The Washington weekly post. (Washington, D.C.) 1878-1916, 1899-03-21


20 become q back number II Congress
should continue TO maintain its policy re-
Gently adopted Ia respect TO appropria-
lions Tor sTmOr.
1T is obvious that the best Of every
thing that goes 20 make up warships is
D0t too good for this nation, and Uncle
sam would be much discouraged a few
years hence IL he found himself possess
Cd OF lot % fighting vessels inferior III
strength 10 those owned by foreign pow
ers We ought 10 have Krupp arnUrs.
"Krupplzed plates have one-hlth more
resisting power than the Haryey lied
The why Is . secret. but the improved
quality is understood 20 be due 10 the
Introduction into the steel OF a certain
percentage OF chromium.
THE improvement OF one-ffth in re-
s.stiug power means that in q vessel Of
the type OF the new Maine there would
be a clear saving o. GO tons in dead
weight. A twelve-inch KTupDiZed plate
will keep out prOjecJiles as well as d
sixtcen-inch Harveyized plate. Accord
iugly twelve-inch Kruppizod armor has
been Contemplated for the belt Of each
Of the Maine triplets now building,
whereas our other bsttle-ships have belts
fourteen 10 eighteen inches in thickness.
Our battlc-ships now in commission Wea~
armcr only over thir 'vitals,' along the
sides between the turrets because they
can carry no more weight; but II krupp-
lied plates were substituted for their
present protection, this thinner and lighter
defense could be extended from stem TO
stern, thus leaving no vulnerable parts
exposed. At the same time, the tuJrets
could be made lighter, and the shields OF
the rapid-iire guns could be protected
more efficiently.
THE chief OF the Ordnance Bureau OF
the navy has expressed the opinion that
the armor belts OF our future battle-ships
would be thick enough at ten to twelve
inches If kruppiZed plates were used.
Such a modification would make II prac-
ticable 10 sheathe the entire vessel with
steel in such u manner as TO render It
rrojcctile-proOf, to All intents and pur-
poses, IN all its parts. But the saving Of
weight way be utilized in various ways,
and particularly for increasing coal sup
ply or engine capacity. Augmented coal
capacity means increased steaming IA
dius, while moro engine power signifies
higher speed. When Kruppized armo- is
adopted, the twenty-knot battle-ship will
become an accomplished fact; in other
words, We shall have battle-ShiDs " tn
the speed OF cruisers.
Reduces Weight.
,Of course, the Kruppized armor is as
useful for cruisers as for battle-ships,
and, by reducing the weight 10 be carried
by the former, viii give them more On
CINE capacity, implying Increase OF speed.
Thus the armOred cruiser Of the near fu-
ture viii attain much higher speed IMAM
has been vet developed Indeed, it nay
all hi will =-tYnf2
day be evolved a composite .battle-ship
and cruiser. combining to a considerable
extent the most important advantages Of
both types of war vessels, with dis
placement, perhaps, OF 1890 tons, and q
speed in excess of twenty-five knots or
so.
Il have been told that the HarVeyizlng
process was suggested 10 its inventor by
The composition of meteOrites- The iron
of these celestial prolectiles contains
small proportion of nickel and on that
account is SO tough as 10 resist IN q sur
pr.sing way the best-tempered OF saws
used for cutting il. Hence the idea OF
introducing - per cent Of nickel into
the material of the plates with which the
best Of our ships now in commission are
protected. The KruppiZed armor, how
ever. has the hardened face Of the Har-
veyized, which defeats the boring at
tack of projectiles by breaking their
points. and at the same time it IS consid-
erahly tougher. giving increased resist
ance against punching or tearing.
Cause of Cost.
"The great cost of amor is due 10 sew
eral causes. In the first place, the c2pl-
tai represented in an armor-making plant
Is necessarily large, and the proet sses de
maad such high skill that many of the
workmen get better pay than most pro-
fessional men who are fairly successful
Then, the processes themselves are ex-
ceedngly elaborate, and q great many
plates are lost Each group Of plates
manufactured for The government IS rep
resented ty one that is destroyed at In
dian Head on the Potomac by firing pro-
jtctiles at II. If il is not satisfactory
q second oae is tried in the same way,
and, in case il fails. the whole group is
rejected. amounting perhaps 10 about 10'
tons
The beginning of a Harveyized plate
the krupp Improvement on the process
as already stated, is as yet a secrets 4
quantity of mild steei--i G.. steel that is
rot high in carbon. and therefore soft
Ii is melted IN q furnace by natural gas
and into it IS put the proper pereentast
OF carbon, silicon and nickel The mix
lure IS cooked for a proper length OF
time, and Is then taken GU: and poured
IN a Whlte-hot and molten condition, into
a Steel val, which has the shape of d
long vertical cylinder In this vat il /.
compressed with a mighty squeeze from
Doth ends OF the cylinder by q hydrduli,
ram. 10 drive out The gases which il con
'"ins and 10 make II as compact as pos
siDle- Then IL is cooled. and. being rernov
ed from the Vat in the shape of an ingot
good-sZed piece is cut from each end o,
II, 20 as 10 remove those portions which
contain the dreEs and surface refuse o,
the materla! As ii was in the vay.
The ingot Is then forged. not with III,
steam hammer, but with a hydrauli,
press, which squeeZes il with trench
dous nip, nip nip until The original cyln
drical mass Is reduced 10 the shape Of
sheet Of The thickness of the propose,
plate-say fourteen inches. The f0rg.n,
makes the substance homogeneous. re
moving bubbles and Nominations, and nov
the plate is ready for the Haryryizin,
process. Il Is put on its face in = specla
kind Of furnace. with three or four inchc.
or cat bon underneath. the back and edge
bring protected with sand 10 proven
them nom melting. Gradually il J.
-.-brousat 10 temperature OF 700 degrees
and a. thJt heat IL is permitted 10 remail
for several days. then q, is cooled slowly
SegsD+d 10 remove TouEEncss. heated
again, cooled slowly in ashes. heated one
more, and then cuJ approximately % III
final dimensions. Next IL Is bent in
Ayd au!tc press 90 The requisite curve
and hn1i.y &: Is carried 10 the 'temperln.
tank ard IS Laid upon the gratiags. Wher,
cold s,lt water Is poured over il 10 lard
"a as face. The extra carbon taken Il,
by the face On the Haryeyizing fuTnac
has made that part OF The plate excess
lively hand. while the back Of II Is les
20. The finishing machine smoothes an,
completes the work. and the bolt hole
are bored by electric drills So hard i
the surface Of the plate that the drill!
could not penetrate IL II 81 were not tha
the plate Is locally softened IA spots b.
the application VI an electric current
Putting the AFmar.