St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-11-25
THE NEW sRuEsERs.
Bids for Their Construction Opened
at tthe Navy Department.


at the Navy Department.
WASHINGTON, Nov. 24.-About thirty
five gentlemen assembled in the Office of
the secretary of the navy to-day to witness
the opening of proposals Tor the eOnstruc-
ton of the three cruisers. g. Newark, Balti-
more and Charleston, and two gun boats.
Secretary Whitney read the bids, as fol-
lows:
Cruiser No. /. 4 900 tors complete-Harlan
& Hollingsworth comDaIy, Wilmington, Del,
81, ,224, 800; Union Iron Works. of Saa Fran
cisco. 81. 49,, 900; CramU d Sons Of Ph1ladel-
phia (under special lid, providing for the
use of engines of their own design, Sl,19S,-
900.
Cruiser No. 2. complete according to de-
partment's design-Cramp & sons, 81, ,065, 900;
Union Iron Works, Sl.2l7,500.
SPECIAL BIDS
providing for the construction of the engines
of the vessel after their own designs were
put in by the Harlan & Hollingsworth COM
pany at 81, 100, 90. and by Cramp & Sons at
81, ,O5O. 900.
Cruiser No. 5. complete, according to de-
partment peeifcations-Cramp Sons,
81, ,325. 0o0; Union Iron Works, Sl,34S,000;
Harlan s. Hollingsworth company, under
special bid, using their own engine designs.
81, 452, 0O0.
Gun-boat No. l. complete, according TO de-
partment desIgns-Charles Reeder & Sons of
Baltimore $495, 900; Columbian Iron Works
and Dry Dock company, OF Baltimore. S499,
520; Cramp & Sons Especial bid, using their
own engine designs), S455,000. Charles
Reeder s. Sons submitted a special bid for
supplying machinery alone at SlS5.O00. For
gun-boai No. 2. complete, there was only one
bid. the Columbian Iron Works, at S247. 600.
For supplying the engines and machinery of
this uoat, Charles Reeder & Sons bid S95. 600,
and A. J. Ramsay & Son, Of Baltimore. S09,-
Que.
The award will not be made for some
days. Speaking of the results of the bid
ding. Secretary Whitney said:
| am well satisfied, except with reference to
cruiser No. l. No bid has been received
within the limit fixed by congress of the out
side cost Of the boat. The only sOicitude /
have ever had with reference to the bidding
arose from the fact that the conditions which
were imposed upon the bidders in the way of
producing the horsepower, upon which the
speed OF the ships depend is much more ex-
acting than ever has been called for before.
] found that the limits forced by congress for
the cost of the ships would be exceeded On
the three large cruisers and the No. gun
boat We shall be able to let all but the 1000
ton ship to responsible parties within the
limits fixed.
The secretary added that the bids are
only about Is per cent. higher than those
for vessels of similar sizes and character
constructed abroad. which he considers a
very favorable showing.
In his annual report to the secretary of
the navy Chief Engineer Charles II. Lor-
ing chief of the bureau of steam engineer
ing, says that during the year the bureau
has
PREPARED THREE DESIGNS
and specifications for the machinery of the
vessels provided for by the act of March 3.
1855. IneSe designs. now before the bull i
ers of the country. are believed to be fully
abreast of the development attained by the
art Of marine engin eering, and contain pos
sibilities OF performance equal TO that of
any marine machinery that has yet been
constructed