Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1896-08-08
MANY CONCERNS WILLING TO sup
PLY UNCLE SAM.
Most Extensive Program Laid Out
by the Ordnance Bureau since
the War.

"
DAY for the manufa ctsIrers OF war ma
yeriaI. and many great corporations ah'
firms were represented at the war 'nc
navy departments this afternoon Wher
bids were opened Tor supplying large
JuanuIy OF gun carriages, shot and Shel
of various sizes and kinds. Probably ho'
since the late war has the ordnance pu'
reau az the war department been able &C
lay Out SO extensive program tof one
years work, as Is now made possible by
the liberal appropriations made by con-
.rreSs for our coast defenses. Consequent
IL there were many bidders for supplying
large quantities OF materials raw and
complete included in the first call fol
proposals. and i was noticeable that IN
the list Of bidders were the names OF
firms mainly from the west, that have
never before had business relations with
the war department.
The first bids opened We're for supplying
gun carriages. There were l. bidders.
The American Hoist and Derrick com
pany of ST. Paul, Weimer Machine com
pany of Lebanon, Pa, Bethlehem Iron
company. Robert Poole * Sons of Baltl-
more Wilker company of Cleveland,
Cramp & Sons of Philadelphia, John II.
Dialogue of the Kilby Manufacturing
company of Cleveland, Morgan Engineer
ing company of Alliance, Ohio, Pond Ma
chine Tool company of Plaintield, n. j.,
Southwark Iron foundry of Philadelphia,
Mills Tool company Of Hamilton, Ohio
The American Hoist and Derrick com
pany of St. Paul bid $l1 500 each for ~
carriages, or more, deliveries to begin
in six months, and continue at the rate
of one every six weeks. The Southwark
foundry of Philadelphia, while fixing the
price of one Garage at $12 $50, offered to
build 10 or more at 81, 500 each, and to
make the first delivery in five months so
it was difficult to decide between them.
For supplying spring return carriages
for Pinch mortars there were Il bidders,
Robert Poole of Baltimore being probably
the lowest at IS, 1868 each for Sc carriages,
deliveries to begin in 10 weeks and con
tinue four per week.
For supplying steel forgingS for the big
guns the only bidders were the Bethlehem
and MidVale Steel companies. The fOrti-
hcations Appropriation bill provided that
in no case should the price paid exceed "A
cents per pound for these forgings, and
bids generally were just within the limit.
The bethlehem company was the lowest
on 10-inch and 16-nch forgings at % $40
and q cents per pound respectively, while
the Midvale company was the lowest for
Pinch forgings a % $1,000 cents per
pound
The Bethlehem company explained that
only for the sake of forwarding the desire
of the war department to make the eX-
pertinent of building a 16-inch gun did they
offer 20 supply the forgings at the price
fixed by congress, which would probably
involve loss 10 themselves
For supplying GO sets of 12-inch mortar
forgings the Bethlehem company under
bid Midvale the prices asked being % II
and % $40 cents per pound respectively.
For furnishing and assembling these
mortar forgings there was but one bid
der, the Builders Iron foundry of ProVi-
dence, K. l., at prices ranging from $3,73l
to $3.50 per mortar, according to the
number ordered. They stipulated they
should be relieved from certain penalty
provisions in the contract
The Bethlehem was the only company
that offered to supply whole mortar fOrg-
ings, and all assembled complete, at prices
ranging from $12, 900 to $l2, 250, according tC
the number ordered.
The American Ordnance company OF
Philadelphia and Thomas +. Lane, rep
resenting Maxim Nordenfeldt Gun com
pany, were competitors for supplying six
pound rapid-tire guns. The former asked
$l565 each for briggs Schroeder guns plair
and $3.50 for the parapet mounts, ShleldS
etc. The armor piercing shell for the
same was SIT. so for common shells anC
canister and $175 for 80. The Maxim
Nordenfeldts We're 1885 each, and ammu
milton 1890 per 100 for armor piercers, SAL
for common shell and $430 for canister.
For supplying deck-piercing shells tn
Carpenter Steel company of Reading, Pa.
bid from 26 to 80 cents per pound and IN
Sterling Steel company of Pittsburg biz
80 cents. The latter concern declined t.
bid on the torpedo shells, for which pro
posals were invited, on the ground tina
they could not be made to come to tn
nd n
The Midvale company also bid on thes
deck-piercers and torpedo shells at price
ranging from $l41 to 1894 each.
For armor-piercing shot of 20 l2-inc
caliber the Sterling company bid from
to co cents per pound, the Carpenter CON