The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-03-15

Al 0sr eE&Ssslc0 xsRe1sAAy ~ S@AAe t-S
exact time &c be consumed in making
then 7. !. believed sy the officials thai
the delivery az sneh carriages could begin
n from THREE 10 four months After the
placing % orders. she difference ii tine
sepanaing upon whether or 20. the manu-
hard. and also upon the cslsser Of the gua
20 ne mounted. whether ten or twelve
inch.
The plans OK the fostifcatie board.
which are being followed In the eznplace-
mens OF these guns BY the ordnance es-
acer nf the department. contemplate the
mounting Of all the big rifles OF disappear
ing carriages. Although they are more
complicated and difficult Of manufacture
than the ordinary carriage, II s. said At
ths department that owing 20 the fact
thar the makers are now and have been
style of carriage. they can probably sup
piy them in tbs immediate future more
quickly than The ordinary carriages. and
with emergency orders Il - felt thar the
average sron works can turn ont from two
10 SIX or eight GO these carriages PSF
meath.
The ordnance officers hare discovered
TO their great satisfaction that il Is posi-
bic 10 Use the carriages OF the old afte5n-
ineh Rodnan guns 20 mount the eight and
tea-inch guns OF modern manufacture
This Is because the Roman carriages
were Of particularly heavy construction
for the guns thsy were designed 10 carr.
50 that with even the vastly increased
power OF modern ordnance. the sifteen-ineh
Rodman carriage il still able TO carry
safely an eight or ten-inch breseh-ioading
rife
OF course the expedient u only a tempo
rary one. as the carriages are very slow In
operation. according 10 modern standards,
but they would serve very we'll in an emer-
gency. The bureau Of ordnance OF the war
department; opened bids today for a large
supply Of armor- piercing proieetiles ana
for 12,No.004 bali cartridges. The bidding
brought together a nxnber OF representa-
tiyes of large steel and iron companies.
some OF whom took occasion to give as
surances that in the present emergency
government work would he given the pref
erenee over commercial orders. The BID
ders for steel psojeetilea. varying In size
from the s-inch steei-capped shot to the
i,oo'-pound shot. were the Midvaie Steel
Company. the b. Atha-Iiling sworth Com
pany. the Carpenter Steel Company and
the Furih Sterling Company.
The bids varied only slightly on the va
rious classes of heavy shot, running from
Nis each for the s-inch to sis5 each for the
Loo FOUNDERS
Although the department intends 20 ac-
ceps only one bid. or to divide the orders
between the bidders. 1t afforded sailsfac-
ton TO the authorities to know that such
large supplies could be obtained from SO
many sources on short notice The Mid
vale Company offered to begin deliveries
III twenty-five days: the Furth-Sterling
Company al the rate of iol per week after
twenty ave days; the Carpenter Company.
tweptv-h: per day after April s. and the
h. Atha-I tlngsworth Company. in ninety
days
The bids COR rifle cartridges were in two
parts: 100000 being standard metallic
bali cart: .dges with brown powder. and
.ota.ooo new cartridges with smokeless
powder.
There were three Bidders. viz: The
Union Metallic Cartridge Company. the
United States Cartridge Company and the
Winchester Repeating Arms Company.
The bids were the same IN each case.
SIS 20 for the brown powder cartridges.
and Sc for the smokeless powder car
tridges
One company offered 10 deliver 5000 at
once. and ali the offers contemplated a
delivery OF 1eo.9Oa day after a few days.
The bids for shot. shell ana cartridges
will he considered and the awards made
within the next few days.