The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1895-06-12
ORDNANCE BEATS ARM0R|
Steel Plates Demolished by the Great
American 'Peacemaker."
COULD sINKANYWARSHIP AFL0ATl

Tests of tho fhirteen-1nch Rife Show
That the Guns Of tho Massachuseftsi
Indiana and Oregon Could Speedily
Destroy Ensland's Greatest Battle
ships---our Superiority Exhibited.
The thirteen-inch gun was fired at an
sighteen-inch Carnegie plate at indian Head,
oear Washington, to secure comparison OF
the damage created by its 1100-pound pros
lectile and the s5O-pound shell Of the twelve
inch rifle, the object being to demonstrate
that the new battleships should be armed
with the larger guns. On May 1 Hotter
she'll from the twelve-inch gun in
IN acceptance test of the eighteen-
Inch side armor Of the Oregon, had been;fred
At the same plate that was used at this test
with muzzTe velocity Of 1925 feet per seq
ond, and striking energy Of 81 1856 foot
tons, and had cracked the plate from top to
bottom, but had destroyed only one OF Its
twenty six armor bolts, the projectile pene-
krattng ten inches and then going to pieces
Its point welding into the plate.
This shot had been fired with velocity
corresponding to the maximum striking
velocity procurable from mthetwelve-inch gun
at 1900 yards range, which ts estimated to be
about the distance which would probably
be chosen by battleships In action. Al
this test the same conditions OF velocity
at the 1900 yards distance were OBJ
served with the thirteen-inch gun, the
initial velocity to its 1100-pound Wheeler
Sterling solid steel shot being 1942 feet pel
second, or eighteen feet greater than In the
case Of the twelye-inch gun, but the striking
energy reached the enormous figure OF q. s.sOO
foot tons. (
The shot struck in the right half OF the
plate. breaking 1t in four pieces, and buried
itself In the sandbank behind the plateL
where, upon recovery, 1t was found TO pol
broken to pieces, the head whole but some
what fused at the point. The heavy oak
backing behind the plate was completely de9
molished by the terrible energy Of the Blow
This clearly demonstrated the superiority OF
the thirteen-inch gun over the twelve-inch
weapon for the same range, and the ordnance
officers present claimed It showed no armor
In existence could keep out the thtrteen-inch
projectile at 1900 yards. This, howevar,l
concededly depends on the projectle, as theI
next shot evidenced. "a
A Misunderstanding semi-armor-p piercing
she'll similar to the preceding one, but hotI
lowed out to contain flfty-three-pound
charge Of explosive, was aimed near the base
Of the armor where the plate tapered to 15.6
inches in thickness. the same velocity being
used. The plate met with similar disaster!
breaking and letting the she'll through after
It had penetrated seven inches. The SHELF
broke up; all its fragments went through,
and were found In the sand behind.'
The tremendous energy Of q shot from
the thirteen-inch "Peaeemaker" is not
doubted, but It is claimed that the COM
paratively Insignificant penetration OF the
shetis before the over-strained plate gave
way and let them thfvosh Is significant.
Nevertheless, no doubt remains that
the thirteen-inch guns Of the Massachusetts,,
Indiana and Oregon could speedily destroy
any warship afoat In the world to-day, ana
that the great battleships Of the Majestic and
Magnificent class now building in England,
With their belts of nine-inch Harveytzed
armor, would not last any time II American
gunners are skilful