The age-herald., 1900-05-09
THE SENATE HELD
 A SECRET SESSION
MT. TiIIman Wanted to Discuss
 the Armor Plants.
WONDERFUL SHELL INVENTED
It Pierced All Armor Plates Which Were Tested-For This Reason Senators Decided to Discuss
 the Matter Secretly

Washington, May S.-Some of the most startling facts in their importance were laid before the senate today in secret leg islative session at the conclusion of the regular open session. They related, it is understood to the invention of a shell by a prominent officer of the United States navy, a shell superior in every essential quality to any now in use either by this or any other government. The quality of penetration possessed by the shell is said to be great that no armor now manu- factured in the United States abroad has sufficient resistance to withstand it. The facts, which were in possession of only few senators, were deemed so im- portant that the senate decided to con- sider them in secret session.
 Today after the naval bill had been laid aside Mir. Tillman asked for a secret ses- senate why he desired the armor plate matter to be discussed in secret.
 When the doors were closed he explained that several days ago he had presented resolution calling upon tbe secretary of the navy to send to the senate for information concerning the details of tests made by the department officers of armor plate at Indian Head. No answer had been re- ceived and in all human probability none would be received
 It seems that MT. 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 it would place in the hands of tIa ta hut la fiyaS of foreign governments information that properly belonged exclusively to the United States. He was informed that Ad- miral ONeil chief of the bureau of ord nance had been conducting for several months d series of armor tests at Indian Head, the results of which were very re- markable.
 The New Shell
 prominent official of the navy depart ment, said it is understood the tests Of all sorts of armor, including the krupp armor had been made with view Of as- pertaining their effectiveness against new shell that had been invented by an officer of the navy. No piece of armor submitted to the test was able to withstand the shell. The shell, fired from high-power guns, pen etrated the armor almost as bullets hred from a Krag-Jorgensen rifle would pene- trate green wood, the difference being that
  impact It is said this was true of the Krupp armor, as well as for other armor tested. The shell which was so effective was not described. Indeed, the navy de- partment is guarding jealously all details concerning it's construction
 The argument of MT. 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 govern ments, it would not be the part of wisdom for congress to enter into contracts to pur- chase the high-priced armor unless 1t 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, MT. Tillman sug- gested that it would be desirable to consider the subject in secret
 The senate agreed with him, and tomor- row the armor plate matter will be dis cussed behind closed doors.