Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1898-08-24
FOURTEEN FIRMS AFTER TORPEDO
BOAT CONTRACTS.
BIG ADDITIONS TO THE NAVY
CRAMPS AND HERESCHOFFs NOT
AMONG THE BIDDERS.
Bids for Torpedo Boats Run About
100000 Each. and for Torpedo
Boat DestrOyers About
$2S5.OOO Each-4O Knot
Boats offered.


partment opened bids at noon to-day for
sixteen torpedo boat destroyers and twelve
torpedo boats. to cost in the aggregate not
to exceed Sl6,@O, Coo, as provided in the last
naval appropriation act. These twenty
eight destroyers and torpedo boats consti-
tute 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. Ac-
cordinS to the requirements of the de-
partment, the destroyers are to have a
guaranteed speed of twenty-eight knots
anG the torpedo boats twenty-six knots.
The destroyers are to be about 400 tons.
and are to cost not more than $500 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 ves-
sells of that type added to our navy, ex-
cept those improvised from yachts during
the recent war emergency. They are to
have twin screws. vertical engines and a
bunker capacity for carrying at least 10O
tons of coal. affording some protection to
engines and boilers.
The vessels will be lighted throughout
by electricity.
They are to be built stanch and strong.
with good freeboard, good seagoing quail
tiles and designed to operate at high speed
in sea way.
The battery of each will be composed
OF seven rapid-fire guns. The ammunition
required will weigh about seven tons.
There will be mounted on the midship line
two twenty-foot torpedo tubes to carry sew
enteen-inch torpedoes.
Berthing space will be required to ac-
commodate a crew of sixty men and four
-,Sin fyya nfy
days.
The torpedo boats are of much the same
design, but will be smaller Their coal ca
Eacity will be forty tons. against 100 tons
Tor the destroyers and their berthfng space
1or twenty-six men and three officers. The
battery will be composed of three rapid
fire guns. There will be mounted on deck
three ftteen-foot torpedo tubes.
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 confusion. Some of
take two weeks to get the bids fully tabu-
lated. as they took wide range. owing
to the departments call for two classes OF
propositions. one based strictly on the de-
others based on the individual ideas of the
builders. all essential requirements being
followed.
The first bid was that Of the Bath Iron
speed twenty-nine and five-tenths knots, at
s16l 600. or four at $4,000 each: one de-
stroyer of twenty-nine knots at s2e2 900;
two at s2:1,O go or three at $780, 500.
Dialogue & Son. Camden, N. j., one tor
pedo boat destroyer. twenty-nine knots. at
s2s3. Coo. or two at s2S5:090 each:
Columbia Iron works. Baltimore, Nd.
one to four torpedo boats. twenty-six
knots. at s1sonoo each: also. under dineren,
plans. one torpedo boat. slSs, 600: two, sls5.-
900: three. s1s3Ooo. or four. s1sl 900 each:
se93 COO; two. 500. 600: three or four or five
s2Ss,co0 each: also destroyers under differ
ent plans. one or two at scse, so; three, four
or five, at s2so. COO each.
Neafy Levy. Philadelphia. for destroyers.
twenty-nine knots, two. s2s4. Geo: three, $685.
COO each.
William R. Trigg. Richmond. torpedo
boats. twenty-siX knots. one at $50. 900: two.
each: also destroyers. one. 5000; two.
saeoco; three. $4,000; four. $4,000: five.
s23s COO each.
Union Iron works. San Francisco. Cal.
two or three. SIS. go each: also destroyers
under second class, one 294.0O: two. $2s2.
900: three $2s1 $50 each.
Maryland Steel Company. Maryland. de-
stroyers, two of thirty knots. $2a4 600: three,
s2ss COO: three different bid) s2S30OO; four.
$2s2 eco each.
George Lamley. South Boston. torpedo
boats. one. twenty-stx knots. slSe. go: two,
SiaS.fU. also tCiIteleHt piaHSp OHe. SlasSV,
two. 400 each: also different plans) one.
s157 40: two. sI53.eN9 each.
Lewis Nelson. EiiZabethport. N. J.. tor
pedo boats. twenty-six knots: one. $1ss 600;
two sl65 CO.,
Harlan HollIngsworth Company. VII
Mington, Del. destroyers twenty-nire
knots. one. so. .O60: two. ss91 600.
Fall River Engine Company. Weymouth.
Mass, one destroyer. thirty knots. s2Se 0J0:
one torpedo boat. slsi.o00: also different
plans) one destroyer. s2s1 0t0: three. $50 600:
knots and one twenty-eight knots seS2 900
and se7a Ha0 respectively: also torpedo boats,
one Sls6 OIG; three s15e COO each
Gas Engine and Power Company. New
York destroyers. one. s2S5Oo1: also one de-
stroyer and one torpedo boat. s42S GO for
both, or two destroyers and one torpedo
boat. s7S9o00 or two destroyers and two
and three torpedo boats saS1 600.
Richard B. Peyton. Williamsport. Pa. de-
stroyer. forty knots one s2s5 GoO: four $2a5.-
eco: also one to four. thirty knots. $4,000:
also one to four thirty-five knots. 500 coo.
This at forty knots caused some comment.
Walt & Zwicker. Portland Ore. one tor
pedo boat. $40. GO: two. S165 00a: three. $685.
100: four. $162.SO0: also destroyers. twenty
nine and one-duarter knots, one, $3.50 90:
ers one s295 900: two $291 100: three, $2S9 OI
This closed the bids. The naval officials
commented on the absence of the Cramp
firm and the Hereschofs among the bid
ders. The bids will be tabulated and the
awards made at the earliest day practi-
cable. Aside from the price. there are
many details in each bid. time Of delivery.
displacement, speed design. ETC.. which will
have to be considered in making the