Single and multi-bunch pulses from the Brookhaven AG synchrotron have been employed to measure stress waves on the surface of the ASTE mercury target container. A systematic study of both axial and hoop stresses has been made using 30 fiber-optical Fabry-Perot strain gauges distributed over the container surface. Simultaneous power deposition measurements with 31 thermocouples placed within the mercury have been done in order to serve as input for computer simulations. Selected results from these experiments are presented and compared to finite elements calculations. A reasonably good quantitative agreement of experiment and simulation seems to be obtained. Tentative conclusions concerning the integrity of a liquid metal target container exposed to high-energetic short proton bursts.