Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-12-08

pany to undertake the construction OK -
least two nrst-ciass battiesn'ps Al oA'
timer -.
"The plant 10 Of ample slss 70 carry On
the construction OF two nrst-caAss battle
ships At. any time. and. In my opinion
several other vessels ~ well 49,.
"wtli you say what you think u "a.
capacity and experience OF the mn
charged with the execution OF "o'A >"
the yardT
II have found the yard foremen ex-
ce,Ient men. very well-informed ~ to
their work. and have BEEN very mucn
pleased In my intercourse with them !"
see their readiness at all times 20 40
work in a OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES man
ner. rather than to consider the ml'.ter
of cost alone"
MORE TESTIMONY.
Captain John J. Millbank. Of London,
representative of the British Lloyds, was
in this CITY yesterday. For more than a
quarter of century 1t has been his ous'-
ness to VISIT ship-yards in every country
where British vessels are repaired. lie
has circumnayigated the globe eighteen
times. and has seen every ship-puiiding
plant OF any Importance In the worio,
including those in England. the United
States, ireland, Germany, France swe-
den. Norway, Denmark, Russia. loaly.
Greece, Egypt, Turkey. and Austria. hs
says thar no yard In the world mas su-
perior facilities to those Of the newport
News Ship-Building and Dry-Dock Com.
pany for building modern battiesnips ot
the largest size. The men In cns'se -.
the works are capable" he said, the
machinery Is the best that money can
buy. the riyer-front is unexcellsd, ana,
best of all. you have q dry-dock large
enough to put the battlesnips In after
they ore built. have no hesitation III
saving that no ship-yard is better en-
sbled to turn out formidable ironcads
chan this one on the James river
As previously published. the bids for
the battleships were as follows: Newport
News Ship-Building and Dry-Dock Com
pany, for constructing ohs OF the vessels
ST. 900; for constructing both vessels
81, go, 900 each. The Union lron-Work
for one vessel, s2.7o,cOo: for both vessels
ss.eiO,0O0 each. Cramp e. Sons, one vessel
s.. 800. coo; for both vessels. $4,000 each.
The Cramps offered to build three battle
ships, according 20 their own plans. for
IS. 0Oe. 900. end to furnish the armor for
two OF them. Their plans are for vessels
of 1000 tons displacement. while the
governments plans are for ships OF LOO
tons displacement The cost Of arnor for
each ship. according to the naval bureaus
estimate will be about $4,000. After
deducting The cost OF the armor for
two vessela II will be seen that the
Cramps offer to build three battlaships
for IS, 90. or at a cost Of $2l6 for eacn
ton OF displacement The Newport News
Company will build two batteships. &C
cording 10 the governments plans, for
"a, 900, or at a cost or $1s5 for each
ION of displacement The Cramps plans
call for vessels of 1900 tons less dis
placement than the government plans,
which calls for ships of 1850 tons dis
placement. The vessels. therefore, could
be built here for about 80 less for each
ton displacement than they could be con-
structed by the Cramps. II one vessel
were built here. and thu other at the
Union Iron Works. they would cost the
government $4,000 moro than II both
were built here. In view Of these facts
| II IL confidently believed In newport News
! that the next two battleships built fol
Uncls Sam will be constructed on the
, banks OF the historic James.