Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-06-10

TODAY.
Bids for over five million dollars worth Of
new naval vessels were opened at the Navy
Department today at noon. The vessels bid
Tor were of three distinct types, and there was
considerable excitement about the contest be-
tween the rival ship builders engaged in the
war of competition.
THE BIGGEST YET.
The largest of the three vessels-in fact the
largest vessel ever designed for the United
States navy-is known officially as the armored
cruiser No. (the Maine being No. u and
popularly as the 8, 1OO-ton vessel She belongs
to the class of swift cruisers and is very close
to the battle ship in that she is provided with a
moderately heavy armor belt, besides a pro.
tective deck. The armor will be about four
inches thick and the curved protective deck six
inches thick. She will be armed with six 3-inch
and twelve 4-inch breech-loading rifles, is to
develop $1,000 indicated horse power and a
speed of 20 knots.
Her dimensions are: Length. $50 feet; ex-
treme BREADTH GA feet 215 inches; depth in
hold, Al feet inches.
ANOTHER LARGE ONE.
The other large vessel is designated Cruiser
No. g." and is to have displacement of $500
tons. She has no armor. but is provided with
protective deck AZ inches thick. Her main
batteries consist of two 8-inch and ten 4-inch
breech-loading rifles. She is to make 20 knots
an hour with 1880 horse power. This vessel
is to be of about the same type as the Balti-
more, Philadelphia, Newark and San Fran
cisco, except that her tonnage is over a thou
sand greater than any of them. Her dimen-
sions are: Length, $50 feet; extreme breadth.
50 feet; depth, S3 feet
A PRACTICE CRUISER
The third vessel is the practice cruiser Of 500
tons, miniature man-of-war, for the training
of the cadets at the Naval Academy. 1t is gen.
orally expected that the builder who is
awarded the contract for this vessel will
lose money, as there is just as much ma.
terIal to go In her in some
OF the larger cruisers. The appropriation
limits for the three vessels are as follows
Armored cruiser, S3. 500 600: protected cruiser,
81, 500, 600; practice ship, S260,000.
THE SCENE TODAY.
The Secretarys office was crowded at noon
when the time came for opening the bids, with
naval officers, departmental people and ship
builders. The talk was very nautical and
somewhat financial but was suddenly inter
rupted at about twenty minutes after Il
by the arrival of the messenger from
the city post Office with certificate that he
bore all mail addressed to the Navy Depart.
ment up to noon. Then. amid a suppressed
hum OF excitement. the opening of the bids
began IN the presence of Chief Engineer Mel
vile, Chief Constructor Wilson, Judge Advo-
cate General Remey, Chief Clerk Hogg and
Lieut. Stayton.
THE BIDS AND THE BIDDERS
The bids were as follows: For the 6, ,l00-tor
ship, the Union Iron Works of San Francisco
So 100000 on the plans Of the department OF
q H. l.,
Cramps Il Sons Ship Building Com
pany of Philadelphia, s3,l5O.OO0 OF
departments plans, S2985.000 on
the bidders plans; the Risdon Iron and Loco
motive Works of San Francisco, 3,45O. 900 OF
the departments plans
But one bidder put in an estimate on tn.
5,500-tOn vessel, the Union Iron Works of Sar
Francisco, whose bid was 81, 796, 900 on tn,
plans Of the department, or 81, 760, 900 on theiI
own plans.
For the practice vessel two bids were re-
eeiyea; +. W. Wheeler 4 Co. of West Bay City
Mich, S245.000; the Samuel L. Moore and
Sons Co. of Elzabethport, NJ, $3.50. 900. No
awards we're made today
THE sECRETARY's BABY"
1t is understood that Secretary Tracy has
peculiar fondness for the plans which have
been drawn by the department for the armored
cruiser which is often called the Secretary,
baby" and the feeling is that the award will
be made on the departments designs
In this event the SCOTS (the Unior
iron works. will undoubtedly get the ship II
however, the lower bids on the bidders plan,
class should prove an attraction to the Secre
tary's economical eye there will be SHARP
strife. Scott submitted huge bundle
of plans and drawings, explanatory
of his designs. while Cramp handed in a single
small roll of blue prints This particularly OF
design may have great weight in the award Of
the contract. Great surprise is expressed
that the Cramps did not enter into the com.
petition for the 5,500-ton vessel it being alleged
that he was very sure Of obtaining the other @
The Union iron works built the cruises
Charleston and Is now constructing the Sar
Francisco and the Monterey. The Risdon Com.
pany has never entered into naval constructor
oil haF