Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-07-08
ARMOR PLATES AND GUNS
How the Krupps and Schneiders Are Work.
ing to Improve Their Output.
Foreign Manufacturers and Their
Processes for Hardening and
CarbOnizinE Steel.

Consul Monaghan at Chemnitz, Germany,
has made report to the State Department
upon armor and projectiles for naval war
fare, in which he says that Naval ma
lions have begun to think of abolishing
heavy guns for guns of lighter caliber and
stronger construction He adds that eX-
reriments in steel-bound paper tubes are
being talked of, but 40 tests have yet been
made.
Mr.. Monaghan says that the Germans
are very much interested in a new process
for hardening steel by means of gas 1.-The
invention" he continues, Originated in the
French steel and iron firm, Schneider. &
Co., ~ CreuZot. The process is based on
the fact that gas. under great heat, de-
posits carbon in solid form. Upon this de-
pends its light effects. and also the forma-
ticn OF the so-called retort graphites a
thick covering of pure carbon on the walls
OF the Gas-light retorts. The gas that
strikes the retort walls deposits part of its
carbon upon them. and Schneider uses this
1or cement1ng steel armor plates.
To Harden the Outside.
1t is said to be very important in the pro-
duction of armor plates to have them COM
paratively soft inside and hard outside
This hardening is obeainable by the appli-
cation of carbon. Formerly the process of
hardening consisted in covering the plates
with layers of ccal and heating them till
they glowed. Schneiders process puts two
plates into furnace, one on top of the
other, with hollow space between. This
space Is made gas tight by means of as
bestos packing put on around the edges.
The plates are heated red hot and a stream
of light gas Is poured into the hollow space
between them. The carbon thrown out by
the gas is taken up by the plates until they
are thickly covered. The depth of carbon
covering can be regulated by the amount
n SrnC a tot Tr,1
and uniform action during the process, and
to prevent the pipes that carry the gas to
the hollow space from absorbing any of
the carbon. they are insulated in other
pipes, through which water Is constantly
circulating. 1t is believed that this simple
and rapid carboniziDg process will soon be
applicable to many other branches of the
steel industry
krupp's Secret Process.
Up to this time says Mr.. Monaghan,
Krupp's nickel-pointed shot has penetrat-
ed all kinds of armor. Krupp, however
has for a long time hardened his plates by
a secret proc ess. and the consul says it is
not improbable that he may have been
hardening by some such carbon process as
that of Schneider.
"A steel shot of 112 pounds" says the
consul, in order to go through a plate
. s, inches thick. must SO out of the gun
with an initial velocity of 3OS for wrought
iron. 36i for band amor, 1856 for steel 40
to 800 for nickel steel. so for Harvey plate
and G2o for krupp's newest armor''
Krupp Gun Tests.
Concerning gun tests. the consul says
that one Of the Krupp guns exhibited at
Chicago hurled a shot of 473 pounds a trifie
over 1919 miles. forming in its flight an
arch. whose highest point was Al miles
above the earth. The shot had caliber
of 9.36 inches. and had a charge of 253
pounds Of powder. 1t was seventy seconds
going the distance
Another of kruop's guns. with a caliber
OF 1888 inches. 10 Is yards long ch;tT,e,f
with 902 pounds Of brown pow le-, hurled
220O-pound shot with an initial velocity
of -i35 yards. At a distance Of 1,OS;3 yards
1t went through wrought iron plate 4.21
inches thick. This shat, Weighing 200
rounds, was carried 80 miles. The gun
fas been fired but sixteen times.
Capt. Samson, chief of the ordnance bu-
rSau of the United States navy. says hat
the process treatment for hardening steel
described by Consul Monaghan, and called
the Schneider process is practically the
Harvey process Carton is introduced into
the plates III much the same way. So far
as the ordnance bureau has been able to
learn. the ari.lor plates used in the United
States are rs sood as any that have BEEN
made abroad.