Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1899-11-02
WORK STARTED YESTERDAY
ON THE KEEL OF THE FIRST PACIFIC
MAIL LINER.
An Idle Rumor. Cost of the Comus. BUS
for The Cruisers. Other sh p
yard Notes.

| w OIh MAS SlSil lSu ' ''t@t N'S,S
for the first two new steamships 10
the Pacific Mall Steamship Company.
Work on the second keel Will D
started Just as soon as the ways ar
ready. The material is on the ground
These steamships will be the larges
ever built in the United states AM
| when completed will rank fourth o.
the list of the levianthans OF the wor!u
The first work tn be done on the kee
for the new ship is to put down IN
wearing strip, which is the bottom
the shin, standing all of &c RUBBING
and being the part which rests on IN
blocks in a dry dock when the snip \
put in for repairs. Next the ansi
pieces are put in place and then lhe VI
teal keel is built. The. ribs go IN ate
that and then the vessel commences y
take shape. !,
completed in December. l9uo' an
March, 1901.
AN IDLE RUMOE.
a rumor has been in circulation
here for several days to the effect tina
the British government has made IN,
Morgan Line an Offer OF S700,OOO casl
for each of it's four new steamship
of these ships WAS $GW.0O0.
Those persons in position to know sa!
that the rumor lacks foundation ana /!
not plausible, as the British govern
ment would not come to this country
to buy ships as auxiliary war vessel!
when there are hundreds of them II
her own waters available.
OF course the report was received
here with pleasure as such deal woult
mean four more ships to be built at the
shipyard here. but those who are look
ing for more ships to build as an out
come Of this rumor will be dlsappoint'
ed.
COST OF THE CoMUs.
The new steamship Comus. which
will be launched here on the 9th. and
will be added to the Cromwell Line
New York Now Orleans fleet. vii
cost about $3.50. 900, which is $4,000 mor'
than the cost OF each of the four new
Morgan Liners. The Protcus, sister
shin of the Comus. vii cost the same.
The additional cost in building tn:
Cromwell ships. which are Of the same
dimensions as the Morgan vessels. !:
for passenger accommodations, witt
which the Morgan liners are not fitted
This will be the only difference in the
ships of the two lines.
BIDS FOR CRUISERS.
The Baltimore Sun of Yesterday said
the bids for the six new cruisers OF the
Denver type would be opened at thu
Navy Department in Washington. The
lowest bids have not been received
here yet and it Is not known which
shipyards put in estimates.
In part the Suns special from Wash,
ington says:
Bids will be opened tomorrow fol
six small cruisers. to cost in the aggre-
gate nearly $4,000, 600. There has beer
much comment in regard to the low
speed exacted OF the contractors who
will build the ships. but the question
was fully discussed by the Board OIL
Construction. and after long consider
alton the specifications were adopted
requiring only 1G.5 knots speed. 1t Is
desired to have these ships as peace
warships." vessels which will be of ser
vice in various places where war doe;
not exist and where there is little
chance of conflict, but where there Is
the moral need Of the presence of d
raval vessel carrying the American
flag.
THE bidding tomorrow promises to lie
spirited. These firms have asked fol
plans and specifications and will prob.
ably be represented in the list OF bid
ders: Atlantic Works. East Boston
Bath (Me.) Iron Works: Columbia Iror
Works. Baltimore: Cramp & Sons
Philadelphia: Crescent Shipyard, Ellz.
abeth, N. j.; Delaware River 1ror
Works. Chester, Pa. Dialogue & Sons
Camden. N. j.; Fore River Engine Co.
Weymouth. Mass; Harlan 6 Holdings.
worth. Wilmington. Del: Lawley
Sons. South Boston; Maryland Stree,
Company, Baltimore; G. p. Moody
;Boston: Marion Bros. Company, Seat.
tie, Wash; Neatic & Levy. Philadel.
.phia; Newport News Shlpbuilding Com
pany. Newport News. Va: Fusey &
Jones Company. Wilmington. Del.
Trigg & Co.. Richmond, Va: Wolff &
wicker. Portland. Ore: GAS Engine
Power Company. New York; Townsend
& Downey, New York, and Williamson
Bros. Philadelphia"