New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-04-24
AMERICAS NEW NAVY.
FORTY-EIGHT WARSHIPS NOW UNDER
CONSTRUCTION.

FOURTEEN FIRMS HAVE CONTRACTS
NAMES OF SHIPS AND THEIR PRICES
WORK OF CONSTRUCTION BOARD.
rBY TELEGRAPH TO THE rRIBuSEI
Washington, April 23.-The completion within
a few months Of two great batte-ships, the
Kearsarge and the Kentucky, serves to call at
tention to the remarkable rate at which the
American Navy is growing at the present time.
Except among naval officers who watch this
progress few persons realize that forty-eighty
warships are now under construction for the
United States. involving expenditures under ex-
listing contracts aggregating $33.336,60O for
huls and machinery alone. These vessels when
equipped ready for sea Will have cost over
$5O000O0Q Eight Of them are firstclass sea-
going battle-shps. as good as any afoat with
out taking into account the superiority Of the
gunners, machinists and officers to man them
Sixteen are torpedo boat destroyers averaging
twenty nine knots speed, four are heavy har-
bor-defence monitors. one is a sister cruiser to
the NewOrleans, and eighteen are torpedo
boats.
One Of the most notable facts about this vast
construction undertaking is its distribution. ex-
hibiting the great change that has taken place
in the shipbuilding industry since. at the organ
izing of the new Navy. the first four ships were
built by single firm. To-day fourteen Ameri-
can concerns building ships for the Navy,
and Of these twelve are scattered along the At
lantic Coast from Maine to Virginia, and two
are on the Pacific at Portland and San Fran
cisco. The sheathed cruiser alone is foreign
built. She was bought on the stocks from Brazil
when the with Spain became inevitable be-
cause Brazil would not sell one ship which the
United States desired without disposing OF 9TH
ers at the same time. The Navy Department
needed the Amazcnas II for nothing else than to
prevent Spain from getting her. The Nictheroy.
| at valuation Of SJ75O0O was made a part Of
the deal, and after thorough overhauling has
| become the useful Buffalo.
The AiAazonas. barely completed. cost
81 1925. and was Immediately put to good ser
vice as the New Orleans being the only Ameri-
can warship In the "a" provided with sInokeless
powder for all bat.a';es. Her sister ship. the
Almirante Abru, was then only few ribs at the
Elswick yard, at Newcastle n-Tyne. but the
Navy Department cheerfully took the contract
off the Brazilians hands at the rate of 81 205 900
and. by adding $4,000 TO that amount. will
soon have a fine cruiser in the Albany recently
| launched
The AmerIce n built ships now in various
for hull and machinery alone are distributed
among the shipyards follows
AT the Bath Iron Works Bath. Me.-The Connec-
pedo- boat; sis!O the Craven l9O-knot torpedo
Barney C2s.knot torpedo boaO, $4,000 lhe Bidde
Al George Lawiey Sons, south B9sion,,The
eakeS bsSfedsSoa t a se Deons
| At Fore River Engine Company. Weymouth,
The Macdonoush (so-knot destroyer s2s Co., total
Charles l.. seabury & Co CONSOLIDATED Morris
Heights. n. Y.-The Stewart 2s-knot destroyer,
SSs2cc the Bailey (SO-knot torpedo-boao. $4,000.
At Lewis Nixon's Crescent shipyard). Elizabeth
| Nicholson tsknot torpedo boat, sl65 900: the
S' IsE en- cs-knOt torpedO-bOao asSooo Total
"a, Willism cramp Sons Ship and Engine
edns Ship % shs &ane bats ashP
hs N Sa h d csme R
Go the Barry (2s-knot destroyer, szS3.0Oo: the
| Chauncey Gs-knot destroyer. $4,000. Total.
n, A. the Harlan lar H9lpgsworsh Company. WI
&C., the Hull sRDo d destroy eo sci fS coo the
sstringham cO-knot torpedo-boa0, $4,000. Total
| At the Columbian Iron Works and Drydock Com
he Peger kno submspne Son
AT the Maryland steel company SparroW's Point
Md.-The Truxton Cso-knot destroyer s2sSoOO: the
CSo-knot destroyer. $4,000 Total ssSs.Ooo
At the William r. Trigg Company. Richmond.
Va.The Dale (2Sknot DESTROYER: 100000: the De-
s-Enot forpedoboatl s2s75S the stockton 2s-knot
pedo- boa y. si2s 10 Total seos $50
| At Newport News ,shipbuiding and Drydock
G ssssS SsSgSF Ns ss a Sss5:S
81 800 900; the Illinois !batte,shp), $500; the
| Missouri (batte-shp). s2ss5.O0O and the Arkansas
| 1moritor) $4,000 Total $40 $4,000
| At Wolf & Sewlcker Iron Works. Portland. Ore
| At Union Iron Works Scotia San Francisco
| The Wisconsin (battle-shp), 1854 $50; the Ohio
(battle-ship). 81 s9s 900: the Wyoming (monitor)
$4,000 the Paul Jones (2sknot destroyed $685. 900
the Perry 49-knot DESTROYER. s2s5oo and the Pre-
| bic (2s-knot destroyer). s2s5oD0. Total. E33s5O.
This is gratifying showing. but in less than
year the capacity Of the largest OF these plants
| will be taxed when the plans are completed fol-
| OF Congress. and perhaps there will be new
! competitors for the work. OF the latter YES
sells nothing has been done about the three
battle-ships and three great armored cruisers
| because of the impossibility OF contracting fol-
their armor within CONGRESSES limitation OF
| price, but the Naval Board on Construction has
gone far enough with the six smaller cruisers
| to have heated sessions several times each
| week marked by a repetition OF similar tactics
| 10 those which caused The Tribune TO take
| hand In securing for the Government Its moneys
worth for the battle-ships Maine Missouri and
| Ohio and the monitors.
| o,.,,oprp <yT IN TCTEpUONE RjTES