The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-06-23
The New Torpedo Boat Bids.

There are several points of interest in the
offers for building the latest trio OF 30-knot
torpedo boats.
Foremost among them is the number OF
bidders. When it Ii considered that, only
q few years ago, thirty knots was beyond
the reach Of even the world-renowned for
eign builders of fast craft, and that up to
the beginning Of year before last the con.
tract speed exacted Of our newest torpedo
boats, the three undertaken by the Column
bian Iron Works, was only 24lo knots, 1t Is
astonishing to find ten different American
yards Offering to build 30-knot boats.
And coupled with this is the wide range
of the bidding 1t includes Bath, Boston,
New York, Camden, Philadelphia, Will
mington. and Baltimore on the Atlantic
coast, and San Francisco and Portland
on the Pacific. In the list of bidders
We observe some names of well.known
builders distinguished for other Govern.
ment construction who have never yet IN.
dertaken a torpedo boat. We see others
who have before proposed to build boats Of
moderate speed. but attack the fast ones
for the first time; finally. we see one or two
names wholly new to the construction of
wal vessels of any kind.
All this Is gratifying. not only because 1t
shows that American ingenuity and skill
are already in the forefront of the torpedo
boat field, but because we get the assurance
Of a great variety of resources on which,
In case OF sudden need, the Govern
ment can rely. In the days of the
Cushing 1t was a subject Of felicltation that
the country had. in the HERREsHoFFs, one
firm that could turn out a torpedo boat of
what is now very modest speed. Several
years later, when the Ericsson followed,
and q Dubuque firm received the contract,
the fact was officially commented on as
satisfactory. Now, with neither of these
earlier firms competing, We fin ten re-
sponsible builders ready to undertake craft
Of the highest type, and six knots faster
than the highest we had exacted up to two
years ago. We may add that a 20. knot boat
was contracted for In October. 1905, by the
MoRANs Of Seattle. who are not among
the present bidders.
The prices asked, too. are generally low,
thus indicating that the Government geta
more and more for its money, as familiar.
ity with the types of modern shipbuilding
increases In our yards. The differences be.
t"SNA sAS ~ ShtS yCai tllO u
30.knot boats and last years make exact
comparisons somewhat difficult. OF the
latter. the W Bath boats are to havs q
displacement of about 146is tons only and
to cost, for hull and machinery, $l94,.
900 each, while the San Francisco boat
is to displace 273 tons and to cost 1927.
800. The new offers include boats running
all the way from 41O ton to $50. Avessel
o 1850 tons can be built for $24b, $50 of 800
tons for $214.O 900; of 287 tens, for $212,.
600, and 30 on. OF course there may be
other differences In contract requirements
besides that of siEe, but In general, as the
speed is the same, 1t will be noticed that
these proposals compare very well in price
with last years 273-ton boat of the Union
Iron Works.
Tho fact that Congress authorized NO nsw
battleships may have brought into the
present competition the CRANPs and Per,
haps Others at all events, we may count on
having three more aDAu0t boAta for Oul