Show OF A projectile thought to bo be the most moat murderous of all implements of war washington D C june 21 24 at indian head proving grounds on the potomac this week the ordnance bureau of the navy department will make the first complete test of 0 the most powerful projectile yet contrived for modern naval warfare it Is the wheeler sterling semi armor piercing projectile and each of these theae enormous s shells hells weighs 1100 pounds this is supposed to be the most terrible of all weapons of warfare the projectiles are thirteen inches in diameter and about two feet long and have a head of chrome steel they are supposed to pierce the toughest steel armor to a depth of seven inches and then explode there Is no end to the havoc they will cause one of them successfully shot Is supposed to tear the biggest battleship to pieces the projectiles carry sixty pounds of highly ex plosive powder in their heads the ordnance bureau has ordered of these projectiles and two selected at random from each hundred are to be put to the test in order to make the shells conform to the requirements of the navy these eight shells must perform successfully the work claimed tor for them the expense of firing one of the projectiles Is enormous in the first place a charge of pounds of powder Is required for each shot the gun from which they are fired is thirteen inches in inside il diameter the largest bore used on modern battleships the test arranged for this week Is to be conducted under all the conditions as nearly as possible as aa they would exist in I a naval engagement A ships side in fac simile of the battleship iowa has been built at the navy yard at norfolk and sheathed with the armor plate to be used on this great battleship tle ship this will be brought to indian head and the eight pound projectiles jec tiles will be fired into it from a distance of 2000 yards or more than one mile the representatives of all the foreign powers will be present at the test |