The age-herald., 1898-08-24
BIDS OPENED FOR
 THE DESTROYERS Contract For An Outlay of Six
 Million To Be Let. TWELVE TORPEDO BOATS And Sixteen Torpedo Boat Destroyers- Will Constitute the Largest Single
 Addition Ever Made to the
 United States Navy.
TWELVE TORPEDO BOATS

Washington, Aug. 23-The navy depart ment opened bids at noon today for six teen torpedo boat destroyers and twelve torpedo boats, to cost in the aggregate not exceeding $69OO,OOO, as provided in the last naval appropriation act
 These destroyers and torpedo boats con- stitute the largest single addition ever made to the navy. The destroyers are to be completed within eighteen months and the torpedo boats within twelve months. According to the requirements of the de- pertinent the destroyers are to have a guaranteed speed of 2S knots and the torpe- do boats 26 knots. The destroyers are to be about 400 tons and are to cost not more than $295, 900 each, while the torpedo boats are to be about 150 tons and to cost not more than $17O,OO0 each.
 These destroyers will be the first ves- sels of that type added to our navy except those improvised from yachts during the recent war exigency. They are to have twin screws, vertical engines and a bunker capacity for carrying at least 100 tons of coal, affording some protection to the en- zines and boilers.
 Berthing space will be required to &C., commodate a crew of sixty men and four officers and provisions for twenty days. The torpedo boats are of much the same design, but will be smaller. Their coal capacity will be forty tons against 100 for the destroyers, and their berthing space for twenty-siX men and three officers The battery will be composed of three rapid fire guns.
 There will be mounted on deck three 15- foot torpedo tubes, with torpedoes.
 Deputies of the great shipbulding con- cerns were furnished with specifications for bids.
 Some officials thought 1t would take two weeks to get the bids fully tabuqated, as they took a wide range owing to the de- partment's call for two classes of propo- sitions, one based strictly on the depart ments plans and specifications and others based on the individual ideas of the build CTS, all essential requirements being fol- lowed
 The first bid was that of the Bath Iron Works, Bath, Me- for one torpedo boat, speed 29.5 knots at s161 900, or four at s160,- 900 each; one destroyer of 29 knots at $2O2s- 900; two at 2S1 GOO, or three at S2SO 800.
 Union Iron Works, San Francisco, for destroyers, 29 knots, one at $2S4 900; two or three at $2S5, 900 each; also destroyers under second class, one at $294 900, two at S2S2 900, three at $2S1 500 each.
 
 pedo boat s170 GOO: two $165 5000, three s163 400, four $16e500 each; also destroyers, 2 2gA knots, one $2S9,OO0, two s2S5 ,0O0, three s2S2,- GOO; also in second-class destroyers, one at s295, ,OOO two s2a1 900, three $2S9,00O Neither Cramp nor Herreshoff bid. It will take some time to decide which are the most advantageous.
 Other bids were: Dialogue & Son. Cam den, N. J., one torpedo boat destroyer, 29 knots at $293 900, or two at $2s5,00O each.
 Columbia Iron Works, Baltimore, Md, one to four torpedo boats, 26 knots, at $780, GOO each, and also under draft plans, one torpedo boat s1sS, ,OO0 two s165 000; three $1G3 900 or four $16l ,000 each; also one de- stroyer 2S knots, $293, 900; two at $2S1 900; three or four or five sS9,O0O each; also de- stroyers under different plans, one or two at $2S2, ,500; three, four or five at $2S2,00O each.
 Neafe & Levy, Philadelphia for destroy CTS, 29 knots, two s2S4,00O; three s2S3, 900 each
 William R. Trigg, Richmond Va, torpedo boats, 26 knots, one at $160,000; two $1500 900 each; three $129 ,750; four $114,759 each; also destroyers, one GOO; two s260 900; three $25O,0 ,0O0; four $24O, ,00O; five $2a3OO each.
 Union Iron Works, San Francisco Cal, destroyers, % knots $294 000; ewo or three $2S5,0 each; also destroyers under clause, one $294 ,000; two $2S2 GOO; three $2s1- 800 each.
 Maryland Steel company, destroyers, two