The Portland daily press., 1898-09-02
This to be The Speed Of the New
BlttIeslips.
BIDS OPENED AT NAVY DEPART
MENT YESTERDAY.
Bidders Offered Is Knot Ships Within the
Limit of the Price Made by Coneress-
Cramps, Newport News and Union
Iron Works Likely to Get Contracts.

Iron Works Likely to Get Contracts.
Washington, September -Four firms
offered bids for new battlesbips author
lied by the last Congress.
The lowest bid of each for any type c1
battle ship was as follows:
Newport New Shipbuilding company
Newport News. Va, 50. $4,000.
Cramps, Philadelphia, S2. $50, 900.
Union Iron Works, 50, 674. 900.
Dialogue & Co., 81, 400, 600.
Many details of construction will fgur.
in the awards.
The bids were opened shortly after Door
in the presence of number Of representa-
tivss OF shipbuilding concerns. Among
them were President Henry Scott Of the
Union Iron Works of San Francisco
President Orcutt Of the Newport News
6hipbnihing company; John Dialogue Of
Camden, N. j.; Messrs. Charles CFadnp
MoCammon and Williams of Cramps
Edward Hyde:of the Bath works; Suphr
intendent Wilson and Naval Architect
works and Constructor Woodward fron
Newport News.
The bids were made in three classes, ths
first calling for ships of about II, 500 tons
with speed Of 16 knots. under plans pre-
pared by the navy department.. The othel
classes were under plans prepared by tht
bidders themselves, in some cases ON ad
ing bureau, but not included in the orig
inal specifications sent out to the bidders
The hids were opened in the following
orders:
J. q. Dialogue q Co., Camden, N. j.,
one snip IN B5 months under GLASS /, fol
the sum of $2,s40, 600.
Newport News Shipbuilding Co., one
ship under clsss l., in 81 months, for the
sum Of 81, 560, 600.
One ship under class Q with speed OF
II knots, In 80 months, S2,6S0, 600; one
ship OF about 1850 tons, with speed oi
l8 knots, in 80 months, for the sum OF
%, $50, 900.
William Cramp Shipbuilding Co., OF
Philadelphia, one ship under class / in
90 months, for 50, $4,000. Two ships
under same class for 81, 625, 900 each. One
knots, in 80 months, with a tonnage of
II. 500, for $2r775, 900, or two of the same
for 90, 700, coo each; one ship Of l2, 100 tons
and speed of 1a knots in 80 months for
50, sS5, 600, or two of the same for 50, 87O..
.O0e each.
Union Iron Works of San Francisco.
one ship under class /, for 50, ,674 900 tn
81 monGhs, one ship under GLASS with q
speed OF II knots for So, 726 900 In 81
months: one with u, 200 tons. 1S knots, In
SO months for %, 8S9, 600.
A careful examination Of the bids
shows that the prices asked for these YES
sells planned in tbe department. designs
averages slightly less than the price to be
paid for the Illinois class, although these
ships are improvements in some respects
But 1t also appears that the bids are
within the limit Of cost txed by Congress
eyen when thu builders propose to make
them 16 knots speed, much better ships
than called for by the department. It y
expected that ,the only bids considered,
therefore will be for the Is knot ships.
In this case the Newport News company
is the lowest bidder but bids for only one
ship. The highest Is the Onion Iron
Works company, but the act OF Congress
allows the department. to make an a1low-
ance Of not to exceed four per cent tq
favor Of Pacific coast builders, so that
brings thefr bids within line. Cramp
comes In between them and consequently
the three ships are likely to be dietrtb-
uted geographically in that order. In the
case. Of the is knot ships both Cramp and
the Union Iron Works submitted similar
plans, these being practically the depart
ment plans langbhened about 16 feet In
order to get In tho extra horse power.
The Newport News design for the IS knot
vessel is original with them. If it should
not be satisfactory to the department. the
Cramps company viii probably get two
of the ships. The bids have bean taken
under advisement by Acting Secretary
Allen.