The morning call., 1890-06-17
AWARDS MADE.
Contracts for Building the
New Cruisers.
The Union Iron Works to Construct the
6500-TOn Ship.
Cramps Plans and Bid Accepted for the
Big YesSel-Underhand Work Of a
Newspaper Proprietor.
Special Dispatches to THE MORNING CALL.

Special Dispatches to THE MORNING CALL.
WASHINGTON, June e16.-Secretary Tracy,
late this afternoon, decided to settle the
contest over the contract for the big ar
mored S100-ton cruiser, and awarded it to
the Cramps of Philadelphia at their bid of
S2,9S5,0O0, ON their own plans. The Secre-
tary bases his action on two grounds: First,
he believed that it would be bad policy to
allow the contracts for both of these cruls-
ers to 60 to the Pacific Coast and thus
allow work at the Cramps to die out, and
secondly he decided that the Union Iron
Works of San Francisco should not be
overcrowded, as he wished them to build
some Of the new battle-ships that will be
authorized by this Congress.
An investigation of Cramps plan for this
cruiser developed the fact that it was sub
plan, except as to boiler space and more
room for coal and that it would have four
engine-rooms and longitudinal bulkheads.
The Secretary consulted with Chief of Con.
struction Wilson and Chief Engineer Mel
vile, and decided to accept Cramps bid
as above. The contract for the 5500-ton
cruiser was awarded to the Union Iron
Works on their bid of S1.796. 900 on the de-
partment's plan.
The California Associated Press agent
called upon Irving NJ. Scott tonight and
obtained most interesting story. On
Saturday last the Examiners Washington
corrpanODdeDt rapaivad talppram from
w. r. Hearst of San Francisco, instrueting
him to go with Senator Hearst to see Secre-
tary Tracy and ask him to withhold the
award of the contract for the cruisers to
the Union Iron Works, which action would
form a basis for forcing a compromise be-
. tween the San Francisco iron manufac-
turers and iron molders, as the strike at
San Francisco was paralyzing business on
the Pacific Coast aud was disastrous to
workingmen.
Now" said Mr.. Scott, ''the great scheme
was 10 create the impression that the Navy
Department would not award the contract
to San Francisco on account of the iron
molders' strike. The correspondent then
telegraphed to his paper that Tracy had
said that the strike of iron-molders at San
Francisco would seriously interfere with
the awarding of the contract to the Union
Iron Works. Now. happen to know that
the strike at San Francisco in no way enters
into the matter at the Navy Department,
for Tracy himself told me that it cut no
figure in the matter. Tracy sent the fol-
lowing telegram to the Risdon Iron Works:
The Examiner was misinformed. ! regret
the strike, but my action Will not be ILL
fiuenced by it
g The way happened to get wind Of the
scheme was this; was going in the Navy
Department Building aud met Congress
man Clunie going out, and the latter said
to me: tod Tracy that the San Fran
cisco strike ought not to interfere with
awarding the contract to YOU This created
suspicion in my mind, and following the
matter up / got ON to the little scheme, in
which it has been badly defeated Before
awarding the contract Secretary Tracy re-
ceived the following telegram from San
Francisco:
The Morning Examiner announces that you
decline 10 award the contract 10 The Union Iron
Works for the cruisers, although they are the
lowest bidders, unless they compromise the
present m0lders' strike, because you fear they
cannot get the machinery castings out In lime;
but we, the Undersigned, being all the leading
founders In the State OF California, declare that
we are not affected by any strike and that our
shops are al the disposal OF The Union Iron
Works, and will be at all times, and state That
the Union Iron Works will not be delayed for
want OF any castings needed for the cruisers,
should The contract be awarded TO them, not
wthstandng the present or any possible future
moders' strike, and we take pleasure in guaran-
leeing this TO you.
RIsDoN IRON WORKS.
INDUSTRIAL IRON WORKS.
JOSHUA hENDY MACHINE COMPANY.
PACIFIC IRON WORKS.
NATIONAL IRON WORKS.
STEIGER u KERR.
BYRON JACKSON a. Co.
MINERS FOUNDRY.
FULTON FOUNDRY.
MCCORMICK BROS.