The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1898-10-01
STRONG COMPETITION
Expected in the Bids for Construction
of Four New Monitors.

New York, Oct. IA special to the
Tribune from Washington says:
The opening of bids at the navy de-
partment today for the four single-tur-
ret coast defense nOnitOrS-the Arkan-
sas, the Connecticut, the Florida and
the Wyoming, promises to demonstrate
that a large number of ship building
plants are prepared to undertake the
construction of large war vessels, and
to show that the ship building industry
is growing more rapidly in this country
than has been fully appreciated. Naval
officers have been surprised at the in
terest manifested by concerns which
have heretofore hesitated to undertake
government work with it's rigid Specifi-
cations and are gratifed by the appear
ance of several new establishments in the
competition. From the number of rep
resentatfves making inquiries at the ma
Wy department it is expected that at
least eleven companies will present pro-
pOsa1s. In fact the Camps of Phila-
delphia is the only company on the At
1antic coast that has given no indication
of participation.
The prospective competitors are the
w. H. & A Fletcher company of Ho-
bolzen. N. J., who built the Puritan. the
Priscilla, the Plymouth and other sound
steamers, constructing the huIls at
Newburg, who have heretofore under
taken no government contracts, the
Maryland Steel company of Sparrow's
Point. Nd, who have just secured their
first contract for torpedo boat destroy
ers, the Delaware River Shipbuilding
company of Chester, Pa, owners of the
plant of the late John Roach who built
the first vessels OF the new navy and
several of the double turret monitors in
that yard; the Harlan and Hollings-
worth company of Wilmington, Del,
who built the Amphitrite years ago. the
Union Iron works of San Francisco,
builders OF the Oregon, the Olympia, the
Charleston, the San Francisco. the
Monterey and several smaller gun
boats and torpedo boats; the Newport
News company contra ctors for four
first-class battleships and as many gun
boats; the Columbian Iron works of
Baltimore, builders of the Detroit, the
MeEt gOmery and several torpedo boats;
Lewis Nixon of Eliza bethport N. J.,
builder of the Annapolis; Bath Iron
works, Bath, Me, builders of the Katah-
din. the Castine, the Machias and tor
pedo boats, and John Dialogue of Cam
den, N. J., who managed after exasper-
ating delays to finish the gunbOat
Princeton.
Considerable curiosity is shown by
the naval authorities regarding the
amount of money the bidders will de-
mand for the four naval vessels, for
which congress appropriated 81 $50, 900
each. This is, however, to include the
cost of the armor, the latter material
to be purchased separately by the gov
eminent The weight of armOr on each
of the new monitors is about 300 tons
and at the limit of price for armor
fixed by congress of S4O0 a ton, this re-
duces the amount available to bidders
for each ship to about 81, 125,000. Strong
hopes are entertained, in the light of the
recent contracts for the battleships,
that none of the bids presented tOmOr-
row will exceed 81 600, 900, and, consider
ing the number of competitors in the
opinion of many of the officials, the four
vessels will not cost the government
over 100000 each, exclusive of guns.