The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-05-09
AN ARMoR PIERCING SHELL.
ONE THAT WILL GO THROUGH ANY
ARMOR PLATE MADE.

United States Naval officer Has In
vented n Shell That VIII Cut a
Hole Through the Thickest Ar
NOR Manufactured-Dep Is
Guarding the Secret JeaIousIy,
and 1t Was Discussed by the SEN
ate in Executive Session.
Washington May S-Some facts almost
startling in their Importance were laid be-
fore the Senate to-day in executive session.
They related, it is understood, TO the in
vention of a shell by a prominent United
States navy officer-a shell superior in ev-
cry essential quality to any now in use
either by this or by any other government.
The quality of penetration possessed by
the shell is said to be so great that no ar
NOR now manufactured in the United
States or abroad has sufficient resistance
to withstand it,
The facts which were in possession of
only few senators, were deemed so inn
portant that the Senate decided to con-
slider them in secret session.
To-day, after the naval bill had been
laid aside for the day, Mr.. Tillman asked
for secret session in order that he might
explain to the Senate why he desired the
armor plate matter to be discussed in Sc
cret.
When the doors were closed, he explain
ed that several days ago he had offered
resolution calling upon the Secretary of
the Navy, to send to the Senate for lis
informatio the details of tests made by
the departments officials of armor plate
at Indian Head. No answer to that in
quiry has been received, and in all human
probability. none will be received.
Unwise to Give 1t Out.
1t seems that Mr.. Tillman called at the
navy department, and was informed that
1t would be unwise at this time to make
public the details of the tests he had asked
for, as 1t would place in the hands, not
only of the Senate, but of representa-
tives of foreign governments, informatbn
that properly belonged exclusively
to the United States. He was informed
that Admiral ONeiI, chief of the bureau
of ordnance had been conducting for sew
eral months q series of armor tests at In
dian Head, the results of which were very
remarkable. A prominent official of the
navy department said, 1t is understood
that the tests of all sorts of armor, In
cluding the Krupp armor, had been made
with a view of ascertaining their effective
ness against a new shell that had been
invented by an officer of the navy. No
piece Oh dTulOT submitted 10 the test, IL
IS understood, was able to withstand the
test. The shell, fired from high power
guns, penetrated the armor almost as
bullets fired from a Krag-Jorgensen rifle
would penetrate green wood, the differ
ence being armor plates split from. the
point of impact 1t is said that this was
true of the Krupp arnlor. as well as of
other armor tested.
Guarding II Jea1ousIy.
The shell which was so effective was not
described; indeed, the navy department
is guarding jealously all details concern
ing its construction.
The argument of Mr.. Tillman is that
with such a projectile in the possession
of the government, the details of which
sooner or later will become known to
other governments, it would not be the
part of wisdom for Congress to enter in
to contracts to purchase the high-priced
armor, unless II could be SO improved as
to resist projectiles of the kind used at
Indian Head.
Feeling that more or less of the matter
concerning the tests recently made by the
government would be used in the debate
upon the armor question, Mr.. Tillman
suggested that 1t would be desirable TO
consider Tie subject in secret.
The Senate agreed with him, and to-
morrow the armor plate matter will be
discussed behind closed doors.