Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1896-07-02
CORN PITH IN THE NAVY.
High Value Placed on What Was For
merly Waste Material.

The French originated the idea oil
lining the interior of battle ship with
belt of cellulose, extending some dis
tance above and below the water line,
the object of which is TO protect the
vital parts of the ship from destruc-
ton under heavy fire. Ashell penetrat~
ing the armor causes the cellulose to
swell up, under the influence of the
water, and prevents further inflow.
The cellulose first adopted by the navy
department, as in the Columbia, New
York and Olympia, was made from the
husks of the cocoanut. The cellulose
proper looks like bits of ground cork,
being separated from the fiber by
spsoially-built machines, and after
treatment to prevent rotting and com
bustion is packed in the cofferdams,
mixed with enough fiber to hold it To-
gether. An American product manu-
factured from the pith of cornstalks or
Indian maize, under the Marsden pat
ents, is superior to the cocoa cellulose,
as is shown by the following tests made
ny tHc navy department!
Two coiferdams, feet high, feet
wide and feet thick, were constructed.
In one was placed s32K pounds of cocoa
ccllulose and fiber, with density Of
TT pounds per cubic foot; in the other
7o2 pounds of corn cellulose, corre-
spending to a density of 6.5 pounds per
cubic foot
A 6-inch shot having velocity OF
1000 feet per second was fired into the
cocoa cellulose with gun at distance
of ala feet. The hole at the point of
entry was the size OF the shot, and the
point of exit, an irregular jagged hole,
was made IA inches by S1s inches. The
passage of shot caused quantity OF
cellulose to be projected in the front
and about n quart to be thrown out to
the rear. Water was now applied to the
cofferdum, the level being feet above
the hole. In ten minutes the first drop
Of water appeared through the Golfer
dam through the hole. The flow stead
lily increased to half gallona minute.
The cofferdam containing the corn eel.
lulose was fired upon under similar con-
ditions.
Water was turned on as before and
left for IA hours, during which time no
water whatever appeared at the hole in
the rear, nor was it even damp in that
vicinity. Tests were then made with
larger projectiles, with about the same
results. To test the washing-out eff
feet of the waves on the cellulose 4
Stream of water from fire pump was
directed into the respective holes, the
nozzle being held at 12 feet from the
holes. At the end of 30 seconds an elon-
gated cone had been washed out to
depth of 18 inches in the case of the
cocoa cellulose and Il inches in the
case of the corn cellulose. There is thus
no danger from the action of the sea-
To test for combustion 3-pound shell
containing one-tenth pound of powder
and 1-pound bag of powder were ex-
ploded in the midst Of each material; (;
the cocoa cellulose ignited; the corn cell
lulose did not, but was greatly charred.
a cubic foot of each material was
packed in an iron box with two gallons
of fresh water and allowed to remain
for a month. 1t was found that the
cocoa cellulose, which had been in con-
tact with the iron, had turned black,
the iron showed corrosion and was
painted, the paint had softened under
the action Of the cellulose. The corn
cellulose had practically no effect. The
superiority of corn cellulose was thus
demonstrated, and has been adopted
by the navy department. The new bat
tie ships Kentucky and Kearsarge are
to be lined with it, and it is recommend
ed that all unarmored vessels should
have these belts without delay. Our
cruisers of the Baltimore type, so lined,
would be warranted in engaging many
Of the second-class ironclads Of other
powers. For keeping out water 3-foot
cellulose belt is said to be us efficient as
6-inch belt of steel; the former woull
weigh LOG tons, the latter 1000 tons.
Corn pith cellulose costs about two.
thirds the amount Of cocoa cellulose
per cubic foot.-Journal Of the Franklin
Institute.