New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-05-20
MAY 20, 1894. -TWENTY-FOUR PAGES
THE BIG PLATE SHATTERED.
4 STARTLING ARMOR TEST.
TWO SHOTS FROM A TwELvE-INCH GUN
DID THE WORK.

THE LARGEST ARMoR PLATE EVER FORGED.
EIGHTEEN INCHES THICK BROKEN TO PIECES
AT THE INDIAN HEAD PROVING GROUNDS
REPRESENTATIVES, OF THE BETHLEHEM
COMPANY THINK IT WAS DEFECTIVE.
Washington, May 19-Of the three principal
factors in the armor-plate test at Indian Head
Proving Grounds to-day, the plate, the projectile
and the gun, the gun alone came out with flying
colors The plate the heaviest ever forged.
eighteen inches in thickness was riven from
edge to edge by the first attack. and the second
projectile which completed the work Of destruc-
tion was Itself shattered beyond description
The test had been looked forward to with great
interest by naval officials and armor ordnance
experts. because the subject 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
OF the Navy Department, was accompanied by
Ideutena mt Commander Cowden and half dozen
other subordinate officers Of the bureau; General
F1agler, chief OF ordnance Of the Army. and sew
eral Of his aids were members of the party, and
the naval attaches Of two or three OF the foreign
lega tions at Washington; representatives. Of the
press and Vice President W. B. Davenport and
Lieutenants Jacques and Meigs. OF the Bethlehem
Iron Company. made up the list.
The plate chosen for the Of the
Harveyized side armor plates Of the battlc-ship
Indiana. forged by the Bethlehem Company. 1t
was feet six inches wide. sixteen feet long.
eighteen inches thick for four feet Of It's width
from the top edge. and tapering 10 eight inches
thence to the bottom edge which will be under
the water line. It weighed thrty-threc and one
quarter tons. and was selected for the balllstlc
test az the representative Of 500 tons. The plate
contained twentv-six three-inch bolt holes. II
was set against three feet Of solid oak backing
and in the rear OF that was three or four feet
Of additional heavy framework abuttng against
the bluff
EFFECT OF THE CRACKING SHOT"
II had been expected that the attack would be
made By tho thir,een-inch gun. but Captain
Sampson concluded that the twelve-inch rifle
would sufficiently try the temper Of the plate
The first shot fred was Carpenter arrnor-pierc-
ing projectile propelled By n 269i4 pound charge
of Dupont brown prismatlc powder. having a
rnrzze velocity Of l. iG5 fee; second. and strik-
ing with an energy Of 12 $50 foot-tons. This was
called the cracking shot" and such In verify
It proved to be. The projectile penetrated the
plaLe depth of eight inches. and rebounded
thirty feet. having been SGT up only four
tenths II 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 TO which II was attached.
seven or eight inches. No such destructive shot
had been witnessed at Indian Head.
Captain Sampson. after consultation with Lieu
tenant Mason the officer in charge of the station.
and the representatives Of the Bethlehem Com
pany. decided to fire against the largest frag-
mcnt the shot that previously had been arranged
for on the theory that the first shot would not
penetrate or shattcr the plate. This was a
prOJcctile Of the same size and description as the
first propelled by a charge Of 1873 pounds OF
powder having n muzze velocity of 1925 feet
and a striking energy ~ 2llS2 foot-tOns. The
results II this attack were even more startling
than the first. The plate was split In two, the
backing almost wholly destroyed. the bolts by
which the plate was fastened thereto being
twisted and torn. The projectile which pene-
trated the fun depth ot the plate. was shattered
into fragments. the point being twisted out u
all resemblance to It's pristine cOnical form. This
feature OF the AFFAIR was 70 Lieutenant Mason
the most lnexpcable.
II had been the intention 10 fire several smoke
loss powder cartridges from the four and five
inch rapid-hre guns 10 close the days pro-
second shot fired at the plate drove every
one into shelter and thence to the Triton for the
return trip 10 the city.
WAS THE PLATE DEFEoTfyE7
After the first shot had wrought its destruct-
I've work It was said that the plate suspected
OF being defective. and that the cleavage demon
strated the fact. Lieutenant Mason said there
were no evidences OF a crack in the metal while
the plate being put in shape for the test.
But that was not. ne said. conclusive upon the
question. "A projectile. TO all appearances as
sound as any on the grounds" he said. which
had stood on the platform since last September
without warning. one day. two or three days ago,
developed a crack which separated the point
from the body Of the shot 1t showed the I'M
mense strain TO which the metal IL subjected"
Speaking Of the test afterward. Lieutenant
JACQUES Of the Bethlehem Company. said: This
plate was selected for the test by the Government
inspectors at the works because Il sus-
pccted OF being defective. That Il the
first shot demOnstra ted the lateral opening In
the plate running along close to the suspected
crack We will be given another opportunity TO
demonstrate the effectiveness OF the armor. that
right being reserved TO the contractors under the
sncci0cations How soon can II be madeY On.
in a fortnight. n 1t Is desired 10 rush 1t along:
But II will not take place 80 soon ms that, l
imagine The Government inspectors Will 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 VIII cost
the tes, been successful. the whole lot of the
Indianas side-armor could have been delivered
within thirty days.