New-York tribune., 1900-04-10
NEW 4R1IOR FOR THE NAVY.

One of the features of the report of the House
Committee on the Naval Appropriation bill Is
the recommendation that 1853 tons of the so
called Krupp armor' be purchased for the battle
ships Maine, Ohio and Missouri. The construc-
ton of these three ships authorized in the
act of Congress of May 4. 1898, but the work Of
completion has been delayed because of the
Navy Departments inability to contract for
armor plate within the limit Of price fixed by
Congress. The first keel plate of the Maine was
laid on February -. 1890. and the Chief of the
Bureau of Construction reports that If the de-
livery Of the armor is such as to facilitate the
progress of the hull work 1t Is probable that
the ship can be ready for delivery by the build
ers on June l. 1901 The OhiOs first keel plate
laid on April %, 1899 and it is believed
that she could be ready for delivery by March,
1902. The Missouri is in about the same con
dition the Ohio.
The proposition to protect these ships with the
Krupp armor was originally suggested by the
Navy Department soon after the act authoriZ-
ing their construction, it having been learned
that Herr Krupp had perfected new process
for the fabrication of armor plate ut his ord
nance works at Essen, Germany, that gave a
product much superior to Harveyized armor
and revolutOnZed the bastc standard This
new process armor was the result of years of
experiment and the expenditure of much money.
The tests of the first plates were made at
Meppen, Germany. in 1890, and subsequent tests
We're made before the ordnance engineers of
the European admiraties which showed from
20 to 80 per cent more resistance to the attack
of armor piercing prOjectiles than HarveyiZed
armor. Following these tests the new armor
was adopted by England, France, Russia Japan
and Germany. Herr Krupp then offered the
manufacturing rights TO the armor makers of
ha mil in no of lor
sum for the license. and in addition from $40
10 $50 ton royalty on every ton manufact-
ured. The Carnegie Steel Company and the
Bethlehem iron Company contracted for the
elusive manufacturing rights of America under
Herr Krupp's terms, and then sent their experts
10 the Krupp works. in Essen, to be instructed
in the details of the new process.
The material from which the armor is made Is
said TO be exceedingly sensitive to the varying
conditions inherent in the process of manufact-
ure. such melting, forging. rolling. heating,
cooling, etc; hence the process represents a
scientific refinement OF metaurgical methods
entirely in the treatment OF such large
masses OF metal In an official communication
by Admiral ONeil, Chief of the Bureau Of Ord
nance of the Navy Department. he says: 1.-The
advantages to be derived from the use OF
'Krupp armOr are obvious and need not be
''larged upon, II being sufficient to state that n
''12-inch plate OF the new process armor would
''be equivalent to 15-inch plate OF the quality
now being used, thus affording equal protec-
''tion on % per cent less weight, or 25 per cent
greater protection with present weights. q.
1.-The special features which characterize the
new process arInor are its depth OF hard face,
extreme toughness Of back and its ability to
resist numerous impacts at high velocity with