The morning times., 1896-09-15
GET ONE BAFTLEsH|P EACH
Three New Vessels Given to
as Many Firms.
ONE ON THE PACIFIC COAST
Newport News WIN Build Another
and the Cramps the Third-NO Gold
CLAUSE In the Bids-:light Increase
In Yester days Batch Over the
Last Awards.

| Remarkably close bidding on de- pa rtmenta
plans alone and low proposals., consider
| ing Tie financial agitation, were the fea tures
Oh The competition closed at the Navy De
| paftInent yesterday for the three new
| battle ships, the Newport Ne ws IVA. Com
| pany, The SCOTS OF San Francisco, and
The Cramps of Philadelphia winning one
ship each from among the five bidders
The Secretary's office was crowded Il,
| noon, among those present being: Acting
secretary MCAdoo, Judge Advocate Genera
Lenly. and dhisassistant, Lieut. La ucheimer (,
| WHO opened the bids; Chief Constructor
| nlchborD, Engineerin-chief Melville ard
large number of naval officers, &. b.
| orcutt, president of the Newport News Com
pany; Charles II. and Edwin S. Cramp,
| Henry I. Scott OF San Francisco, Gen.
! Thomas Hyde of Bath, Ne; John Dialogue,
| jr., OF Camden, n. j.; Lewis Nixon and
NJ. l.. Moore OF Elizabethport, n. j.; "A dmiral
Walker ex Senator Butler of South Caro-
INA, and the assistants of the competing
bidders. After Il certificate from the Wash
inston postmaster was made at 1920 d.
m. That no mail addressed to the Secretary
OF The Navy remained in the Iostofficc at
noon The following bids were opencI:
THE LIST OF BIDS.
John ii Dialogue & Sons. Camden, N. j.,
one hattlestip, for $3.50 900.
Bath iron Works, Bath, Ne, ore battle
slilp, for So 6S0,0GO
Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock
Company, Newport News, Va, one battle
ship. for So $3.50
Union irOn Works. San Francisco, Cal,
one haitlcship, for S2,674,95O.
William Cranip X Sons. ship and Engine
Company, Philadelphia, Pa, ore battle
ship. for S2,65O,oOO; TWO battleships
for So $50 900 each
:,S moi
The first bid that the prices were extremely
low and close, which ted one of the leading
builders 10 remark that there was less
guessing than in former bidding. as people
were how beginning To find out exactly
how much such work cost. and besides, the
Condltion of business compelled sharp cal
culations.
NEWPORT NEWS THE LOWEST.
Itwas directly apparent thatthe Newport
News Company Were the lowest bidders
and that II they had offered 10 take two
SHIPS at the same rate they would have
been entitled tu them, but the Cramps alone
asked for two. 1t had been expected that
all the companies would have Tried To get
all three ships, and the question had been
presented TO the legal authorities us to
whether more than two could be given To
any bidder. The decision had been reached
that such a thing was possible under the
law
4 first sight the bid Of the Union Iron
Works would appear 10 exceed those uf
the Cramps and Of John Dialogue. hut a
difference in favor of T a cific coast bidders
has always been allowed on account of the
cost OF transporting materials across the
continent and to offset the voyage OF At
lantic built ships nearly around the world
for duty o II the Pacific.
This has been fixed at 4 FER cent which
for purposes of comparison brings the San
Francisco bid down to So .5ss.952 or
within S3,S52 OF the lowest hid, and con-
siderably under that of the Cramps
NO GOLD CLAUSE
1t was ramorcd before the bids We're
opened that several of them would contain
the stipulation that the proposal was made
only in case the government would enter
into an agreement to pay in gold. but on
examination none We're found To contain
any such clause. All the companies pledged
themselves to give bond in penal sum
equal to 10 per cent of their bid, and each
bid was accompanied by certified checks
which, when taken in charge by Judge Ad-
vocate General Lemly, We're found TO ag-
gregate S460 600.
In comparison with the prices secured for
the aiticShips kearsarge and Kentucky,
which are now being built Il Newport News
for So ,25O,O0O each, the bids show Il sight
increase.