New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-05-01
40 EXPERIENCE IN DRYDocKs NEcEs-
SECRETARY HELMETS APPARENT POLICY IN
AWARDING THE BROOKLYN NAVY
YARD CONTRACT.

YARD CONTRACT
fry TELEGRAPH TO THE TRinuSrl
Washington. Apr 3o.-The contract for comp'e'-
ing the big drydock In the brooklyn Navy ia'h'
bids for which were opened YESTERDAY was awarded
bv Secretary Herbert today to Thomas and August
Walsh The bids follows.
Thomas and August Walsh. $1,000. colin Mclean.
ss77 co.: j. II W,s,crbrook Sc99SS. and the Simp-
son Drydock Company 't5i,5@.
Though Thomas and August Walsh were the low
est bidders. the contract. in the opinion OF com
pe,ent Judges should no, have been awarded N
them. for the reason that They are not experienced
drydock builders They have constructed some
pier. but never any drydocks. nor have they ever
engaged as far as known. in any submarine con
structon work. The same Is said to be true az 10
Colin Mclean the next lowest bidder. ana ais" OF
W..ierbrook the third lowest BIDDER. Secretary
Herbert therefore. In awarding this importan, con-
tract 10 inexperienced persons once more cndaneers
the successful completion Of 'he much needed dry
dock He does so because the Government may
have the same experience with the Washes mat
II had with John Gies. the dcfaulting contractor,
who was as inexperienced and had as little knowl-
edge OF drylock construction as Thomas and August
Walsh ar. said 10 possess. Thus while the Secre-
tary refuses 10 recognize responsible and tried dry
dock builders. there II not slns'e dock on the
Atlantic seaboard Of the United States which any
OF the large cruisers or batleshps VIII be abe %
enter II they need repairs they viii have To 20
:, Halifax or else around Cape Horn TO the Mare
Island Nav Yard.
In a protest fled with the Secretary Of the Navy
by the Simpson Drydock Company against award
ing the contract inexperienced persons. That COM
pany says.
The construction Of the drydock In question pre-
sents far greater engineering difficulties than those
M, scented bv any heretofore undertaken THIS was
demonstrated by the experience 81 this company In
The construction OF drydOck No. ? at N" brooklyn
Navy Yard We feel Justified In .aying mat no
person or company that has not a;Ica!y encoun-
tered ana overcome the difficulties caused 10y the
nrescncc OF a stratum Of uulctsind forty feet In
dcpih and extending over IN" entire surface or the
drvdOck s competent 10 undertake IN" work No
timber drvdocl has been completed ana nd"-
nuatclv tested on the Atlantic Coast except those
constr1ctcd by us Where an attempt has
been made by other contractors to build drydock
they have failed to accomplish the work. even after
great DELAY In bid undertake 10 turn over
TO the Government complete. this drydock WITHIN
sixteen months after put in possession OF
the site and materials In view Of the neccse" 3
OF the naval service. this saving Of time is worthy
of consideration.
This memorial was presented by A company which
| had constructed twelve drydocks for private cor
| porations before Il submitted proposal for the
constructon OF the first timber drydock built for the
| Government and had demonstrated fully the value