New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-01-16
STEEL REQUIREMENTS MODIFIED.
AN IMPORTANT COMPROMISE APPROVED
nv SECRETARY HERBERT


BY SECRETARY HERBERT.
Washington. JAN is (Specal.)-A compromise I'M
portant to manufacturers who supply steel FOR the
NAVY builders OF vessels and to the Naval service
was recommended by the Steel Inspection Board anu
approved by Secretary Herbert to-day. The cohs'd-
Grafton and decision the subject are the result Vi
an earnest protest made to the Navy Depar''
by the Carnegie and Bethlehem companies In con-
necton with the finding of a board of Naval omcers
that certain steel plates for the batte-shps Alabama
Illinois and Wisconsin were below standard require
ments. The companies contended that contract sPc
cfcations did not demand such severe tests as Naval
officers had put their products to- They threatened W
put in claim for extra compensation on the ground
that excessive trial requirements had been imposed
The compromise decided upon to-day will be sails
factory to the steel-makers and the Navy Follow
ing the recommendations II the Steel Board ana
Secretary Herberts Endorsement thereon:
The Board recommends that the specifications Tor
inspection OF steel be amended so that specimens
which In breaking show flaws shall az the ieIues, u
the contractors be thrown out ana others ahe" u,
der the direction Of the senior inspector ne"
specimen shall. at the request OF the contractor u
selected and tested 70 replace one when ias oM ",
within two inches of the end measuring pots11'
Plates and shapes shall be tested by heats as fo'-
lows: -,
Four test pieces each from different bar ss or OBJ ss
finished at the rolls. These tensile specimens VIII
be taken follows one specimen being from each
and two transverse as regards the greatest dimen-
sion of the plate. The tensile strength OF eacn
inch and below 5000 pounds per square inch. ana
the average of the four specimens must not be Iess
the clonsa;ions shown by the four tensile speci Il
mems above named must be at least y per cent IL,
shall fall below % per cent in eight inches Inc
tensile test of single plate or shape VIII De re-
gardcd satsfacto tory. provided the average tensile
strength OF one longitudinal ana one uahs.eIse
specimen is at least 10000 pounds per square incn,
and that neither OF these specimens shows tensile
strength below 5000 nor above $1,000 pounds per
square inch, and that neither specimen shows an
elongation Of less than % per cent The average
elcngation " both specimens must be at least %
per cent in eight inches
one Two ro@ obcc Of the heat
one of these specimens will be taken ongitudinally
dimension Of the plate The longitudinal specimen
must bend Nat on itself without sign OF fracture
a diameter equal to IL times the thickness of the
plate without sign of fracture the sides being paral-
en- additional piece may be taken. but il this also
fails each plate rolled from the heat must pass the
pieces under the cold-bend!ng test may be In
creased If the Inspector has reason to suspect over
Two specimens for the quenchng test will be
taken from each heat each one from a different
plate one of these specimens will be taken longi-
udnally and one transversey with respect to the
greatest dimension Of the plate. These specimens
shall. after heating to dark cherry red. be plunged
into water at a temperature OF S2 degrees Fahren-
hei.. The longitudinal specimen thus prepared
shall be bent around curve of which the diameter
is not more than the thickness of the piece tested
without showing any cracks. The transverse speci-
men thus prepared shall be bent around curve OF
which the diameter is not more than twice the
thickness of theroiece tested without showing any
cracks. The sides of both specimens must be paral-
Eel after bending
piece be taken but If this also fails each plate
rolled from the heat must pass the quenching and
bending test or be rejected.
All the eight specimens mentioned viz, the four
tensile. two cold he nding and two quenching. shall
be taken from The first six plates Of each heat sub
ferent ingot. If possible