New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-09-15
BIDS FOR BATTLESHlPS.
CLOSE COMPETITION BETWEEN THE
RIVAL COMPANIES.
THE NEWPORT NEWS COMPANY GETS ONE CON
TRACT. THE CRAMPS ONE. AND The
SCOTS. or SAN FRANCISCO. THE
oTHER-No GOLD CLAUSES
TIE
IN THE BIDS.
fsy TELEGRAPH TO THE rRIBuNE.l


fBy TELEGRAPH TO THE rRTBuNEl
Washington Sept lL-Five Of the leading snip
building companies Of the country have placed
themselves on record as believing that sound
money PRINCIPLES and sound-moncy candidates WI"
be victorious in November's election. Inc un'e
when this record was made was to-day; the P'aoo
the Navy Department. The occasion was -"
opening of bids for the three big pa''ie-snp'
authorized AT the last session Of Congress. me
,not,rg comnanies were the Bath Iron Works,
the Cramps Dialogue & Son, Newport News OOi"-
many and Union Iron Works. representing the
North the Middle States. the South ana ''e i"
chc Coast 1t has been reported that "lueSp'e"'
fear had seized American shiphulldlns nI''S y" q"
count OF Bryanism: that the companies were 'iinu'
and that there would be few bids made Tor the
hattle-ships II has also beer said that the hrHs
which did bid would insist upon goid ciluSe
being placed in the awl ard to construct the 'esSe
O,ber stories of similar import have been circu-
lated the drift of them being that shippuliderS
had become alarmed the prospect of free silver
The stories caused no little worry In naval circles
They had their political significance. too. ana the
claim was put forward that these big companies
were In doubt and their members were aPPle"e'-
sive as to the outcome in November
The facts as developed to-day. snow conclusive
IL that the five biggest companies OF snip con-
s,rrc,ors in the country are in wise alarmed
concerning the country's future but that, on 'he
contrary they are confident that Mckinney anu
sound money will win in November rms means
that they Will be paid 100 cents for every doilar
worth of material and labor furnished the Govern
ment under any contract they may secure Last
year there were only three bidders for the battle
ships Kearsarge and kentucky. To-day hVe pro-
posals were opened at the Navy Department. me
Increase in number is significant Tor various anu
oh,.ous reosons one apparent point is that de-
spte the agitation OF the free-conage question ana
the claims Of the enthusiasts Of that proposition
I'VE American companies composed or PRACTICAL
thoughtful men OF wealth and brains, who employ
directly and Indirectly 10000 laborers, feel assured
that there is TO be no upheaval or society IN THIS
country and that the people will decide through
the ballot-box that sound money and patriotism
shall not give way TO Reputation and anarchy
No. one Of the companies to-day den.nded that
their payments should be made in gold.
The Secretary's office crowded at noon
among those present being Acting Secretary
McAdoo Judge Acknowledgement Lemly and
his assistant Lieutenant Lauchheimer, who
opened tn, bids chief Constructor Hchborn
Engineer in Chief Melville and "A large num-
Der Of Naval officers q. Il. circuit president
of the Newport News Company; Charles II. ana
Edwin Cramp. Henry T. Scott, Of San Francisco;
General Thomas Hyde, Of Bath, Me; John Da-
logue. IT, Of Camden. y. j.; Lewis Nixon ana NJ.
L. Moore OF Elizabethport. y. j.: Admiral Walker.
ex Senator Butler. Of South Carolina. and the as
sistants Of the competing bidders
After certificate from the Washington Postmas-
ter was read at 1920 p. m that no mail addressed
IN the Secretary Of the Navy remained in the post
office al noon the following bids We're opened:
John H. Dialogue 4 Sons. Camden. y j.. one bat
tle-ship for s2.G6lOoo
Bath Iron Works Bath Ne. one battle-shp for
81 $4,000
Newport News Shipbullding and Drydock Com
many Newport News Va. one batte-shp for
81 $4,000
Union Iron Works. San Francisco. one battle-ship
for g. $3.50
William Cramp & Sons Ship and Engine Com
pany Philadelphia. one battle-ship for S'eOp"o;
two battle-ships for $26o.O9) each
II was noticeable from the opening OF the hrst pa
that the prices extremely low ana close, wnl'h
led one Of the leading builders to remark that there
was less guessing than I'm former building, as peo-
nle were now beginning to find out exactly now
much such work costs and. besides. the cohd'ioh Oh
business compelled sharp calculations IL was
directly apparent that the Newport News company
were the lowest bidders. and that II they hau
offered 10 take two ships at the same rate they
no,ld have been entitled 10 them. but the Cramps
,iope asked for two. 1t had been expected that
all the companies would try to get all 'hree sh'pS,
and the question had been presented 10 th' "sal
authorities as to whether more than TWO 'o"'" y"
given to any bidder The decision hau pee"
roocbad that such thing possible under the
4, Ara, SIGHT the bid Of the Union Iron Works
u.o,,ld appear TO exceed those Of the Cramps ana
~ John Dialogue but difference III i"''t VI
pacific Coast bidders has always been allowed on
account Of the cost Of Transporting ma'er'"'S
across the continent and offset the voyage OF
,,la,,,c-built ships nearly around the world for
dutv on the Pacific This has been hXed al per
cent which for purposes Of comparison. brihgS
the san Francisco bid down TO 25sss52 or w'thlh
s52 OF the lowest bid. and considerably uhoer
that OF the Cramps. It was rumored just before
the bids were opened that several Of them would
proposal
mad. only in case the Government would enter
into an agreement to pay In gold. but on eAainha-
ton none was found TO contain any such clause
All the companies pledged themselves TO give
bond in a penal equal 10 10 per cent OF their
bid and each bid was accompanied by certified
checks which when taken In charge by Judge
AdvOcate-General Lemly. were found TO aggregate
In comparison with the prices secured for the
now being built at Newport News for $4,000
each the bids to-day show slight Increase. The
competition for those two ships was. however
characterized by wide diversity between the
by the low estimate Of the Virginia company. The
are concerned should cost exactly the
their two most recent predecessors. Congress APP
900 each. Of which about 100000 was to be- al
lowed for armor and guns and The act OF June 10
$4,000 each the same amount as In the former
Instance being set aside for ornament. For the
pany bid s. 5000 for one ship and 10000 each
f ber OF BIDS on modsd ps hHovms
ing gun-carrages. with and without armor and
guns etc. They asked t2s2o0ep for one ship on
the Departments plans. s.. 900 each for two
on their own plans they offered three ships for
&OS e aeS Al the e' Same time the Union
Works on the Departments plans offered r one
also had some plans OF their own by which the
Government could $1,000 but the Newport
News Company were practically alone In The CON. com
petition and got both ships. Since that time.
when the policy OF the Government mas been 10
huild fewer cruisers and more torpedo-boats II
became certain that future competitions for big
sufiicient work to 20 around. and this belief was