Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1900-05-12
ARM0R USELESS.
Nothing Made Can Withstand
Newly Invented She'll.
Pcnetrates Solid Steel as . Steel
Bullet Penetrates Green Wood
additional Shortage ." Cuban
Postal Frauds Still Being DiscOv.
cred Belief That Great Quantity
Of stamps Ordered Destroyed
We're SOld-CapitOl Notes.

We're sold-Cspitoi Notes.
Washington, May 9-Some facts..al-
most startling In their Importance, were
| laid before the senate yesterday, in Sc
crct session, at the conclusion OF the
regular open session. They related. il
is understood. to the invent ion of "a shell
| by prominent officer of the United
States navy, a shell superior in every es-
sential quality To any now in use by any
government. The quality of penetration
possessed by the shell is said to be SO
great that no armor now manufactured
in the United States or abro I'd has suf
fcient resistance to withstand II.
Yesterday. after the naval bill had
been laid aside for the day, Mr., Tillman
| asked for a secret session In order that
he might explain to The senate why he
desired the armor plate matter To b..
discussed in secret.
When the doors were closed, he eX-
planned that several days ago he had
offered resolution calling upon the sec.
retary Of the navy to send 10 the senate
for its information the details Of tests
made by the department officials Of
armor plate at Indian Head. No answer
to that inquiry had been received. and in
all probability none will be received.
1t seems that Mr.. Tillman called at
the navy department and was Informed
that it 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, not only of the senate. but OF
representatives of foreign governments,
information that properly belonged ex-
clusvely to the United States. He was
informed that Admiral O'Neil. chief of
the bureau Of ordnance. had been con
ducting for several months series OF
armor tests at Indian Head the results
of which were very remarkable. A
prominent official of the navy department
said. it is understood. that the tests OF
all sorts OF armOr, including the Nrupp
armor had been made. with view OF
ascertaining their effectiveness against
a new shell that had been invented by
an officer of the navy. No piece Of ar
NOR submitted 10 the test, II is under
stood. was able to Withstand the test.
The shell. fired from high power guns.
penetrated the arnOr almost as bullets
hred from krag Jorgensen rirla would
penetrate green wood the difference b.
ing that the armur plates split from the
true of the i<rupp armor, as well AZ of
the other arnlor tested.
The shell which was 50 effective was
not described. Indeed. the navy depart
mert is guarding iealously all details
conc oerning its 0nstruction.
The argument Of Mr.. Tillman is that
with such u projectile in the possession
of the government. the details OF which
sooner OF later will became known to
other governments. 1t would not be a
part of wisdom for the congress to enter
into contracts to purchase the high
priced armOr, unless ii could he So inn
proved as to resist proi-clies of the kiEd
used at Indian Head.
Feeling tina more or less of the mattar
concerning the tests recently made ny
the government would be used in the de-
bate upon the arinor question. Mr. Till
man suggested that it would be desirable
to consider the subject in secret The
senate agreed with him. and the arnIor
plate matter will b. discussed behind
closed doors.
The senate yesterday concluded cen
sideration OF the naval appropriation
bill, with the exception of the section
relating to armOr and armament. This
went over until today, when ii will lie
considered in secret session. During
the morning hour a number Of minor
bills were passed. among them one to
reimburse various collectors OF internal
revenue for internal revenue stamps
charged against them but not accounted
for.
The house devoted most Of Tuesday to
the consideration of private bills re-
ported from the committee on claims. and
10 bills were passed. The most i'm
portant was a bill to remit the PEN
alties imposed by the government on the
Union Iron Works OF San Francisco, the
builders Of the monitor Mont terey, for her
failure to make contract sped.
BEFORE the considera ton of these bills
was entered upon the house overruled
the action of the ways and means COM
mittee in reporting against u resolution
calling upon the secretary of the treas
ury for Information regarding materials
used in the manufacture of oleomar-
garine, which is on file in the internal
revenue office. The ma ajurity Of the COM
mittee contended that this information
would betray trade secrets, hut the reso-
luton was adopted, S2 to 1856. sur
prising victory for the anti-oleomar-
garine party.
Havana, May 9.-The postal frauds
have been the principal topic Of conver-
sation in Havana. although as yet the
papers have scarcely alluded to the mat
ter. The department Of posts admits
shortage Of $4,000: but further invest-
cation has brought to light the fact that
in July of last year the receipts showed
falling off of about $l2 600 over the
average Of the months previous. and
that this shortage has been kept up ever
since. 1t appears that, about that time,
Director of Posts Rathbone gave orders
for the destruction of S411 900 worth CT
surcharge stamps on account Of the
issue Of a new stamp. This work Of de-
struction was left in the hands Of Nicely
and his assistants: but it is now believed
that none of these stamps was destroyed.
the theory being that they were sent out
with the new stamps.
The Havana receipts amounted TO
about $4,000 a month. according TO the
books: but the other offices of the island
only showed 5000 or $1,000 amounts
palpably absurd. II is astonishing that
the shortage was not discovered before.
because the receipts nj Santiago or Ma
tanzas alone should amount To nearly !
5000
Absolute proof that something has
Indians to BE Rewarded.