The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1900-05-16
WONDERFUL SHELL.
invented by an Officer of the
United States Navy.
MAKES ARMoR VALUELEss.
Why Information Called for by
Senate as TO Tests at indian .
Head Were Not Given.

Some facts almost startling in their
Importance were laid before the senate
Tuesday in executive session. They
related, tits understood, to the inVen-
ton Of a shell By prominent officer OF
United States navy she'll superior in
every essential quality to any now In
use this or by any other 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 abroad has sufficient resist
an,e to withstand it.
The facts which we're in possession Of
only few senators, were deemed SO
important that the senate decided to
consider them in secret session. After
the naval bill had been laid aside for
the day. Mr.. Tillman asked for
secret session in order that he might e1-
plain to the senate why he desired the
armor plate matter to be discussed IN
secret.
When the doors were closed he ez-
planned that several days ago he had
offered a resolution calling upon the
secretary of the navy to send to the
senate for its information the details OF
tests made by the departments officials
Of armor plate at Indian Head. No
answer to that inquiry has been received
and in all human probability none Will
be received.
It seems that Mr.. Tillman called at
the navy department and was Informed
that it was 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 for the senate, but OF
representatives Of foreign governments,
what properly belonged exclusively to
the Uuited States. He was informed
that Admiral O Neil, chief Of the bureau
Of ordnance, bad been conducting for
several months a series of armor tests
at Indian 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, including the Krupp armo7.
had been made with view OF ascer-
tanning their effectiveness against new
shell that had been invented by sn Of
6cer Of the navy. No piece Of armor
submitted to the test, it is understood,
was able to withstand the test. The
she'll, fired from high power guns, psne,
trated the armor almost as bullets fred
from Krag Jorgensen rife would pene-
trate green wood, the difference being
that the armor plates split from the
point Of impact. It is said that this
was true of the Krupp armor, as welf
as Of other armor tested.
The shell which was SO effective was
not described; indeed, the navy depart
ment is guarding jealousy all details
concerning its construction. The argu-
ment Of Mr.. Tillman is that with such
projectile in the possession Of the gov
ernment the sooner or later will oe-
come known to other governments, 1t
would not be the part Of wisdom for the
congress to enter into contracts to pu!.
chase the high priced armor, unless 1t
could be so improved so as to reslst pro-
iectilcs 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 amor question,
Mr.. Tillman suggested that it would be-
desirable to consider the subject IN
secret.
The senate agreed with him, and the
armor plate matter will be discussed De-
hind closed doors.