Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1895-01-24
ARMOR PLATES TO STAY.

The Iron Furnished by Carnegie Not
Likely to lie Removed From Any of
the Warships Action of tho House
Naval Committee.
WAsHINGToN, Jan. 16.-The Senate
committee on naval affairs this morning
postponed indefinitely the House reso-
luton directing the Secretary of the
Navy to have certain plates removed
from the ships Monadnock, Oregon, In
diana, Massachusetts and the monitor
Terror that were supplied by the Car
negie Co., and subject them to the
ballistic test. This action was taken
after the committee had heard the testi-
lnony of the Secretary of the Navy, and
after it had digested letter received
from him this morning. Mr.. Herbert
stated to the committee that no good
could be accomplished by removing any
of the plates, for while he believed they
would all stand the ballistic tests, it was
quite possible that one or more of them
might fail. At the same time he did
not believe all of them were of the de-
gree of excellence that the firm could
and should have furnished the govern
ment under its contract. For that reason
the fines had been imposed.
In discussing the general subject of
armor, the Secretary, in his communi-
cation laid before the committee to-day,
says:
mo armor, not even the best and
most modern, is supposed to be able to
Withstand the impact of the most power
full blow that can be delivered ~ point
blank range by the best modern gun.
The test of the value Ct armur is the
number and quality OF projectiles it will
keep out.
"Reliable reports from the battle of
Yalu now are to the effect that the IA
inch armor of the Chinese battleships
successfully resisted, at the distance
taken during that battle, projectiles from
the 12-inch Canet guns, as well rs those
from all the guns of inferior calibre. 1t
is believed that all these vessels would
have been sunk but for the protection of
| this armor, which was certainly vastly
inferior to the very poorest plate re-
ceived from the Carnegie Co. The GOV
| eminent inspectors at the Carnegie
works did see that the materials of
which these plates were composed were
good. They were imposed upon by the
concealmeht of defects and of processes
reSorted to in the manufacture of the
plates, plugging, tempering, &c"
The secretary further says that after
he had told Messrs. Carnegie, Frick and
Knox the substance of his statement
before the committee, Mr.. Carnegie
asked him if he considered the matter
settled. On this subject the secretary
says:
81 told him l did, so far as the Navy
Department was concerned; that did
not myself propose to open the settle
mont; that the fine imposed had been
collected, and that that was an end OF
it, unless Congress should order the
matter reopened. Mr., Carnegie then
said that he had not understood my
position; that he had intended to make a
proposition to pay the expenses of the
ballistic test, but, inasmuch as | con,
sidered the question settled and was moi
advocating the taking of of the plates
he would not make it. Therefore ne
proposition was made, and none wa!
considered or rejected. This is abou
the substance of what occurred. | die
not learn from Mr.. Carnegie the detail
of the proposition he had intended t,
make, for the reason that he did no
submit to me any proposition whatever