Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1896-09-15
BIDS FOR BATTLEsHIPs.
That of the Newport News Company
the Lowest.

WASHINGTON, ID. c., September H.
Remarkably close bidding on department
plans alone. and low proposals, consider
ing the financial agitation, were the fea-
lures OF the competition closed at the
Navy Department to-day for the three
new battleships-the Newport News (Va)
company: the SCOTS. OF San Francisco.
and the Cramps. of Philadelphia, winning
one ship each from among the five bid
dere
After certificate from the Wash
ington postmaster was read. at lZ:D !.
NJ. that no mail addressed to the Secre-
tary Of the Navy remained in the post
office at noon the following bids were
opened:
James II. Dialogue & Sons. Of Camden,
n. j.. one battleship, for S2,66looo
Bath Iron Works, Bath, Me, one bat
tleshp, for s26S0,0o0.
Newport News Ship-BuIlding and Dry
Dock Company, Newport News VA one
battleship for s2,595,ON.
Union Iron Works, San Francisco, one
battleship. for s267i,sSo.
William Cramp & Sons Ship and En-
CINE Company, Philadelphia. Pa, one bat
tleship. for s., SO, 600; two battleships, for
each. S2.650.OO.
II was noticeable from the opening Of
the first bid that the prices were en-
tremely low and close which led one
OF the leading builders to remark that
there was less guessing than In former
bidding, as people were now beginning
TO find out exactly how much such work
costs. and besides. the conditions OF the
work compelled sharper calculations.
gtra.flx. that the New
mort News company were the lowest bid
ders. and that II they had offered to take
two ships at the same rate they would
have been entitled TO them, but the
Cramps alone bid for two. II had
been expected that all the companies
would have tried to get all three ships,
and the question has been presented TO
the legal authorities as to whether more
than two could be given 10 any bidder.
The decision has been reached that such
a thing was possible under the law.
WHY THE DIFFERENCE.
At first sight the bid OF the Union
Iron-Works would appear to exceed those
OF the Cramps and OF John Dialogue,
but difference in favor OF Pacific-coast
bidders has always been allowed on ac-
count OF the cost of transporting ma
terials across the continent, and to OFF,
set the voyage Of Atlantic-built ships
nearly around the Horn for duty on the
Pacific This has been fixed at per
cent. which. for purposes OF compari-
son. brings the San Francisco bid down
TO s2.59s.952. or within 1852 OF the low
est bid. and considerably under that OF
the Cramps.
IL was rumored that before the bids
were opened several Of them would con-
tain the stipulation that the proposal was
made only I'm case the government would
enter into an agreement 10 pay in gold,
but on examination none were found TO
contain any such clause. All the compa-
MES pledge themselves TO give bond in
a sum equal TO Il per cent. OF their bid
and each bid was accompanied by cert-
fed checks. which, when taken In charge
of by Judge Advocate-General Lemly
were found to aggregate $4,000. In com
harrison with the prices secured for the
battleships Kearsarge and Kentucky.
which are now being built at Newport
News, for s.. 10000 each. the bids to-day
show a slight increase.
THE RISE IN COAL.
In EXPLANATION OF the slight Increase
IN the figures for these ships over the
contract price for the two earlier ships.
one OF the winning bidders said: THE
rise In the price OF coal alone would ac-
count for that. That enters into the
cost of manufacture in sufficient de-
gree to make the slight rise In the
average of bids to-day over the mean
OF those last winter. think the financial
agitation has not been appreciably con-
sidered by the bidders. The contracts
must be signed in accordance with the
law Of October Sth. and the ships must
he finished in three years from that date
No one of the bidders has apparently
shovn any doubt as to being paid In the
same money we shall have to pay I'm
ices or for material. OF course. as
almost ell prices are depressed. the gov
eminent Is the sole gamer by the con-
dition Of affairs"