New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-08-23
ALI THE BIDS TOO HIGH.
ppoposIs OPENED FOR CONSTRUCTING
FIVE NEW STEEL CRUISERS.
1--WE NAVY DEPARTMENT MUST ADVERTISE
AGAIN OR BUILD THE SHIPS ITsELF-Ap-
POPULATIONS TOO SMALL FOR TIE
QUALITY OF WORK DEMANDED.

PRopRIATIoNs TOO SMALL FOR TIE
QUALITY OF WORK DEMANDED.
w..,,nrton. Aug 22-The Acting Secretary Of the
Navy today opened proposals for constructing five
.,ee, cruissrs three OF them TO be of about 1000
tons. and two OF 1000 tons displacement AS In the
,aae Of all of the advertisements lately issued by the
pepartment, the proposals were divided INTO iour
slssses first for tho vessels complete according 70 e
Departments designs: second for the vessels COM
.lets on the contractors designs third for the his'
,,pon the Departments designs, and the machinery
mon the contractors designs; and fourth. for 'ne
construction OF the machinery upon the Departments
MANS and of the hulls after the CONTRACTOR U'ae
Tbs smaller vessels are to exhibit maximum speea
NJ AZ Least eighteen knots for four consecutive no'
with premiums in case Of an excess, ana oe''s'o
IN csse OF failure to attain this speed the Vessels 's
IN he completed in two years. and are not 10 oA.o
100000 each in cost II they fail to attain sA.esH
"a one half knots they will be rejected. Inc
cr.mims and deductions range from Slo,ooo ior "a.
srst quarter knot to $40 900 for the fourth hi 90
sixth quarter knots. In the case OF inc wv - -,
ton vessels they are required TO exho" 'po -,
nineteen knots, with fixed bonus OF h
ss the case may be- OF SSo'ooo ~, -.
quarter knot variation from THIS rq ~ oos,
In the case OF these vessels, which are hiu'eo IL
-. =, 100 600 each there is no minimum speed beio"
,n.,..r Knots fixed as a condition of acceptanoe VI
rejection Every provision is made IN inc eionA IA
tracts TO guard the Government agaihs' VS. -
profting by past experience, the cohliS0oi - 81
res ponsible for the success OF tbs vessel Ns" -.
minor faults Of omission in the designs iuri'Ao~ -
the Department -, AcAne
c..r.,srv walker Judge Acknowledgement rsclhS'
Chief En- efneer Melville and Naval CONSTRUCTOR -,
horn the lastnamcd officers having been iarsop ~
,trmentd in designing tho new vesscis anu 'le'.
ehinery Among the shp-buldlng hiHs lop -,
nv o,aicers or agents at the opening were .,,e ~
lowing: Harlan & Hongsworth COMPANY, "Ae
Ion. ountard Iron Works. New-York; Union ii
works san Francisco; Atlantic WORKS oou'n 49,,
Tire bids were as follows The Bath iron "o'N''
81 N.ins pnoDose TO build the three 2OOo-ton Nosei'
Tor $3.50 OO0 but with the addition Oh sA '
IN the advertised tlmo two years. tramp 80 =,
AZ philadelphia propose to build the same Vessels AZ
1875 oco each the same firm ohereu u pan0 w =,
ao0oton vessels at 81 ,226, 900 each Inc result Vi
~. ,,aa,ne was a disappointment to the Naval officers
A. ,he annropriaton is limited by the act OF congress
A.. o7oo 600 each i'm the Of the 2OoOton VESSELS
and slloo 900 for each of the 3'ooo-'oh Nos'eN'
nj course none OF the bids can be acceppo'
Tho next move will be to readvertise. but not much
confidence is fes in the result and IL is prooao0 INA"
a., the casa OF the cruiser Newark. Congress VIII NC
..ssa 10 increase the limit Of cost Of the vessels s'
80. course Omen to the Secretary is TO build the
.s.n,s q. the Navy Yards. Naval Constructor Hch
. rbo "a acting as chief of the CONSTRUCTION oorps
r.rards the failure secure available Dids an q" ~
cation that the contractors are prohsns by uhof ca
nerence and calls attention TO the fact tha' nearly
all Of the vessels now building are unoer heavy p
.as for DELAYED construction. lie says uac INC
Navy DEPARTMENT was not consulted by congress wien
the appropriatIons were made for the vessels. 1ne
committees prescribed not only the COST ou' aiso 'e
spocd or horse power and tonnage OF all the shps
To ralizo these conditions the officers OF the Depart
men. who designed the vessels had been compeheu
IN draw up plans for vessels which couh hot po
built for the money appropriated, as work oil hgn
Grade was required, and 1t was expected that INC
Naval vessels of the United states would be tho peS'
~ thar tyne In the world He did not think that 'e
sbips could be constructed at the Navy Yards whch
are already crowded with work, at the prices neo s
Conyress The engineering experts peneVS uiai % ho
reason for the advance In figures OF the p.us Is 80
found In the requirements IN 'he a'Ve VI 9P
and horse power . T., ~. and cb.racter.
i,ncs the . OOO.tDn cruisers bid upon 10 uay. Hho
is ZOO tons displacement, and the cohrac
10 give her 1900 horse power, tho Vessel 10 10 IuI
nished al SA55 900. This is little more tnah ohe
half of the average bid received today Dut tne III, NV
vessels are required to have 5,4OO horse power,
eighteen knots speed And So in point OF SIZE w
Atlanta and Boston of about the same tohnsS i
as the 3.OOO-tOn vessels. But wDe tley Gus. V ,
sS1 600 and S619, 900 respectively, thoy ha1 pu'
a7gO horse power. and were designed ior eisnIeU n
10000 horse power and nineteen knots speed IN
means more compact improved ana COS I, IL, n@ T.; ION
and heavier hull construction. which, taken III o"n,
Junction with the severe restrictions upon me use a.
steel and other MATERIAL JUSTIFY the shipDuiuo's Al
Increasing their prices