Durango semi-weekly herald., 1907-05-23
ARMoR AND SHELL.

For half century this game has
gone on, since the old British Warrior
was belted with four and a half inches
of plate secured to eighteen inches OF
teak To this the gunmaker responded
with Palliser pointed chilled iron shot,
which easily pierced this novel protec-
tion. In 1879 came the compound"
plate, with wrought iron back and a
separate hard steel face welded to-
gether This last broke up the Palli-
ser projectiles on Impact, while the
wrought iron backing lent roughness
and support to the mass. The solid
all steel plate came next, but it was
beaten in the race by certain pointed
shot made of high carbon forged steel.
before whose impact even the all steel
plate gave way. Clearly there was a
limit to the thickness of armor which
ship could carry.
When twenty-five inches was reach
ed a halt was called. The gunmakers
had won. for even this was pierced
by shot from the 10 ton monster,
firing shell OF 1873 pounds, pro-
PEELED by 500 pounds OF powder. But,
though this gun yanquished, its first
terrific roar proclaimed it's own doom,
and in spite of its enormous cost the
monster was found to be practically
dead or at least dangerous to its
friends after eighty rounds had been
hred.
The gun man had a chance once
more. however, for in 1855 Lord Arm
| strong-of the famous British works
in Newcastle, employing nearly 10000
| hands-decided TO follow natures
method OF growing onions, layer over
aver, and clothe his gun tubes with
skins of steel, which shrinking as
hey cooled. impaired just that amount
| Of tenacity whose absence had made
the old monsters so dangerous.
Thus we arrive at the most terrific
naval gun of today--the twelve inch
rihe-wound round with 113 miles of
Gteel wire. This throws a 719 pound
shell at the inconceiviable speed of
i,75l miles an hour. Against this ter
tihc weapon the armor people brought
the Cammell-Harvey plate of heated
steel suddenly chilled with sprays OF
cold water,
The next stage of the game shifts
70 Krupps titanic works at Essen, in
Prussia. Here we have the Kingdom
of the cannon presided over by a
girl Of 2 who Is absolute mistress of
10000 mea and revenue OF tens OF
millions year. Bertha Krupp's Vul-
cans produced a plate which made its
Harvey iorerunner little better than
cheesecloth.
Each thickness # armor plate must
resist a certain number of rounds OF
armor piecing proiectiles with intense
ly hard med noses. There must be no
periuration, and no portion of the pro
iectie must fall behind the plates
nor must there be any serious crack
Ing The very bosC modern hard faced
armor ,nr wars1.p3 OF today is made
up to thirteen inches in thickness. AT
this three $50 pound shells will be
fred from a twelve inch gun, with a
striking velocity of !, $40 feet per sec.
ond.
1t seems incuncelvable that any sub.
stance on this earth could withstand
such stroke, yet there must not be
so much as crack, for in such event
a second shot striking the ships side
would undoubtedly shatter the plate
and leave large gap. To put it in
another way the total striking elergy
of the tire shrts on the plate under
test equals 50,06G foot tons, ald yet
that plato mast remain in a condition
20 st tnd for still further attack. And
20 for the moment the victory lies with
| ne 3rIror.--ApTietons