The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-08-24
Twenty-eight New Vessels to Be
Constructed at Once.
WHAT THEY WILL COST
PROPOSITION TO BUILD 40 KNOT
DESTRoYERS.
One Shipbuilder Willing to Guarantee
This Enormous Speed-First Des-
troyers to Be Built For Our Navy
Must Have Minimum Speed of
IS Knots.

Washington, Aug. 23-The navy de-
partment opened bids today for 16 tor
pedo boat destroyers and II torpedo
boats, to cost in the aggregate not to
exceed $16.sOo,OOO, as provided in the
last naval appropriation act.
These IS destroyers and torpedo boats
constitute the largest single addition
ever made to the navy The deStroyers
are to be completed within IS months
and the torpedo boats within u
| months.
According to the requirements of the
department, the destroyers are to have
a. guaranteed speed of % knots, and the
| torpedo 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 $50 tons
and to cost not more than $4,000 each.
| These destroyers will be the first yes
! sells of that type added to our navy
| except those improvised from yachts
during the recent war emergency. They
are to have twin screws, vertical en-
gines and bunker capacity for carry
! ing at least 100 tons of coal, affOrding
some protection to engines and boilers.
i The vessels will be lighted throughout
! by electricity. They are to be built
staunch and strong, with good free
| board, good sea going qualities and de-
| signed to operate at high speed in a
sea way. The battery will be composed
{ of seven rapid fire guns. The ammuni-
| ton required will weigh about seven
tons. There will be mounted on the
midship line two 20foot torpedo tubes,
| to carry 17-inch torpedoes. Berthing
space will be required to accommodate
a crew of so men and four officers, and
provisions and space for 20 days.
The torpedo boats are of much the
| N1,r.,.
coal capacity will be 40 tons, against
100 tons for the destroyers, and their
berthing space for 26 men and three
officers. The battery will be composed
of three rapid firing guns. There will
be mounted on deck three 15-inch tor
pedo tubes with torpedoes.
BIDS OPENED.
Representatives OF all the great ship
building firms were present when the
bids were opened. The bids, plans, etc,
were piled several feet high, and there
promised to be much delay and con-
fusion. Some of the department Of
ficials thought it would take two weeks
to get the bids fully tabled. as they
took a wide range, owing to the depart
ments call for two classes of oroDo-
sitions, one based strictly on the de-
partment's plans and specifications.
end others based on the individual
IQCdS u tic culIQcIS oil CSSSIilldl It.
quirements being made.
The first bid was that of the Bath
Iron works, Bath, Me, for one torpedo
boat, speed 20 $40 knots, at S161, 000 or
four at s161, 600 each; one destroyer of
20 knots, at 1922, 900; two at 1921, 900, or
three at $3.50 900.
Union Iron works, San Francisco:
Destroyers, 20 knots, one 1924. 900; two
or three, $2S5,00O each; also destroyers,
under second class, one s294,0 900; two
$3.50 900; three, 1921, 800 each.
Wolfe & SeWicker, Portland, Ore:
One torpedo boat $4,000; two, $165, 900;
three, S163, 400; four, s162,500; also de-
stroyers, 291z knots. one, S289,000; two,
$2S5, 600; three, $3.50, 900; also deStroyers,
Co.,
Neither Cramp nor herreshoff bid.
1t will take some time to decide which
are the most advantageous bids.
Other bids were:
Dialogue &. Son, Camden, N. J., one
torpedo boat destroyer, 90 knots, at
$293, 900, or two at S2S5, 900 each.
Columbia Iron Works, Baltimore,
Md. one to four torpedo boats, &c
knots. at 100000 each; also, under diff
ferent plans, one torpedo boat, $685.,
600; two, $685. 600: three, $163, 900: or
four, $l61 900 each; also one destroyer,
IS knots, ait s293,O0O; two, 1921, goo;
three. four or five, $289,000 each; also
destroyers under different plans, one
or two at $685., 800; three, four or five
at $282. 900 each.
Neafy Levy, Philadelphia, for des-
troyers, 90 knots. two, $2S4, 900; three,
1888, 900.
william R. Trigg, Richmond-Tor-
pedo boats. 26 knots; one at 100000;
two, $15O,OOO each; three, $129, ESQ; four,
S114.759 each; also destroyers, one
four, s240.000: five, $233, 900 each.
Maryland Steel Company. Maryland
-Destroyers. two of 80 knots, S294O0O;
three, 1886, coo; three different bid),
S2SS,0OO: four. s2S2,oOO each.
George Langley, South Boston-Tor-
pedo boats. one 26 knots, 1882, 900; two,
$159,4OO; also different plans, one,
ent plans, one, $157,4O0; two, $153,9O0 |
each.
Lewis Nelson at Elizabeth, N j
Torpedo boats. rs knots, one, S16S,0O0;
two, S165. GO0
Harlan Hollingsworth Company,
Wilmington, Del-Destroyers, 20 knots,
one. 1924, 900: two, 1921, 600.
Fall River Engine Company, Wey-
mouth, Mass.-One destroyer 80 knots, |
S2S6.000; one torpedo boat, 1854, 000 also, |
different plans, one destroyer, 1921, 600; |
three, $780, 00; also, destroyers, diff |
ferent plans, one 80 knots and one rs |
knots, s2s2.0G0 and s272, 900 respectively; |
also, torpedo boats, one, 100000; three, |
$159, 600 each.
Gas Engine & Power Company, New |
York-DesGroyers one, $2S5,0O0; also, i
one destroyer and one torpedo boat,
s42S,000 for both: or two destroyers and
one torpedo boat, S7S0,000; or two des-
troyers and two torpedo boats, $685.
300; or two destroyers and three tor
pedo boats. $685., 600.
Richard b. Peyton, Williamsport,
Pa.-Destroyer. 40 knots, one, 1926 00O;
four $685., 600; also one to four, 80 knots,
$3.50, 600; also one to four, So knots, $780,
l0O
The foregoing bid at 40 knots caused
some comment.
This closed the bids. The naval of
icers commented on the absence of
the Cramp firm and the Herreshoffs
among the bidders. The bids will be
-abulated and the awards made at the
earliest day practicable.
Aside from the bids, there are many
details in each bid, such as design,
time Of delivery, ETC.,
which viii have to be considered in
making the awards.
SALE OF NAVAL VESSELS.