Arizona republican., 1902-08-07
Uncle Sans New Armor.


Of manufacturing armor plate at mills
operated by the government will find
their position greatly strengthened by
the developments of the past few days.
For years there has been fierce debate
in congress over the question of buying
arn:or plate from the great steel mills
at Pittsburgh. That the high prices
paid by the government, ranging from
S425 to $3.50 per ton, have yielded enor-
nous profits to the manufa cturers. has
not been questioned. But it has been
argued that these manufacturers We're
in the possession of trade secrets and
patents which would place the govern
ment at great disadvantage should it
undertake the manufacture of armor
plate on its own account. Two years
ago, congress did go so far as to make
a provisional appropria ton for a fed
eral armor plant, contingent on the
inability OF the secretary of war to con-
tract for plate at si25 per ton. The
secretary was successful in contracting
at this figure for the armor equipment
necessary for the battleships then au-
thorized, however.
But radical change in the situation
has been effected through the inventive
genius of one OF the governments own
employees. Lieutenant Clement Davis,
of the navy, has discovered a process
for hardening the face of ship armor
which is so far superior to the Krupp
process, upon the cost and efficiency of
which so much stress has been laid.
that there is no comparison between
the two. So extraordinarily effective is
the Davis process that it overcomes the
wonderful penetrative ability secured
| by the soft-nosed, armor-piercing shell
packed with the secret explosive and
| fitted with the delayed action fuse re-
Gently invented by the ordnance bu-
reau of the army. particulars of which
were given in the dispatches only two
weeks ago. Incidentally. the people of
the United States have cause to con-
graduate themselves upon the perfec-
ton of two inventions of such great
merit. Brigadier General Crozier is of
the opinion that no battleship now
atloat, however thick its armor. can
Withstand the new shell. Both dis
ccveries have been made by officers of
the government, and no foreign nation
will learn the secret of the new ex-
plosive.
Lieutenant Davis, in his expert
ments, discovered that a current of cleo
tricity, sent through carbon anodes
ana INTO the surface of a plate, carried
with it bodily a portion of the carbon
and transferred it into the body of the
metal The spot so treated became in
! tensely hard-harder, it is said. than
any face hardening process can make
it The depth of the hardening is de-
pendent upon the length of time the
current is applied to any particular
spot, thus overcoming the difficulty of
hardening for limited distance only.
Extraordinary results in the matter of
| time-saving have been secured by
| Lieutenant Davis. The ordinary Har-
Vey or Krupp plate is kept soaking
at a red heat for from two to three
weeks before it becomes sufficiently
1mpreGnated with carbon. Davis has
reported the same result in five hours
The apparently certain result is that
American armor plate under this pro-
cess will be produced at figure far
below that at which production is pos
sible in any other country. Lieutenant
Davis estimates tnc. ne can also save
20 to so Fer cent in the weight of =
plate, giving resistance equal to d
Krupp Plate.
When congress meets there is certain
to be renewal of the campaign 70,
government constructed armor, and in
view of the Davis armor it must be adj
mitted that the chief arguing. IS here
tofore advanced against the plan now
fall to the ground.