The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-07-09
PERFORATING POWER.
Armor Piercing Shells Guaranteed
TO Produce the Maximum Effect.

TO Produce the Maximum Effect
From the Philadelphia Times.
The recent engagements at Manila,
San Juan and several Cuban ports have
demonstrated the fact that American pro
jectiles are superior TO any in the world"
said well known ex-army officer recent
ly. incidentally he remarked that there
are not less than three big steel concerns
now engaged night and day and on sun
days also in the manufacture of the most
perfect armor- piercing and deck piercing
solid shot and shells. These are at South
Reading Pa, at Midvale. Pa, and near
Pittsburg, and they are filing contracts
for the United States government amount
ing to upward of 100000, which will re-
quire not less than six months to COM
plete. Probably 1000 workmen are now
busy with these orders.
concern at Harrison, N. j., received
an order for 8-inch shells for which its
bid was about $3.50 each. This is the low
est price named thus far In the history
oil making projectiles in this country
This company, like all of the others, will
not allow a reporter, or, indeed, any other
person, except government inspector. to
examine the products Since the recent
remarkable achievement of Admiral Dew
ey in Manila bay, where his ships fired
upward of 1900 shot and shells, the orders
from the navy department have been du-
plicated, so that the four mills mention
ed will probably be employed steadily for
the next twelve months at least The en-
tire fleets of our navy, when only engaged
occasionally, are able to shoot awav
bWUWO worth of shells a year. and
could double that If hard pressed
All of these establishments have pro-
cesses of their own for the manufacture
of these wonderful projectiles, and at
least one of them paid, at the suggestion
of the ordnance board, the sum of $50 900
to an English syndicate for a French
process. 1t is only within the last half
dozen years that our mills have beaten
the world IN the penetrating power of pro-
jectHes. Some of the government tests at
the Indian Head proving ground have
shown wonderful results, which ought to
astonish the world, If the fighting nations
needed anything like Yankee enterprise.
The first requirements of the ordnance
board a few years ago were that when
Aired with sufficient velocity the armor
piercing projectile should perforate. I'M
broken, an ordinary steel armor plate oil
tempered and annealed. of thickness
equal to the caliber of the projectile. This
thickness has since been increased to Z,
caliber and an eighth.
1t is a matter of record and should be
a subject of congratulation that the loss
from spontaneous breaking of armor pierc
ing projecties made in this country has
been almost nothing, showing that the shot
and shells after treatment are free from
strain and thus able 10 produce the maxi
mum effect on impact on an armor plate
1t is also shown that in most Of the manu-
factories of projecties, success is reach
ed by the careful selection of material and
the perfect treatment so that results can
be produced with certainty and uniform.
ity. For instance, shell No. 5.607 can be
49,.
success at Manila as No 4O5 at Matanzas.
These projecdles are record breakers, and
the record Is invariably the same.
In perforating Harvey-treated plates of
nickel steel oil-hardened and anneaIed
the shell displaces the metal first toward
the front or face of the place, producing
thereon a front bulge or fringe around The
hole made by the projectile. This flow to
the front continues until the resistance of
the flow to the back as less than to the
front, when the metal is displaced toward
the back of the plate, producing a back
bulge, which, If the shell is good enough,
is afterward perforated by the shell.
In the case Of properly face-hardened
plates there Is no front bulge and no
fringe around the hole made by the shot
All Of the metal must be displaced to-
ward the rear.
Il is said that there is no plate in use
in any Of the older vessels Of the Spanish
navy Wnlch can Withstand our perfect pro-
jectiles. and most of the more modern
ships of the enemy have plates which
can be pierced easily by our ships guns
using the American projectes. Our mills |
are able 10 produce metallic chromium |
about 96 per cent pure metal, by secret |
processes now in Use here. BY the Use
Of this metallic chromium the ingots for |
shells can be made of almost any desired |
chemical composition with absolute GER |
tainty. Indeed nearly all of the new |
American shells Of the 6-inch caliber are |
able to pierce plate one and one-sixth cali |
bers thick which is above the govern |
ment requirements. Our wonderful Tro- |
iectiles represent the defensive strength |
of the United States navy az well as the |
in offensive warfare. The |
armor plate OF the enemy Is clearly pe1e- |
rable; hence our sea power Is ire /
sistible Tests made NOT long ago showed |
thar a 1.l0O-pound solid shot, fired 1900 |
yards from a new 13-inch gun, against an |
1S-inch Carnegie armor plate, broke the