New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-09-02
EIGHTEEN-KNOT WARSHIPS.
PROPOSALS EMBODYING INCREASED
SPEED WILL BE ACCEPTED.
THREE COMPANIES LIKELY TO SECURE
CONTRACTs-BIDs THOUGHT MODERATE

CONTRACTS-BIDS THOUGHT MODERATE.
IBY TELEGRAPH TO THE rRIBUNEl
Washington Sept 1.-The battle ships Maine,
Ohio and Missouri are to be 1S-knot vessels
and their keels to be laid this fall The
three great shipbuding establishments OF the
country gave to the Navy Department ample
assurances OF this fact to-day by submitting
formal propositions. accompanied by heavy PEN
atty deposits. guaranteeing faster. larger and
better vessels than have heretofore been de-
signed in this country The Navy Departments
plans for 1G-knot ships Of II 800 tens displace-
ment, mere duplicates of the Alabama. the Ill
nois and the Wisconsin, contracted for just two
years ago, which in turn closely initiated the
Kearsarge and the Kentucky. designed in 1895.
have been swept aside. and modern ships IA
vorably comparable with those under construc-
ton abroad have been substituted.
This has been accomplished we'll within the
SO 600 900 limit for each vessel appropriated by
Congress in the act Of May last. and the in
creased speed has been secured not only with
out sacrifice of any Of the essential features
demanded in vessels Of the highest class but
additional steaming radius. improved seaworthi-
and greater midabty have been at
taned by the simple expedent pointed out by
The Tribune, Of making the vessels about
twenty feet longer and consequently OF about
thousand tons greater displacement than the
Naval Constructors at first demanded
BIDS CONSIDERED MODERATE.
The bids Of the three shipbuilding concerns
considering the revival of maritime industries
naturally TO be expected from the expanded
commercial relations OF the United States and
the prevalence Of higher prices in most pursuits.
are regarded as extremely moderate. although
their similarity in amounts. we'll as in every
,rli hat
there was a common understanding to give to
the Government the very best ships that could
be built for the money appropriated. The
Cramps the SCOTS and the Newport News COM
pany each presented three proposals. Each Of
fered to build battIe-shp according 10 the
Navy Departments plans; the Newport News
company for 50 $50 900 the Cramps for $500
600 and the r-nion Iron Works for S26I4oo
According to the terms Of the act Of Congress-,
practically I per cent more than the lowest bid
der is allowed to the Union Iron Works and in
this bid its figure was within $4,000 Of that al
lowance Each concern also bid upon slightly
modified Arrangement Of the Departments
plans guaranteeing seventeen knots. In this
case the Newport News company bid S26eOOOO.
the Cramps 50 25OO0 and the Union Iron
Works 50 125OO0 The notifications under this
bid were not however. such as 10 commend
themselves either 10 the Navy Department or to
the bidders themselves. and they will have no
greater consideration when the awards are made
than the first proposals based upon the de-
partmental plans.
EIGHTEEN KNOTS GUARANTEED.
TIE important bids. which make to-day
memorable one in the history Of American naval
| construction constituted the third proposal OF
| each company. They were for battle-ships OF
| approximately 1880 tons In the case OF the
Newport News company Of about l-lo tons IN
the case Of the Cramps and OF IL, 900 tons In the
case Of the Union Iron Works. In each In
stance the guarantee was for the maintenance
OF eighteen knots under forced draught tor
period Of four consecutive hours. For TINS type
Of vessel the Newport News company asked
50 $50 COO or Sl50OOO under the limit the
Cramps asked S2SS5OOO and the Union Ircn
Works 50 $4,000
A fourth bid for a battleship on the Depart
ment's plans from Dialogue & Son. Camden.
y j.. the firm that took over three years to build
the little gunboat Princeton. was presented.
bur will OF course receive no attention. The
Cramps bid differed from those Of the other COM
peting builders in offering 70 build two Nesseis
under each Of its propositions at very slight re-
ductiors from double the cost OF one. but these
proposals will be Ignored as the Newport news
company is entitled 10 at least one 'esse As the
lowest bidder. and the Union Iron WORKS IS
sure OF vessel upon the per cent statutory
allowance for ships built on the Pacific Coast
ExAsf1N1NG THE PROPOSALS.
The legal authorities Of the Navy Department
promptly entered this afternoon upon an exam
nation Of all the proposals to determine whether
all formalities have been complied WITH and 10
ASCERTAIN bevond a doubt that the Government
would be fully protected in accepting the pro-
posals The naval experts Of the Bureaus OF
Construction Steam Engineering. Equipment
and Ordnance have also promptly begun ,heir
careful scrutiny of the plans when always pre-.
cedes an award. These experts were cohVihceo
after a casual investigation that no other piahs'
save those for eighteen-knot ships meri'eo any
attention and they were able TO state WIFI rea-
sonable postiveness that the three warships
would be built without delay If their reconlfnen-
dations were approved
II appears that the Cramps and Union iron
works have simply cut the hulls of the ships
designed by the Department in two parts at the
midship section and heightened them the
Cramps by adding sixteen feet. or four traines'
ard the Union Iron Works by adding twenty
fec, or five frames This extra length is util-
,zad nv an Increase of boiler and engine power
as vel, as coal bunker capacity. The coal oapac-
inv in the original design was l,2oo tons while
with the lengthenng 1t is increased IN eacn
case to about two thousand tons
LARGE sTEAMING RADIUS.
The n,an OF the Newport News Company 10
original throughout although as far as the
hull and machinery are concerned. II is similar
in most respects to that prepared py the De-
partment II calls for a new battery and for
disposition OF armor in accordance with the
recommendations made by the naval command
ers after the Santiago fight. Four l2-nch guns
in turrets are substituted for the four l3-inch
guns. Eight S-inch guns replace the fourteen