Los Angeles daily herald., 1889-08-23
THE NEW CRUISERS.
A Dearth of Bids for Their
Construction.
ONLY TWO FIRMS COMPETING.
All Bids Rejected-The Ship Builders
Afraid to Tackle the
Contracts.

Associated Press Dispatches to the HERALD. |
WASHINGTON, August 22.-The acting
Secretary of the Navy today opsned pro-
posals for constructing five steel cruisers,
three to be of about 1000 tons and two
OF 5000 tons displacement. Each of the
two classes of vessels are to cost $40 900
and 81, ,000, 900 respectively, and be COM
pleted within two years.
None OF the bids opened today can be
accepted, and Reimbursement will be
made. The bids all exceeded the
amount appropriated by Congress. The
formal rejection cannot be made until
Secretary Tracy returns to Washington.
Every provision is made in the blank
contracts to guard the Government
against loss, and, profiting by past ex.
perience, the contractor is made respon-
sible for the success of the vessel regard
less of minor faults of omission in the
designs furnished by the Department.
The bids were opened in the presence
of Acting Secretary Walker, Judge Ad.
vocate General Remey, Chief Engineer
Melville and Naval Constructor High.
born, the last named officer having been
largely instrumental in designing the
new vessels and their machinery.
Among the ship.building firms repre-
sented by officers or agents at the open
ing we're the following: Harlan & Hol-
lingsworth Company, Wilmington
Quintard Iron Works, New York
Union Iron Works, San Francisco; At
lantic Works, South Boston.
The bids were as follows: The Bath
Iron Works, of Maine, propose to build
three 2, 900 ton vessels for $3.50, 900 each,
but want an addition of six months to
the advertised time two years.. Cramp
& Son, of Philadelphia, propose to build
the same vessels at s7Ss, 900 each. The
same firm offered to build two 3,000.ton
vessels at 81 ,225 900 each.
The result of the bidding was disap-
pointment to the naval officers, as the
appropriation is limited by act of Con.
gress to 500, 900 each in the case of the
2,00o.ton vessels and 81 800 900 for each
of the 5000 ton vessels. OF course none
of the bids can be accepted. The next
move will be to re-advertise, but not
much confidence is felt in the result, and
it is probable that, as in the case of the
cruiser Newark, Congress will be asked
to increase the limit OF the cost OF the
vessels. Still another course open to the
Secretary is to build the vessels at the
navy yards.
Naval Constructor Highborn, who is
acting as Chief of the Construction
Corps, regards the failure to secure suit
able bids as an indication that the con-
etructors are protiting by their expert
ence, and calls attention to the fact that
nearly all of the vessels how building
are under heavy penalties for delaying
construction. He says the Navy Depart
ment was not consulted by Congress
when appropriations were made for ves-
sells, The committees prescribed not
only the cost but the speed. horsepower
and tonnage of all ships. To realize the
conditions the officers of the Department
who designed the vessels have been COM
PEELED to draw up plans for vessels
which could not be built for the money
appropriated, as work OF high grade
was required, and it was expected that
our naval vessels would be the best of
their type in the world. He did not
think the ships could be constructed at
the navy yards (Which are already
crowded with work. at the prices fixed
by Congress.
Engineering experts believe the reason
IOr Cuo auVauCeu uSuTtS Oi Lno DluS IL 10
be found in the severe requirements in
the matter of speed and horse
power. The Yorktown approximstes
in size and characteristics the 2.O00,-
ton cruisers bid upon today. She is
1,7oO tons displacement, and the con-
tractor agreed to give her 5000 horse.
power. The vessel will be furnished at
$455,000 This is little mora than one
half Of the average bid received today,
but the new vessels are required to have
5,400 horsepower, with eighteen knots
speed. And 80, in point of size, the At
iantic and Boston are of about the same
tonnage as the 8 900 ton vessels, but while
they cost only $617 900 and $619 900, they
had but 8, ,7S0 horse power, and were de-
signed for IS KNOBS speed, while these
new vessels must have 10000 horse
power and IS knots speed. This means
more compact improvements, and costly
machinery and heavier hull, the con-
struction of which, taken in connection
with the severe restrictions upon the use
of steel and other material, justify the
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