New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-02-22
A STARTLING ARMOR TEST.
IT'S RESULTS AsTONIsH THE ORDNANCE
EXPERTS.
TWO INCHES THICKNESS OF THE PLATING OF
wARsHIPS LIKELY TO BE SAVED BY
THE NEW CARNEGIE PROCESS

Washington. Feb. 2l.-Carnegie armor fur
nished a surprise to ordnance experts at Indian
Head to-day. and 1t is possible that distinct
advance in warship protection has been made
by the Pittsburg concern. whose managers con-
ceived the idea tnat the resistance of a Harvey
lied plate might be increased by reheating and
mashing 1t under rollers subsequent TO the COM
petlon of the American surface carbOnzation
process, and, after thus toughening its texture
and minimizing It's internal strains, spraying
its face with ce-water to secure the advantages
Of chilled hardening. n seventeen-in9h plate
similar to those made for the barbettes Of the
battleships was treated in this manner and re-
duced to a thickness Of fourteen inches. 1t had
the usual wooden backing. and was attacked by
a ten-incn gun under all the conditions attending
the trial of fourteen-nch plate.
The first shot had striking velocity Of 1853
feet a second. Its point went in about seven
inches and II was upset" completely, the great
projectile scattering in snail bits. Not the
slightest crack was developed in any part or the
armor. Although struck pont-blank by smell
having the highest penetrating velocity required
under service conditions practically no damage
was done. and in the opinion IL the Chier 2l
Ordnance Captain Sampson, the plate, althoush
only fourteen inches thick. could not be CON
sidered I'm the fOurteen-nch class SO he gave
gunners put enough additional explosive pehnd
another 500 pound projecte in the big rifle 10
give a striking velocity oil 1915 feet second
which is the maximum power that can pe ex-
erted by the American ten-inch gun ana con-
s!derably more than could be expected or any
foreign weapon Of the same size. Altogether
there were 2il pounds Of brown hexagonal pow
der behind this shot. which struck close TO lts
predecessor In the same vertical line: IL cruii-
bled to pleC es leaving a dishguring hole ana
lot Of fused metal where IT hit. but the piate
showed no crack even where II nad pre-
'sumably been weakened by the hrst attack
The nonpussed naval officers then resorteu 10
heroic measures The huge twelve-inch gun was
wheeled into line and trained upon the plate
and enough powder was crammed IN benind us
proiectie TO give II a striking velocity OF l,sos
feet a second II bored clean hole through the
ulate but its tremendous blow failed To develop
even n radial fracture No further tests were
deemed necessary thi- was the ordeal 10
which seventeen-nch armor is subjected. ana .he
fourteen-inch plate vas evidently unequal In re-
s,sting power 10 the barbettes OF the oregon IN
diana and Massachusetts, II resisted cracking
better than they had done. however, ana IL Is
NOW an or,n question whether practical avs
covery has not been made BY which nundreus ol
tons i'm weight may be- saved without sacri-
fcinp efficiency on the battlesh.ps provided Tor
In the Naval Appropriation bill. Apparently TWO
inches I'm arnor thickness may be saved oy the
imnroved treatment II to-day's test is corrooo-
rated by those sure to follow. The weight Oh
that two irches saved from The exposed surface
- n,odern dgh,ing vessels means tons upon tons
~ added guns machinery and ccaL