The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1889-04-04
THE NEW COAST MONITOR.
Bids Opened-A Fast and Fernisf-
able ySnsel

AAsHISCIoS. April bids were orenex!
al the navy department to-day for The con-
struetion Of an armed coast-ssefense vessel.
Of the Monitor type. and of 100 tons bur
den- The bids for construction OF the
hGlL and machinerE, according 20 the de-
partmenfs designs. are tramp & sons.
Fhiiastelphia, xl.6I3CQy; 6uifars. Irof.
Works, New York, Si.690, 900: Union Iron
Works, san Francisco. $f,62sasA No
award has yet been made
Great Interest was felt at the navy de.
parfmeut 80 day in the opening Of bids for
an armore. coast defense vessel It was
coleladed generally thsr the figure prom
ixed by the lowest. being $i,6l4eoo, CON
stituted fair price Tor the work, and the
cieSeleSs OF the bidding was remarkable
There are many features OF interest
about the new craft. One connected with
the boilers has apparently given much
trouble 10 bidders, ana may influence the
award OF the contract The Specifications
provide for two ordinary return tubular
marine boilers OF ls1o horsepower, bat the
remainder of 300 horse power. The power
required is TO be supplied By coil boilers
These have eeen tried with great success
on yachts and 9 modified form Dy the
French government. but their use in naval
vessels viii be LARGELY experimental. III
they come up TO expectations Ii will result
In large saving Of space and weight, but
~ ~ ~1os VAEt est@AEts &43AER, uDt> Uil Itf1k
confident of the result. for he proposed
to-day 10 enlarge the two tubular boilers
and In consideration OF this deparfure
from the designs 10 waive all claim TO any
bonus tor horse power in excess of 500
The next lowest bidder, the Union Iron
Works, agreed TO accept the departments
plans and guarantee the results.
The new vessel win be n departure In de-
sign from any vessel in the navy, and
Capt. chhorne, who Is acting ~ chief of
the bureau of construction, 4 cs5.aIssienf
she Wiz De the most formidable vessel, for
her displacement. OF any in the world, and
able to cope with knytaiug afsoaf She
approximates the monitor type aad is of
5000 tons displacement in cruising trim.
When she goes into action. by taking on
water ballast she sinks until her deck Is
but is inches above the water level. thus
diminishing the size OF the target exposed
to her opponent The sides covering the
machinery are 20 be covered with Is inches
OF arnor, besides the protection afforded
by the coal bunkers. Ti1e barbeftes con
tanning the guns are TO be OF I6-inch steel.
and the deck wiz be of steel, inches
thick. She viii De of light draft aud have
speed OF Is knots. AZ this speed she can
steam 6S2 miles. but at an ordinary cruis-
ing speed of about nine knots she would
travel 2722 miles without renewing her
coal supply.
But tie remarkable featare viii be the
tremendous power of her armament. In
the forward harbette, mounted on turn
table and manipulated by hydraulic power,
she VIII carry a iS-inch rifle with weight
OF llo tons. and - feet long. one Of the
largest guns aiiost In the rear barbetfe
there viii be a 12.inch rife weighing 45s&
tens. A l5-ineh dynamite gun 30 feet long
viii project from the bow, and in other
places the vessel viii carry six IS pounsers.
three nine FOUNDERS. two dx-poHnders and
and rapid-Hring guns. Machine guns and
electric search lights On hollow steel
military mast will complete the ship,
which viii take three and one-nalf years
20 build
The contract for construction of the
machinery of the armored cruiser Maine
has been awarded 70 y. r. Palmer & Co.
at s-.sS. .csn