The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-05-09
NAVAL SECRETS GUARDED.
The Senate Discusses ArmOr Pla.e
Behind Closed Doors.
Reasons for Mr.. Ttllmnn's Request
for m Executive ScSsiOn-krupp
Plate Made for Russia Penetrated
by nm American Shcll-Argumcnt
in Favor. of n Government Plant.

After ten minute talk by Senator Till
man. member of the Naval Committee,
yesterday afternoon behind closed doors.
the Senate decided to hold secret iegis-
lative session to-day. when the armor plate
provision in the pending Naval Appropria-
| tion bill will be reached. Mr.. Tillman
pointed out the inadvisability of making
public information in the possession of the
Navy Department that could not be avoid
ed if the discussion of this portion Of the
bill were conducted in open session.
Privately Senators were made acquainted
with the reasons for this unusual policy
of the Department. In the first place tests
had been made of the Krupp arraor for
| the Russian government, the plates tested
being selected from lot now being made
for the Cramps by the Carnegies and in
tended for the frst-class battleship now
| building in the Cramp yards at Philadel-
phia. Russians inspectors were present at
! the test.
A test of one of these same plates was
| subsequently made at Indian Head, how
ever. at which the Russian officials were
not present. How this plate reached the
| proving ground has not been explained. 1t
may be that the Cramps in shipping the
plates for service tests made mistake
and sent one too many. At any rate the
| test showed that the Krupp armor was
no. invulnerable and this discovery is the
| thing the Navy Department does not
want the naval powers of the world to
| learn and is one of the chief reasons why
| Mr.. Tillman. who first got at the facts.
| insists upon secret legislative session
| to discuss the subject of armor and pro-
| jectiles. He explained the nature and ef-
| feet of the invention which has given
| such a setback to the KruDp arinor
hardening process.
| The Indian Head Test.
The test which demonstrated that Krupp
armor was not invulnerable against an
American shell took place at the Indian
Head proving ground a few weeks ago In
the presence of some officers of the Army
and Navy, nearly all OF them ordnance
experts. The projectiles which success
fully overcame the tremendous resisting
qualities of Krupp hardened plate owe
| their power of penetration to the cap used
| and in the composition and construction
| of the cap lies the secret that Is being
guarded so jealousy by the Government
| The cap or nose is an American inven-
ton. owned by the Johnson Projectile
| Company. Unlike the sharp-pointed nose
of the ordinary armor piercing she'd. it
| has a rounded end 1t is composed of
steel softer by comparison only. than
that of the rest of the proiectile. Accord
, ing to an explanation obtained yesterday,
| the theory of its use against krupp armor
is that il fiattens against the hard race OF
the plate and thus forms lubricant or
| puddle" into which the rest of the shell
| passes easily. Once obtaining entrance
into the soft steel. which becomes welded
10 the face of the plate, the projectile
proper continues its penetration, made all
| the easier by being held to a straight
] course by the puddle"
One officer illustrated the theory OF the
! soft nose in this way: Press your lett
/ thumb firmly to the hand parallel with
! the forefinger; then try to pass the right
| forefinger between the left thumb and
forefingsr. You will find it almost if
! not quite impossible. Now put a piece
| of banana skin over the line where the
| left thumb and forefinger are pressed
| together. When you put your right fore
( finger through the banana skin you will
! find that very little force viii make it
| continue its course, thus separating the
left thumb and foreiinger. The soft nose
forms a lubricant for the rest of .he shell
! Just as the banana peel does for the right
! forefinger.
The plate used in the test was six inches
| in thickness ard the firing was done with
| siy-inch shells. The firing range was short,
and for that reason the effect of the JOHN
| son shell on krupp armor at long range
| was not demonstrated. The range was
about two hundred yards Some ordinary
| sharp pointed projectiles were first fired at
the plate. They smashed up on impact
without damaging the plates surface.
Then two shells with the johnson soft
| nose were fired and both went clean
| through the plate Those who witnessed
| the test were delighted, as it was the first
| demonstration of the ability of shell
| to pierce armor hardened By the krupp
process. The result went far beyond the
| expectations of the ordnance experts, who
realized the great value of the new nose
| and determined to keep secret the story
| of the test.
| Confidential Information.
| 1t was Just about this time that Mr..
| Tnlmans resolution reached the Navy De-
partment, for an inkling Of tl:s test had
reached some Senators who were interested
| in tfe subject of armor plate. The report
| was verified to members of the Senate pri-
| yateIy at the Department under the pledge
| of secrecy and that fact more than any-
thing else caused the insertion in the
| Naval bill of a proviso for the establish
| ment of an armor plate factory by th-
| Government IL the plate manufacturers do
| not agree to provide armor at the figures
| Congress deems fair and just.
MIR. Tiliman Contends that If krupp arm
| or can be SO easily penetrated it is nom
sense for this Government to contract for
| it at the fancy prices demanded by the
| manufacturers of that armor in this coun-
try. In his argument yesterday he is
| understood TO have made the assertion
| that naval officials are now seeking to
break the effect of their experiment by
saying that the new shell will penetrate
any armor in the same way, but that it
is not to be expected that other nations
| will secure the same kind of shell and
that for that reason krupp armor ought
to be purchased and paid for at $5i5 ton
Mr. Tillman holds that Congress, having
held out so long against the demands of
the manufacturers of Harvey plates, they
have now raised up the Krupp plate as an
excuse for their continued exorbitant de-
mands. Naval tests show that this plate
is not SO invulnerable it has been sup
posed and members of the committee pro-
pose to fight the authorization Of contracts
for it at the figures named by the Carnegies
| and the Bethlehem people. The probability
is that the Senate provision for a factory
| will be agreed to in the Senate without
| much opposition and that the House viii!
accept 1t.
| The disclosures made were considered
| of such Importance, and particularly that
l mari which involved 10 n pf rIoto in