The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-10-02
MANY BIDDERS ON
THE NEW MONITORS.
Lowest Are Far Within the Limit OF
Cost Fixed by the Act Of Con-
gress Authorizing Them.

gress Authorizing Them.
NEW YORK, Oct. la special to the
Tribune from Washington says: The open
ing OF bids at the navy department today
for the slngle-turret coast defense Uoni-
tors-ths Arkansas, the Connecticut. the
Florida and the WyomiEg-prouases 10
demonstrate that remarkably large num-
Der of shipbuilding plants are prepared to
undertake the construction OF large war
vessels and TO show that the shipbu.lding
industry is growing more rapidly in this
country than has been fully appreciated.
Naval officers have been surprised at the
interest manifested by concerns who have
hitherto heSitated to undertake govern
men, work. with It's rigid specifications.
and are gratifiei by the appearance of sew
eral new establishments in the competi-
tion. From the number making inquiry
a. the navy department. 1t is expected that
at least eleven companies viii present pro-
posals. In fact, the Cramps, Of Philadel-
Iiiia, Is the only company on the Atlantic
coast tha. have given no attention to the
competition.
The W. Fl. & A. Fletcher Company, of
Hoboken, y. j., who built the Puritan. the
Priscilla, the Plymouth and other Sound
steamers. constructing the hulis at New
buTgh, who have heretofore undertaken no
government contracts, the Maryland Steel
Company, OF Sparrow Point, Nd, who
have Just secured their first contract for
torpedo boat destroyers: the Delaware
Shipbuilding Company. Of Chester. Pa.
owners of the plant OF the late John Reach,
who built the first vessels OF the new navy
and several OF the douhle-tgrre: monitors
In that yard; the Harlan & Ho.lngsworth
Company, Wilmington. Del. vito built the
Amph.trite: the Union Iron Works. San
Francisco builders of the Oregon. the
Olympia. the Charleston, the San Francis
co, the Monterey and several smaller gun
boats end torpedo boats; the Newport
News Company, contractors for four hrsst-
class ha.Leships and as many gunboats:
the Columbian Iron Works. builders Of the
Detroit. the Montgomery and several tor
pedo boats; Lewis Nixon. Of Elizabeth. y.
J., builders OF the Annapolis: the Bath
Iron Works. Bath, Ne. builders Of the Ia
taheln, the Castine the Machias and three
torpedo boats. and John Dialogue. of Cam
den. =. j.. who managed after exasperat-
Ing delays - finish the gunboat Princeton,
viii be the'bliders.
For the four vessels congress appropri-
ated s., "a. 0o each This Is however. not to
include the COS; OF the armor the latter
| material 20 be purchased separately by the
! government. The weight of arrnor on each
OF the new monitors is about 30 tons. and
az the limit OF price for arnor fixed by
congress of 500 a ton this reduces the
amount available to bidders for each shin
TO about 81. 80 90.
The lowest bidders for building the four
monitors were In TIE order named as fol-
lows: Nixon, Elizabeth. n. j.. So 40.
Newport News. $3.50. ooo: Bath Iron Works
Bath. Me. 5000: Union Iron Works. san
Francisco. $4,000
Wolf & Zwicker. OF Portland, Or. bid
So 10
The monitors are 20 be built strictly in
accordance with the departments designs
In type they have no duplicates in modern
ship construction. and more than ANYTHING
else resemble the little monitors which DIS
tinguishsd themselves IN the civil war. IN,
vastly superior IN actual power. Their
usefulness Will be strictly limited TO coas,
defense. Their speed viii be twelve knots
abcut double that Of the old vessels Their
batteries WI consist of two Finch breeca-
loading rifles. capable OF piercing The sides
OF nine-:enths Of the naval vessels Of the
word. -Four 4-lnch rapid-flre guns and
eleven smaller ca1lber rapid-are guns ike
those that did such service in the aestruc-
fio1 81 Cervera's . feet.
T'he monitors viii be - zee: long. - feet
h~oa1 a~,8 draw ahostt s9sa fact re vrafar