Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1892-12-22
CRAMPS GET THE CRUISERS
They are to Build Two More
Great Warships.
CLOSE FIGURING ON THE BIDS
The Cost of Both Boats Will
Exceed 100000.
The Battleships Iowa and the Armored
I Cruiser Minneapolis to he BuiIt Mt the
Shipynrd of tho Cramps, in Philadelphia
--sharp Competition for the Contracts.

WAsHINdToN, D. c., Dec. 15.-The
Cramps, of Philadelphia, will secure the
contract for building the battle ship
Iowa and the armored cruiser Mime
apolis, for which bids were opened in
Secretary Tracy's Office at noon to-day
In the presence of the leading ship
builders Of the country.
There were several reasons why the
opening to-day was fraught with more
shan passing interest Some Of the ship
builders entertain the notion that these
two ships are the last Congress will au-
thorlze for some years. There was no
provision which kept either ship from
the builders of the east; nothing in the
law which assured the Pacific coast peo-
pie they would get contract regardless
.of price. The yards of those who mad
bid for Government work were, with
the exception of Cramps, rapidly get.
ting rid of existing jobs, and there was
corresponding desire TO secure further
orders.
SHARP COMPETITION FOR THE WORK.
These conditions led to a sharp com
petition, and the bidding was remark
ably close, especially wncn the totals
are taken into consideration All of the
amounts proposed by the bidders were
much lower than the departments esti-
mates, and the highest bids are regarded
as within reason. As it is, the experts
think the Cramps have allowed them
selves small margin of profit. but the
firm is credited with u desire to secure
the contracts, even at loss. They are
in position to do the work cheaper
than any one else, on account OF their
former experience and the labor they
are saved by previous construction in
almost the same line as is embraced in
the work on the Iowa and Minneapolis.
THE RIDs OF THE GRANTS.
The bid of the Cramps for the battle
ship, according TO the department plans,
was $3,0100O0. The bid on the same
ship, according to plans which would
make the vessel reproduction of the
Indiana, was $2,S70,O00. This was the
lowest. The third bid, on the Iowa,
was $3,110,000 III amount, and provided
for ship fitted with quadrupe. expan-
sion instead of triple-eXpansion engines,
called for in departmental plans, The
Cramps bid on the cruiser, according to
the department plans, was $2,9S6,000.
The bid making the Minneapolis identi-
cal with the New York was So $50, 900.
The bid, providing for quadruple-ex-
pansion instead of triple-expansion
engines was $3,OsG,O 900 in amount. The
constructors and engineers in the de-
partment must now decide on the rela-
tive merits of the Cramps plans and the
department specifications
EVERYTHING is ACCEPTABLE.
Any one of the bids of the Cramps is
acceptable in point of price and the
question narrows down to whether OF
not 1t is advisable to spend the extra
money involved in getting quadruple
expansion engines for the new ships. II
Is hardly thought the department will
discard its latter plans for battle-shir
and cruiser to fall back on the plans fol
the New York and Indiana, good as
those ships are supposed to be.
The other bids on the armored cruiser
were; Union Iron Works, 100000
departments plan) Bath, Me-, Iron
Works, SO, 10000 bidders plansG New
port News, Va, Ship Company, So, l47,
600 departments plans. The other
bids on the battle ship were: Union Iron
Works, S3,150,000 departments plans)
Bath, Me-, Iron Works, S3,lS5,0O de
partment's plans); Newport News, Va
Ship Company, S., 233, 900 department
plans. The award Of the contracts will
not be made for week or more.