Show TE TING ARMOR PLATE A Series of Experiments of World Wide Interest WHAT THE TESTS WERE FOR I Plates Resisting Penetration Under I Certain Prescribed Velocity II I I Very Satisfactory Results Obtained Both from the Showing Made by tho Plates and Also of the Projectiles Projec-tiles Used Experts Happy WASHINGTON July 11The third of the series of armor plate tests of worldwide world-wide interest and importance took place today at the naval proving grounds on the Potomac river The teats were for acceptance and for a premium I stipu lated that i the plates resisted penetration penetra-tion under a certain prescribed velocity the makers should receive a pramium of 30 per ton in addition to the contract price of 575 per ton The first test was f n nine inch plate a sample of the side of the armor of the monitor Monadnock I was nickel steel and weighed ten tons and was made by the CarnegieFrick company Three Holtzer projectiles weighing 250 pounds each were fired against it from an eight inch rifle the muzzle being fiftyeight feet from the face of the target The first projectile had a velocity of h 400 feet per second at the moment of Impact ana penetrated me piate anu oaK backing to adepth of 117 inches The second projectile with a striking velocity of 1683 feet went through the plate and three feet of oak backing and lost itself in the earth against which it was built The third projectile had a velocity of 1536 feet and penetrated the plate and backing to a depth of 141 inches The plate well withstood the strain of the attack no racks being perceptible and it fully met every requirement for acceptance but the result oi the second shot deprived the makers of any chance for a premium Depending on the test was about 250 tons of plate involving nearly 150030 Tho second plate was a sample of the curved plates for the barbette on the Indiana In-diana made by the Bethlehem company and like the first was of nickel steel I was 17 inches thick weighing 311 tons I was subjected to attack from a 12inch rife which threw a monster Carpenter bell weighing 850 pounds Its muzzle was 319 feet from the face of the plate the striking velocity of the first shot was 1322 feet per second and it penetrted to a depth of 166 inches A second shot fired with a velocity of 1495 feet per second and went three inches into the oak backing back-ing The third and lastshot was to determine whether or not a premium was to be paid and the velocity was raised to 1838 feet per second When the dust following the discharge lifted it was found that the bell had gone clear through the plate and thirtysix inches of oak backing and was then deflected into the air and lunged into the river some hundreds of yards away or lost in the woods on tha hillside The plate secured for the makers an acceptance of the whole contract con-tract amounting to from 500 to 700 tons mt earned no premium Like the Monadnock plates It showed no cracks under tha terrific strain to terrfc WhICh it was subjected Even more satisfactory Isfactory than the showing made by the plates WES that of the projectiles eight inch shells of the HoltzerConical pattern and twelve inch of the CarpenterConical pattern All shells recovered appeared wholly unchanged to the unpracticed eye and the gauge showed that they were disturbed to such small degree that they might again be fired with the attachment of a newstrip for rifling After the test was concluded all officials and experts expressed results unbounded gratification at the |