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Show RAILS MUST BE IMPROVED. Recent Controversy Results in More Stringent Contracts. NEW YORK, July 12. The specifications specifi-cations of an order for 40,000 tons of stool rails given to tho Bethlehem Steel company are interesting in view of tho .controversy which has been going go-ing on for some timo between the manufacturers of rails and the railroads. rail-roads. Tho latter havo been making a protest ngainst the quality of the rails and tho way they have been breaking. break-ing. Tho specifications in the contracts, con-tracts, which wero awarded by tha Atchison and the Lackawanna, are more stringent than they have been in the past. They require that 25 per cent of the ingot bo discarded from the ton. and that tho rails contain no moro than .01 por cent of sulphur. The cutting off of the top of tho ingot is to eliminate elimi-nate the steel, which is likely to bo impaired by tho rising of gas and other impurities to the surface. In the past the mills havo been cutting off from 8 to 13 por cent, and contracts havo been calling for open hearth rails containing con-taining not more than .06 per cent of Biilphur. Rails on 'these torms will, of course, cost considerably more. . The Atchison order was for 30,000 tone, and tho Lackawanna for 10,000 tons. |