New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-10-26

" - s-ice m American steamships under the new
- II the Postmaster General Knows how many
"a. will be offered and who the bidders are, he VIII
80 make the information public in advance and there
. n Is not AL easy task TO ascertain the facts III
NOT improbable that the number of bids and bidders
NAV be smaller mah Is nOPeo anu eAPe0'ou o' 0
poe,,naster- General.
a nroposals for bids were issued July Is, and were
ublshed in leading newspapers in Boston, New-fork
raladelphia Baltimore, New-0rhsns, ST. Louis,
rharleston Norfolk Savannah, Galveston, Mobile,
San Francisco, Tacoma and Portland Ore. The first
can routes a. numbered in the schedule OF bids are
transatlantic and contracts, il any should be made
sner,tor would require that the outward voyages on
each route should not exceed the average time made
nv ships Of the same class and tonnage now engaged
IN similar service between the ports named, re-
snaeiyelv1 The New-York routes to Europe
as follows
New-York to Liverpool by Queenstown, New-York to
southampton, New-York to Plymouth. NewYOrk to
Antwerp by Southampton, New York to Antwerp by
Plymouth-sr weekly trips in vessels Of the first class
New-York 10 Antwerp-weekly trips in vessels of
ond class; New-YorlS to Antwerp-weey trips in YES
ss of second class for first three years and in vessels
Of first class for remaining seven years.
II is understood that no bids will be offered for any
O, the transatlantic routes. The reasons are found in
the large requirements and the comparatively small
remuneration provided BY the Vessels OF the first
class must be Of iron Steel capable OF main
tanning q speed OF twenty knots an hour at in
ordinary weather. and be of not less than 5000 tons
gss REGISTERED tonnage vessels OF the second class
must be of iron steel, able to maintain sea speed
Of sixteen knots hour in ordinary weather, and be
Of not less than 5000 tons gross registered tonnage
vessels OF me third class must be OF iron steel capa
BILE OF maintaining speed of fourteen knots an hour
and Of not less than $500 gross registered tonnage
the fourth class includes irOn steel wooden steam
ships with speed of not less than twelve knots an
hour and Of not less than 800 gross registered
tonnage.
All steamships Of the first and second and third
classes hereafter built shall be constructed with par
ncular reference 70 prompt and economical CONVEX
sion into auxiliary naval cruisers, and according
TO plans and specifications be agreed upon by and
between the and the Secretary OF the Navy anu
they shall be Of sufficient strength ana s'aoihN ~
carry and sustain the working and operation OF az
least four effective " b. L. R." guns OF caHnre
Of not less than six inches. and shall be OF the hgh
,st rating known TO maritime commerce. That th'Se
vessels NAV be promptly constructed into auxiliary
naval cruisers 1t will be necessary for the buloeS
or designers TO observe in making the plans taV e
upper and main decks or decks when not pEted
entirely over, shall have a deck stringer pate OF
ninetysix inches in width running to within ABOUT
forty feet OF the of the vessels, from which II
can b. reduced in width Plates of this width will
obviate taking UP the deck plating and widening
the stringer plate If at any future time the vessel
should be converted into auxiliary naval cruiser
For the information Of builders, it is stated that the
weight Of 6inch gun is lotto pounds, and that OF
the gun carriage is $500 pounds the shield 1900
pounds and the circle 2215 pounds thorough In
specton BY competent Naval officer or constructor
Of any vessels offered and his report thereon to the
Secretary Of the Navy and the approval Of the same
by the Secretary conditions precedent to the ac
ceptance Of such vessels by the PostmasterGen'ral
The maximum rates Of compensation are follows
,Firstclass 81 8 mile and second-cass ships 50 mile
BY the shortest practicable route for each outward
voyage: thirdelsSs ships 81 mile and foIUth-class
ships twothrds Of a dollar a mile for the actual Num-
Der OF miles required by the Postoce Department to be
travelled on each outward voyage As the bill passed
the Senate the rates third higher and those
rates had been retained there is doubt that bids
would have been offered for Transatlantic service and
that frst-cass steamships for that service would now
Be building in American shipyards by American Skill
labor and capital.
Route No IL, OF the advertised schedule will be bid
for BY Mr. Hughes of the Ward Line, in behalf Of
new steamship company. This route and the con
dltcns Of service are as follows: From Hew-York to
BuenOs Ayres. Argentine Republic, touching at Mon
tevdeo Uruguay eighteen days outward once in three
weeks-aegregating seventeen trips yesr-in vessels
of the secondca touching each returning voyage
at Montevido Uruguay and Rio. Brazil, and ut santos
at the contractors option which voyage shall be per
formed in sixteen DAYS from Rio. Bond required with
hid. $4,000 1t is understood that the company
proposes to build ships and that the contract II
executed will provide that the service shall begin IN
1894. Proposals are also invited for a fortnighuy
service the route, but 1t is not expected tha
any BIDS will be submitted
II Is upderstood that the United states and Brazil
Steamship Company viii submit proposals for service
between Newport News, or Norfolk and Brazilian
ports but that Their proposals different from those
advertised by the Postmaster-Gcneral, and therefore
may not be accepted.
The Yew-York and Cuba steamship Company will
submit bids on Routes Nos 81, 80 and 49, the routes
and conditions beng as follows respectively: From
New. York TO TuXpam Mexico, by Havana, Progreso
and Tampico and returning by Vera Cruz, Frontero
Progreso and Havana, once week-hfty-two trips
year-in vessels OF the third class time, three ana
hNeQuarter DAYS 10 and from Havana. Bond required
with bid, $4,000. From NewYOr to Havana, once
each week-ffty-two trips year-in vessels OF tie
thirdclass. time averaging not more than three ana
tree-qusrter days each way bond required with
bid. $4,000. From New-Yorl to santiago de Cuba by
Nassau, once in two weeks-twenty-siX trips year
n vessels Of the folrth-class; time average each way
six days; bond required with bid, $4,000. This
company has in its Mexican line four vessels OF
the third class in its Havana line two vessels Of the
third class and Of the fourth class, and In It's
Nassau line two vessels Df the fourth class
II is understood that the Red D Line will offer bids
30 the routes now traversed by it's vessels be-
tween NewYork CuracOa and Venezuelan ports. The
proposals invited by the PostmasterGenera are as fol
lows From New York to Laguayra by Curacao aud
Puerto CabellO three trips each mOnth-tlr'y-siA
tips year-in vessels Of the third class; eme SIN
Gays to Curacao; bond required with bid, S',ooo.
Ako, route same number Of trips in vessels oi
NE third class for the first three years and OF the
second class for the remaining seven years OF the
xSn the bid specify the rate for each class bond
required with bid, $4,000. From New-York TO Cura-
eA nuehing al Laguayra and Maricaibo In Venezuela
% ne return trip, once a week-ffty two trips year
N vessels Of the third class time, six days bond re
sonsd with bid, 10000 This company now has TWO
vessels Of the third class and two vessels Of the sec
ohd class
TIE Pacific Mail steamship Company will submit BIDS
vf ne covered by its present service between
.ov'fork and san Francisco and Mexican, Central
nkeiean and south American ports, and between san