The times., 1899-11-14

When Congress reassembles, Secretary
Long and Rear Admiral Charles O'Neil,
Chief Of the Bureau of Ordnance. viii make
a determined effort to secure the removal
Of the limit Of costs -$30O-imposed by
Congress upon armor purchased for men
of-wsr, and the appropriation of sufficient
money to buy Krupp armor for at least
the three battleships Of the Maine class
and the three battleships and three arm
ored cruisers projected. To place any other
than Krupp armor upon American iron
alads Of today's construction will, in the
opinion Of Rear Admiral O'&eil, be 10 the
lasting discredit OF the American Govern
ment All told. there are about 1000 tons
of armor required for the vessels named
above and the contract for the material
must be divided between the only two
arnor- making establishments in the United
States, the Carnegie Steel Company, Lin
tied, and the Bethlehem Iron Company,
unless Congress should. as repeatedly
threatened in the past, direct the estab-
lishment Of plant in accordance with the
plans prepared by the naval board of which
Rear Admiral Mccormick was president,
Even in the latter event Krupp armor
could not he manufactured without danger
of liability for infringement Of patents
Should KruPp armOr be authorized and the
Secretary of the Navy be empowered 10
pay the manufacturers price. the United
States will have to eXpend almost Sl2,9O0,-
600 instead OF S7.000G00 in case Congress
should persist in its refusal to increase the
limit of cost and compel the department
to make contracts for Harveyized armor.
The Navy from Admiral Dewey down to
the man behind the gun protected in serY-
ing by the aTmoT of his ship, is unit in
opposition 10 the adoption of anything bat
the best material for United States men-of-
war. Rear Admiral ONeil says that to
place any other than the best quality Of
armor upon American vessels will destroy
the prestige Of our naval vessels
Nrupp ArmOr IA "a Protection.
Krupp armor has only been established
as protection for modern meu-of-war
since early in 1886. The process was
evolved in the great works of Krupp, in
Germany. and the plates manufactured
gave such excellent experimental results
as TO astonish the naval world The first
order for Krupp armor was placed by Rus
sia and was based upon the good showing
made BY an lI.S-inch plate. which was test
tracts were made with Krupp until three
years later, and official reports received by
the Navy Department are TO the effect that
Great Britain is buying nothing but Krupp
armor; Japan has purchased the armor for
four battleships and three aTmoTed cruisers
and Germany and France have followed in
the wake of their rivals.
The manufacture OF the armOr has long
since passed the experimental stage and Ii
is now being manufactured commercially
on a large scale abroad and on a moderate
scale in the United States. The armOr com j.
panies in this country, despairing of receiv-
ing higher price than S400 a ton for ar
NOR. determined to possess this latest Sc
CreJ Of aTmoT manufacture and accordingly
last year sent a few experts to the Krupp
establishment TO become acquainted with
the details. The Carnegie company pre-
sented for test at the naval proving
grounds at Indian Head, Md, in July. 1898,
a 6-inch Krupp plate, and in October Of the
same year d 12-inch Krupp plate and while
these We're its first efforts and naturally
not as good as may be expected when
greater experience is had in manufacture,
they showed marked excellence and su-
periOrity 10 the ordinary face hardened
armOr.
The Bethlehem Company gave q test at
its proving grounds at Redingtcn Pa. IL
November. lS9s, OF a 6-inch experimental
Krupp plate.
This plate was attacked with 6-inch a.
NOR piercing projectiles, and withstood six
shots, having a total energy Of 30,66S foot-
tons, only one Of the projectiles getting
through the plate and backing, and hat
one being entirely broken up. This p-o-
jectile struck with a velocity that should
have carried il through thirteen incGes OF
ryTrf rT-v q OH
inches Of ordinary hardened armor
Some Severe Tests Made.
This plate. Rear Admiral O'Nel says, un-
doubtedly made as good showing as any
uLaLa of is Sic and lhIchnesa cEar -nra-