The daily morning journal and courier., 1896-09-19
THIRTY MILES AN HOUR
THREE BOATS OF THAT SPEED TO
 BE ADDED TO THE NAVY.

 Bids From the Atlantic and Pacific Coasts
 Many Companies Make Combination Proposals-Bidsi in the Main Very Rea-
 sonable-An Irregular Bid Contains the
 Proposition to Build Boat to Run 35
 Knots an Hour s53O, ,OoO Wanted for
 Her Construction.
 Washington, Sept. 1S.-The reception of proposals for the torpedo boats+au- thorized by the last session of congress attracted an unusual crowd of boat builders from both coasts of the United States to-day The fact that the three thirty-knot boats were to be upon builders own plans and that the small CT boats were to be of two classes. one of twenty-two and one-half knots and the other of twenty knots, for both of which original designs were permitted, added to the uncertainties of the bid- ding.
 Among those present were George I4awler of Boston, builder of the queens cup defender; Herreshoff of Bristol, R. l., General T. W. Hyde of Bath, Me, and MT. Waterman of Prov idence, R. l. No representatives of the Mississippi and Missouri rivers and the Gulf of Mexico, which congress provid- ed might have boat each, were In at tendance.
 The bids were as follows: For the thirtyknot boats, the Union Works of San Francisco bid for one at $227,50o; the Bath Iron Works of Bath, Me. for two at S194,OOO each and for three at $1S9,000 each, and submitted another proposition for two at s235,0O0 each. The Herreshoff company bid for one at S21s, ,Ooo and for three at s2O6ooO each: and John H. Dialogue & Son of Cam den, N. J., for one at s260,000 or two at $255, 900 each.
 The Columbian Iron Works of Balti- more offered one, two or three twenty knot boats for 1000 each on the de- partment's plans, and on their own de- sign, for the same speed, at $45,000 each. The same company asked S79,100 for twenty-two and one-half knot vessels
 Moran Brothers & Go. of Seattle, Washington, bid s59,S40 for one twenty knot boat and s56, ,928 each for three of them. They offered to take three of the twenty-two and one half raters at s94 255 each.
 The Bath company bid $S0.000 each for three of the twenty-two and one half boats and $123500 each for three special twenty-five and one-half knot vessels. All the Bath bids were accom- panied by proposition to use bronze in the construction of the vessels for slight increase.
 The Herreshoff company offered three of the twenty knot boats for 37,50O each or one for s4O0O0, and they also had bids for the twenty-two and one half knot vessels as low as $S0,000 each.
 Their twenty-two and one-half knot design, the exact duplicate of the Cush- ing, was offered for $92, 300 each, and with certain notifications for $7S,500 each.
 Wolff & Sewicker of Portland, Ore, wanted to make twenty knot boats at $40, 900 each, for three, and twenty-two and one-half knot boats for $75, 100 each.
 The Providence Steam Engine com pany of Rhode Island bid S51 800 each for two of the departments twenty knot plans and $4S,650 each for three of them.
 Lewis Nixon of Elizabeth, N. J., had his own design for the little boats and asked 69,0OO for one or $68,000 each for two.
 The Charles Hillman Ship and Engine company of Philadelphia asked $4S,000 each for two on the department plans and for the same John Dialogue asked S6S, 800 each.
 George Lawler & Son of South Bos- ton submitted their own designs for the twenty knot boats, asking $56,S35 for each if three were awarded them or $61, 500 for one. They offered twenty two and one half knots as low as $500 each for three or ss3,5O0 for one.
 There was an irregular bid from AL exandria, Va, for an electric boat to run thirty-five knots, for which $530, 900 was asked.
 Many of the companies made com bination proposals for two of one class and one of another, and some bidders furnished various designs which will have to be carefully examined by the bureau engineers before any award Is made. It was remarkable that no bids were received except from coast build CTS, and that so few companies com peted. It is, however, stated that the bids are in the main very reasonable and while not more than two of the thirty knot vessels can be built un- der the appropriation the result gives considerable satisfaction.