New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-09-05
A WARSHIP'S FRAME TESTED
THE FIRST TRIAL OF THE KIND EVER
MADE PROVES SUCCESSFUL.
A TARGET CORRESPONDING TO A SECTION or THE
BATTLE-sHIP IOWA REsIsTs ALL AT
TACKs BY TEN AND TWELVE
INCH GUNs-A NEW

ARMoR BOLT
Washington, Sept. 4.-The Naval Ordnance
Board conducted most important and success
fu test at Indian Head proving grounds to-day.
Primarily II test Of steel armor plate but
really Of greater Importance. 1t was a trial of
the strength Of the frames Of modern warships.
which. II had been asserted would not stand
the shock caused by heavy projectiles against
the armor covering them, some authorities even
going so far to assert that the armor II not
shattered or penetrated by the shot, would be
driven through the vessel by the crushing OF
the frames This was the first frame-test ever
made Of distinctly modern warships. though the
English Government some years ago did fire at
antquated armored vessel for the purpose
Of observing the effects of the shot. To-days
experiments demonstrated the fact that the
frames of our warships are perfectly able to
meet all ordinary demands.
1t was also demonstrated that the new four
teen-inch armor with which the new battle
ships will be protected can. under ordinary con-
ditons receive the fire OF any vessel afoat with
out serious damage. test also made of
armor bolt designed by the Ordnance Board
to replace the bolts now used in fastening armor
to the ships. which are weghty, cumbersome ana
expensive. Each of the three tests entirely
prescribed requirements; the counterfeit frames
bore the shocks without impairment, ana the
bolts were entirely satisfactory.
The plate tested to-day represented twenty
four others. weighing $40 TONS made by the Car
negie Company 70. the batte-ship Iowa. now
building at Cramps II was the first service test
Of the companys new process OF making what
is known as double forged armor, being forged
both before and after carbonizaton or
Harveylzing. Heretofore II has not been
forged after being Harveyized. This plate,
fourteen inches In thickness formed the
outer surface OF target which was an exact
reproduction Of side section Of the battle-ship
Iowa. II was Is feet long by ~ feet high, and
represented that portion covering the vltals ex-
tending FIVE feet below and two and one-half
feet above the waterline. Behind the armor was
D backing Of five inches of oak and then came
the Skin" Of the vcssel-the inner and outer
bottoms each fve-eghths Of an inch Of steel
plate. Some four feet further back was iive-
eighths-inch steel plate representing the inner
shell OF the vessel and II was between this plate
and the Skin" that the frames or braces (also OF
fve-eighths-lnch pate) were placed alternately
two and four feet apart.
The whole structure wag covered by two and
a half-nch steel plate. representing a protective
deck Against the inner IIdle were H'dNy
bers resting on the side of hill. 1t would seem
at glance that the conditions were not the same
as on board a ship In the water. for the reason
that the water would yield. while the solid earth
would not But the naval officers calculated that
this difference would be very slight. as the ves-
sci In the water could not yield quickly enough
to be OF any benefit.
The first shot fred from ten-inch gun, n
Carpenter proJectlle weighing 800 pounds being
propelled by l40 pounds Of brown prismauc pow
a. ofntt,r trat,n Of faaf
ond and a striking power of 74lOOO foot pounds.
The shell completely shattered by the I'M
pact. only the point being lmbedded In the plate,
which was not otherwise injured So loose was
the point In the plate tha. 1t fell cut entirely
from the conclusion caused by the third shot
The backing and frames were found intact.
As this shot had made scarcely any impression,
the charge OF powder was increased on the sec
ond shot To PIG pounds. giving the 5oO-pound
projectile velocity OF 1862 feet per second. AS
before the shell was shattered. a larger portion,
however. being imbedded in the plate, which was
still without a crack or bulge. one OF the armor
bolts was driven out. the thread being sheared
off, but this is expected TO happen when a bolt
is struck by a shot. Several OF the small bolts
holding the protective deck were broken, but this
was not considered material. for the reason that
the bolts were used a makeshift. a metal joint
being the usual method employed. This COM
pleted the acceptance test for the lot OF the
twenty-four plates and they will undoubtedly be
approved.
Then one shot was fired from a tweve-inch
gun. Wheeler sterling projectile weighing $50
pounds urged along by 400 pounds or powder
at Il velocity of 1S00 feet per second. This test
was ordinarily employed on seventeen-inch
plates, and IL was thought that II would pass en-
trey through the fourteen inches of steel and
the backing frames etc. well While the
plate was penetrated almost its entire depth and
cracked from top to bottom, the oak backing was
scarcely disturbed, and the outer skin and the
frames were not disturbed at all. Another armor
bolt was forced out and the rect OF the bolts In
the protective deck snapped OF SO this
plate not only stood the test for its own thick
ness but constructlvely for a seventeen-inch
plate.
The new armor bolt Is less than half the length
of the bolt now In use and the saving In weight
In each ship will be considerable. In addition, the
packing used with the old bolts is quite an item,
as brass cylinder a spring washer and rubber
rings are necessary, whereas II. the new ones or
binary tow packing with lead washer sufiices
The test was made under the direction OF Cap
tain Sampson Chief Of the Bureau Of Ordnance,
and was witnessed by Secretary OF the Navy
Herbert and the Board Of Ordnance. A further
test this time with thirteen-inch gun, Will be
made as the gun can be set up.