The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1895-09-09
ARMOR PLATE TEST.
HF4TY GUNS FIRE 500 Pound PRO
JECTILES IGAINT STEEL ARMOR.
The Impact Crusbes the Shclls-It IL Shown
That the Frames of Our ships Are
Strong and Can Stand Gathering.

|
| Washington, September 4.-The naval
ordnance board conducted n most impor-
tant and successful test at Indian Heal
| proving grounds today. Primarily IL was
a test of steel armor plate. but really one
| of greater importance, as it was Il trlal
| of the strength of the frames of modern
| warships. which. il had been claimed,
| would not withstand the shock caused ny
| heavy proiectiles against the armor COW
| erinS them-some authorities even goini;
| SO far as to assert that the armor, II not
shattered penetrated by the shot,
would be driven through the vessel by t,e
crushing of the frames. This was the
| first frame test ever made OF distinctly
modern warships, though the English gov
crnment some years ago did liro a, an
antiquated armored vessel for the purpose
of observing the effects of the shot. To-
| days experiments demonstrated the tact
tina. the frames Of our warships are per-
fectly able TO meet ali ordinary demands.
II was also demonstrated that the new
fourtt en-inch armOr with which the new
tattleshipS will be protected can. under
ordinary circumstances, receive the hr@
| OF any naval vessel afloat without serious
damage. test was also made Of a new
armor bolt designed by the ordnance board
to replace the bolts row used in fastening
armor ships. which weighty, cumber-
some and expensive. Each of the three
tests was entirely satisfactory. The armor
plate far exceeded the prescribed require
mcnts: the counterfeit frames bore the
shocks without Impairment and the bolts
We're entirely satisfactory.
The plate tested today represented twen-
tv-four others. Weighing go pounds, made
10y the Carnegie company for the battle
ship Iowa. now building at Cramps. II
was the FIRST service test Of the company's
new process of making what is known as
Goublc forged armor. being forged noth
before and after carLOnization or harvey
izirg. Heretofore II has not been forged
after harveyizing. This plate, fourteen
inches in thickness. formed the outer sur
face of a target which an exact re-
production Of the battlcship Iowa. X was
eighteen feet lorE by seven and half hugh
and represented that portion covering the
vitals and extending five feet below and
two ana half feet above the water iina.
The Shells Shattered.
Behind the arrnor was a lacking of five
inches Of oak and then came the skin Of
the vcsscl-the inner aud outer bottoms.
each tve-cighths OF an inch OF steel plate.
Some four feet further back was e five
eighths-iuch steel plate. representing the
inner shell of the vessel aud il was he-
tween this plate and the Skin" that the
frames or braces (also five-cighths inch
plat0 are placed alternately two and
four feet apart The whole structure was
covered by two and half irch steel
plate. representing q protective decis.
Against the inner plate were heavy tim
bers resting on thc side Of hill it would
seem at a glance that the conditions were
not the same ass on hoard ship in the
water. for The reason that the water would
yield while the solid earth would not f3ut
the naval officers calculatoc that the
difference would he very slight as the
vessel in the water could not yield quickly
enough to be Of any benefit.
The first shot fred was from tcn-incb
gun. Carpenter projcctile Weighing $40
pounds being propelled by 10 pounds Of
brown prIsmatic powder and attaining a
velocity of LIZ feet per second ana =
striking power of 7ilCl0 pounds The
shell was completely shattered by the inn
pact only the point remaluing imheddcd in
the plate wh,S. Tss not otherwise in
jured; So Ea.a.s Kiss ne (, MS cheek"'1le
Sion Sion, caused 5y. Iass4b,p2 PIN
shot had made scarcely any impression tho
charge of powder was Increased on the
second shot to PIG pounds. giving the aro
pound projectile n velocity OF SCI feet per
second As before, the shell was shattered.
a larger portion. however being irnbcided
I'm the plate. which was sin without A
crack or bulge one Of the armor bolt.
was driven ont, the r7read being shcarad
off, but tins was expected to A-ipuon When
a bolt is struck by shot Several OF a.,
f4ts !.
were broken, but this was not considered
material. for the reason that the bolts w.r,
used as a make-shiit. metal joint beiu;
,hc usual method employed TINS com
rlettd the acceptance tcst Tor the lot of
twenty-iour plates and they viii uudoubt-
ediy be approved
The Tests Satisfactory.
Then one shot was i,rea 1rom il twelve
inch gun. a Whecler-Sterliug prolcctle.
weighing $50 pounds was urged atoms, l,.
4O pounds OF powder at a velocity of sou
leet per second This test was ordinarily
employed on seVenttcn-iuch plates. and j.
was thought that II would pass entirely
through the fourteen inches OF steel aud
the backing, frames, etc, as well. While
the plate VAS penetrated almost its entire
depth and cracked from top 10 bottom, thc
oak backing was scarcely disturbed ana
The other skin ana the frames were not
disturbed at all
Another armor bolt was forced out, and
tho balance OF the bolts IN the protcot.,e
deck were snapped or So this plate rot
only stood the test for JUS own Thickness,
but consUuctivcly Tor scveut,cu-iaca
plate.
The new armor bolt is less than half the
length OF the bolt BOW iu use ana the saw
ing i'm weight in each snip VIII he consider
able In ADDITION the packing used Nltu the
OLD bolts Is quite an item, as brass cyiin-
der, a siElhB washer and rubber IinSs are
necessary, whereas in the new one ordiua-
~ tow packing with leather washer suf-
fees.
The test was made under the direction
Of Captain Sampson, chief of the huraau
of ordnance, and was witnessed by Score
tary of the Navy Herbert and the board OF
ordnance.
4 further test, this time with a thirteen
inch gun, viii he made as soon as the
gun can he set up.
FOUND FOR ATLANTA.
Two Hundred Cinnamon Land At victoria