The Washington herald., 1908-05-28

Fort Monroe, Va. May H.-On the
broad waters OF Hampton Roads. not far
from the place where. forty-six years
ago. the Monitor and the Merrimac rid
died each other with shot and shell. two
modern monitors engaged to-day IN a
| bloodless contest in the interest Of naval
science.
The monitor Arkansas. Of 3.225 tons.
fired six shots at her sister ship, the
Florida, each of which was accurately
aimed and effective.
/ One Of the shots fired by the Arkansas
was Pinch projectile. loaded with
a new high explosive. This shot struck
the port plate OF the Floridas turret.
Just a little 20 the side Of a dummy
gun. which had been placed in position
10 take the place Of the regular p
inch gun. The shot smashed the p
inch armor protecting the front Of the
turret. and also badly damaged the arm
or belts on the side Of the turret
The naval experts declared after this
shot that the test had been highly sue
cessfuL The force Of the Pinch
high explosives had been entirely spent
In crushing the armor plate. and the
cloth screen placed inside the turret ports
showed no damage. indicating that none
o. the fragments Of the exploding shell
had entered the turret ports. and show
ing. as Chief Constructor Washington L.
Capps declared. that if any one had been
in the turret at the time the powerful
projectles struck. he would not have
been injured
Dummy Man in Turret.
The only occupant Of the turret was a
dummy man. arranged with springs and
wires 10 record the shock. He was stand
ing at the breech OF one Of the Pinch
guns. and was uuilurt
Five shots from the 4-inch and
Pinch guns Of the Arkansas were
also fired at the experimental military
mast on the stern OF the Florida, but 1t
withstood the ordeal. Several Of the
steel rods composing II We're severed by
the shells. but its stability was not les
sened by the shots.
The purpose Of the tests was to deter
mine the effect of powerful gun fire. un-
der modern conditions. on the fire contact
system, the turret mechanism. and other
internal arming of the ship.
As soon as the 12-inch shell exploded
against the Floridas turret. Chief Con-
structor Capps and Rear Admiral Newton
Z. Mason, chief OF the Bureau OF ord
nance, made a complete examination OF
the turret. They found that the turret
could operate as before the shot, and the
Pinch gun. which was 10 a certain ex-
tent shielded from the effect Of the explo-
sion, could be elevated and depressed as
well as before the shot was fired. In
other words. while the projectile smashed
tho port plate the gear for moving the
turret and handling the guns and ammu-
milton was not damaged.
First Test of Its Kind.
, It was the first time in the history OF
) the United States navy that an actual
condition of warfare has been reproduced
for experimental purposes. The day was
ideal, the sun shining brightly, and the
sea was as smooth as a mill pond.
Several days prior to the test the
Florida was towsd out TO Thimble Light
ShoaI and was anchored fore and aft
about midway between Cape Charles and
Cape Henry. The Arkansas took posi-
tion about $50 yards westward so that the
shots. after passing through the Florda's
military mast, would fall into the open
sea.
The Florida had her bow headed north
east, She had been out OF commission for
several months at the Norfolk Navy Yard
preparing for tO-day's test.
A large steel mast about ninety feet
high was erected on her stern. This mast
was built upon a double spiral principle,
each set Of spiral columns running in the
opposite direction. and at the top was a
platform upon which were two dummies
! weighted and wired for recording the
shock Of the projectile Two similar dunn
mics were on the forward bridge, two on
the top Of the turret and one inside the
turret.
Dummies Not Hurt.
A singular feature OF the test was that
the two dummies on the top Of the tur-
ret were not harmed, in spite OF the fact
that the explosion was powerful enough
20 smash the l1-inch armor plate
Shortly after o'clock a preliminary
shot was fired from one OF the -
inch guns Of the Arkansas at a small
canvas target hung on top Of the Flori-
da's turret for the purpose OF testing
the sight and range. The shots were
fired at a range Of about 2l0 yards. with
a reduced charge, so that the effect was
practically the same AS range OF 5,oo0
yards with a fun charge OF powder. This
preliminary shot was typical American
gunnery. II struck the lower end OF the
target and tore a large hole through q.
As soon as this shot had been COM
pleted the most spectacular firing OF the
day was begun
/ One OF the large Pinch guns IS
the turret OF the Arkansas was loaded
for the supreme test. The crew OF twenty
! officers and men on the Florida. COM
manded by Commander Jonn G. Quinby.
who remained on the Florida during the
test went down below the protected
deck in the stern OF the ship. The OBJ
servers on the Arkansas We're compelled
TO go below also to avoid injury 10 any
one by flying fragments.
In the coming tower OF the Arkansas.
Chief Constructor Capps and Admiral
Mason watched the results Of the power
Continued on Page 3, Column Il
4 S1.25 Sunday-BIuemOnt and Return.