The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1894-04-13
THAT ekRMAN BULLET-PRooF COAT
Orduane Omeers Doubt whether Il Can
stop One OF Our Army Ria. Balls.

Ordnance omcers Doubt whether Il Cas-
stop O.e OF Oar Army Ria. Balls.
WASHINGTON. April 12.-Ordnance officers oil
tho army and navy are amazed at the reports
OF the experiments made in Berlin this week
OF bullet-proof coat. the invention offs Ger
man tailor. which proved to be invulnerable
to three bullets nred By the Russian Ambas-
sador with one Of the new small-arm rifles
Our military attaches at Berlin have been In
structed to furnish the department IL posi-
BILE. with full reports OF the resistance power
OF tho coat. not with view TO the purchase by
this Government Of the invention. but moro In
the interest OF science and to determine
II a material has really been found so light and
Of such tensile strength as to resist . bullet
which would easily pierce forty inches oil
heavy oak. 1t seems incredible to most ord
nance officers that bullet can he stopped BY
q simple jacket Weighing only about SIX
pounds. or that man could stand the shock
Of being hit By the shot propelled with such
friehtful velocity 40 has been obtained by the
new German rife. They say that even II
tho so-cafsd armor Is sufficient to throw
of o bullet from the German gun. II
would not hold good with our rifle. which has
q still greater penetration and velocity. The
Ordnance Bureau here has several steel plates.
varying in thickness from . quarter to three
quarters OF an inch through which bullets no
larger than q lead pencil have gone at recent
tests at Newport. leaving q clean cut hole.
There Ia also n section Of oak ~ inches thick.
in which bullet 10 imbeddsd to within few
inches OF the outer edge When II is under
stood that these bullets have sunicient pow er
TO pass through at least four men standing IN
line and then have enough reserve power to
Kill another man. 1t IL difflcult for officers TO
believe that any nom metallic lacked could
crn rife SO great Is the penetrating power
OF the shot that many officers assert that the
sides OF any OF cur UNPROTECTED cruisers Wou!d
be cut By the ball. The. plates here would
seem to bear out the belief ,h,.
while the alleged bullet:pIo coat OF the Ger
man tailor may prove all that the experimen ts
have demo strated. still the Germans are not
tine first people to discover fabric which,
from entering tho body, The Chinese are said
to have found . material which easily prevents
bullets. and even spears and arrows. from Kill
Ing their sSdsr sna Of . saSh tsh1Irs ss
port resolved at the State Department from
one OF our Consuls gives history OF the i'm:
the SSS.s 70 sod
In battle. The original armor used In the
northern provinces seems to have been
OF leather. and In shape more like blouse
than iefkn TssS an. made sya IN
treblsd. so that the Chinese soon learned that
a coat made OF this sheepskin In several thick:
nsssss was not only durable, but that II would
TURF Srs sT,Sw sst.ses snd Ssld :h0f
said that the Chinese have found these coats
SUPERIOR for protection to the steel armor
originally worn, and that they are now part
81 the tsst II. can Be ass
In protecting the 81 ~ ships, Is treated with
ridlcule By navy Officers.