New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-10-01
BIDS FOR NEW MONITORS,
THEY WILL BE OPENED AT THE NAVY
DEPARTMENT TO-DAY.
LARGE NUMBER OF PPoBABLE BIDDERS EvI
DENcE OF HOW RAPIDLY THE sHIPBU1LD-
ING MINISTRY Is GROWING
rBy rrLEGaAPH TO THE TRIBUNE

ING INDUSTRY rs GROWING
icy TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUNE
Washington, Sept 9o.--The opening Of bids az the
Navy Department tomorrow for the four single
turret coast-defence monitors. the Arkansas, the
Connecticut the Florida and the Wyoming, prom
ises 70 demonstrate that remarkably large num-
Der Of shphuiIding plants are prepared 70 under
take the construction Of large vessels. and to
show that ne shipbulding industry is growing
more rapidly in this country than has been fully
appreciated Naval officers have been surprised at
the interest manifested by concerns which have
heretofore hesitated 10 undertake Government
work with its rigid specifications, and are gratihed
by III. appearance Of several new establishments
in the competition. From the number Of repre-
sentatives who were making inquiries at the Navy
Department to-day II Is expected that e. least
eleven companies will present proposals In fact
the Cramps OF philadelphia. IS The only COM
pany On the Atlantic coast that has given no tnu-
nation OF participating
The prospective competitors are the W. II & 4
Fletcher Company Of Hoboken. J. who built
tbs Puritan. the Priscilla. the Plymouth and other
Sound steamers constructing the hulls az New
burg who have heretofore undertaken no Govern
nert contracts, the Maryland Steel Company OF
srarrow's Point Md, who have Just secured their
first contract for torpedo-boat destroyers the Della
vare River shiphuilding Company. Of Chester
Penn. owners OF the plant Of the late John Roach
who built the first vessels OF the new Navy ana
several Of the double-turret monitors IN thar yard
the Harlan & Holllngsworth Company. OF whining
ton 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 gunboats
smaller cruisers and torpedo-bo2ts the Newport
News Company contractors for four hrst-ciass
hattle-ships and as many gunho ats; the Columbian
Iron Works % Baltimore, builders OF the Detroit,
the Montgomery and several torpedo-boats; Lewis
Nixon OF Enzabethport \. j., builders Of the An
napol!s; Bath Iron Works. Bath, Ne, builders OF
the Katahdin the Castne. the bIachas and torpedo
boats and John Dialogue Of Camden, }; - VITO
managed after exasperat!ng delays 10 nnlsh the
gunboat Princeton.
Transferable curiosity is shown by the naval au-
thorltes REGARDING the amount OF money ne
Bidders will demand for the four novel vessels Tor
which Congress appropriated Sl200OOo each lbs
e. however 70 include the cost OF the armor, the
later material 70 be purchased separately by the
Government The weight of armor on each OF the
new monitors IS about three hundred tons. ana az
the limit OF price for armor nxed by Congress OF
sAcO ton this reduces the amount available 10
bidders for each ship 70 about - 10 600 strong
hores are entertained in the light or the recent
contracts for the battle-ships, that none or TIE
bids presented tomorrow VIII exceed slVDOOoo
and considering the number OF competitors, IN the
opinion OF many OF the officials. the four vessels
will not cost the Government over $500 go each ex
elusive OF guns.