is ntimated mat
in case the President and Secretary Lamon. fall to
organize the new department. Congress VIII pass d
bill or resolution making obligatory such action.
As far is known, neither the President nor secre
tary Lamont favors the idea Of making the sug-
rested change. II the Southrons are as mucn IN
earnest as they pretend to be- lively contest will
be becun or a new military department established
shortly after the elections.
The Naval Bureau of Ordnance has received from
Lieutenant y. T.. Mason, the officer In charge OF
the Indian Head Proving Grounds, an oilcIal re-
port of the latest experiments with specially treated
mates intended for shields for ght-calibre, rapid
fire guns The shields in in the Navy
on small guns are too thick and heavy and nava!
officials are trying to find thinner and iisnter plates
Of special manufacture which will give equal or
Increased resistance to penetration The pates
tested by Lieutenant Mason had been previously
tried at Indian Head. Having failed to come up to
the requirements they were sent to the NaVal
Gun Foundry in this city and re-treateo Dy Il
process calculated give good results There were
four separate plates tried by Lieutenant Mason All
were of chrome steel The first test was with a
i,-nch Plate manufactured by the Midvale Com
ing steel armor-piercng shells. The target was III
wards away from the gun Four rounds were as
charged In the first round the she'll had sTlkiiS
velocity of liS0 foot-seconds. 1t glanced on the
plate and WAS broken up. making gouGe l2 lhch"
wide 81 inches long and inch deep. and through
crack inches long. In the second round the siriK-
ing velocity was 1909 foot-seconds. The shell was
cracked. but did not break up. Excepting sGh'
gouge at the point Of impact, the plate was not
damaged In the third round the striking ye.ocity
was l.750 foot-seconds. y piece OF the pi'te VIZ
broken Of and two through cracks were ceFeiopsI.
Tac fourth shell had the reduced striking Ve!o'ity
of e32 foot-seconds Its ~ont barely got throusA
the plate Two new through cracks were made III
H. In earlier firing by the same gun previous 10 uEe
re-treatment Of the plate the shells e'ta'r wen
through the plate penetrated to much greater
donth The later experiments showed. therefore,
that the re-treatment produced higher resisting
qualities a fact which ordnance experts regard as
encouraging.
The second plate tested was one-quarter inch IN
thickness. 1t was also product OF the M.iNa''
Company Il was attacked but once WIN o"t
l-pound shell fred from il0tcAkiss gun. Inc s"-"
went through the plate and was broken up p' "''
impact \ small piece Of the plate was d!slois"l
and , through crack H. inches long was developed.
Apparontly no good results nat follower the re-
.-a,,ir,, process subsequently the Plate "as hr'd
,t by the new model naval small arm one bullet
with a muzzle velocity Of 800 foot-Sec'h"9 went
through the target at distance OF /" y'r"9' y
second ball with the same velocity nearly got
through.
Then followed tests Of two plates manufactures
hv the Brooklyn chrome Steel Works. The first
plate tried had a thickness Of half an men ana '"'
second a thickness OF a qCarter-nch Inc hed''''
Mate was attacked by a nc-pounder Hotchk'a gun
The shell 5rnok vaScT ,e i2rEG e} M As an It
broke off an irregular fragment Of the plate an5
n,t ~ the top and from that point four inches
dnW.nward The result OF the shot was ABOUT ihr
under similar conditions except that the crack VAS
les. serious The Brooklyn coinpanys qu"rter-Ih,cn
plate fired at twice- mrs. hy 'ns on, ,g pr.
Hotchkiss gun and dfterw2rd by the -'.,c@iy[e @
naval rnc It hal been badly GrackeG III ty riv
was IS foot seconds. The shell glanced OF the
n ,uch AMI Wis broken UP Two through cracks.
one seven inches long and another two inches IN
dc. or as long A. those made IN the earlier rialS
showing that the re-rcainent hai been % CHI
NW NM'u - Jtstantc of fifty yards perforated the
cNnor}nn.. cW au the i5 bullets went through the
ulafn In relation to tho experiments Commodore
S1flrson saws that although the results were not
6elicyc that he Navy Will soon find thin gun
shield plates that will make a better showing win
in use only domestic plates are to be tested
The Naval Small. Arms Board, composed ol , lro-
fcssor Ager and Ensign DliiGnp9.k OF thr NASy.
and Lieutenant Karmany OF tn" Marine Corps, mas
submitted Official report 10 the secretary oi W.
Navy relative the recent tests at Newport OF
ril presented domestic and foreign inventors
Tor adoption by the Navy and Marin" Corps. ne
board reports that II tested thirteen dluerent rifles
of which vas satisfactory IN an resiscts aor
a service arm. with very few exceptions the rifles
stood the prescribed tests for strength and endur-
ancc and other qualities. bat they failed under some
one or more conditions Further trials are TO pe
held on November 5 ON which date rifles previously
tested but subsequently modified in system or man
pfacturr. and also several new inventions. VIII be
fired with the expectation that satisfactory arm
can be- found The burst l.uE"r ana lfrlSSs guns
will b.. three of the inventions to be tested
At the same time experiments VIII re made win
the Mansor Spanish model of lN'3l and the Mann
lichrr guns. which w"r" unonlclally before the
board during the recent tests
The reason OF the order directing the return nome
Of the Chicago and the assignment of the san
Francisco a. the flagship OF the European station
was learned to-day. The order In the case was a
big surprise to naval circles Its promulsation was
not decided upon until yesterday. To reports from
fers directed Commodore Melville stated TO Secre-
tarv Herbert that the Chicago would either nave
t. come hou. or an additional Appropriation -
cover her repairs the European station would
having been I'm commission about four years. and
her machinery was being repaired In Europe with
much frequency and AT a great cost 10 keep her IN
condition for Steamng. II would bc economy, COM
modorc Melville said. 10 bring the ship home and
To- lav her up until thu extensive repairs author
tied on her engines and boilers can be competed
I ! <uutp % Secretary Herbert relative to viola
tions of the orders Of the Navy Department con-
ccrning the employment and promotion OF workmen
at the New York Navy Yard came To lgnt to-day.
The facts show that the irregularities have been
many and that while there has not been wilful
dsohedrncc or evasion OF orders carcessncss in
charged against the heads of all or nearly all the
departments OF the commandant OF the NewlOrk
station.