The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1900-12-07
PRIcr oNE crsr.
Bids FOR VAR VESSELS
Proposals Opened fer Five Battle
ships and Six Cruisers.
some of She Fighting Machines to
Be sheathed and CopDered-InItI-
alton OF the Greatest ConstrHc-
tIoa Programme Ever Undertaken
by the American Government.

tLon Programme Ever Undertaken
by the American Government.
Bids were opened in the Office Of the Sec
retary of the Navy at noon today for she
construction OF eleven armor clads OF the
first class-fve battieshfps and six armor-
ed cruisers-representin a cost to the
Government Of about ss5. .o80. 600. These
ships will comprise in tonnage more than
the tonnage OF the entire BavS CT the United
States ten years ago. and the number OF
vessels concerned is greater than the num-
ber of battfeships and armored cruisers now
in the American service. The bid opening
was the initiation Of the greatest construe-
ton prografRne which this Government
has ever undertaken. All the big ship
building firms competed and representa-
tiyes of these concerns attended The open
ing. Prominent naval officials we're pres
ent also.
The armored cruisers are the West Vir-
ginia, the Nebraska, the California. the
Maryland. the Colorado, and the South Da-
kota- The battleships are the PennsyI-
vania, the New Jersey, the Georgia. the
Virginia, and the Rhode Island Three OF
the aTmored cruisers are 10 be sheathed
and eoppered. Each OF the six vessels IN
this class is TO have a length Of SCI feet
The sheathed ships are 20 have a displaee-
ment Of $500 tons and tina unsheathed
13.4e0 tons. Every aTmored cruiser viii
be fitted as a flagship and viii have ae-
coSodations for s22 officers and men TIE
speed must be al least twenty-five knots
an hour.
The battIeships viii be the most power
full ever projected. Three OF them WI
have the saperposed or double deck tur-
ret now installed only on the kea-sarge
and the Kentucky. and the same number
viii be Sheathed and coppered- The
sheathed vessels viii be 425 feet long
and have q displacement OF about 1900
tons. The unsheathed vessels VIII be the
same length and have a displacement OF
about II 500 tons. The contract VIII call
Tor speed OF at least 1e knots an lOur-
All Eve of the battieships will be fitted
TO carry flag officers and the complement
of each will be 7e3 officers ard men Ap-
propriations for the construction OF three
of the battleships have been available
since July /. 1888. but owing to the IN
fortunate aFmOr controversy, the Navy
Depsrtment was unable TO make contracts
for their construction That controversy
has now been adjusted IN satisfactory
teeted by the best arnaor &c be obtained
Two classes OF bids we're received
namely, for sheathed and eOppeTed yes
sells. and for the same ships not sbeataed
and eoppered, the department reserying
the right 10 adopt either form Of con-
struetion- The two battleships author
lied by the act Of June :. 1909 are TO be
unsheathed and bids on them we're so
specified. Bidders were permitted also to
bid on the department plans known as
class /. or plans prepared by themselves,
known as class 2.
The most interesting fsatrrs CT the
opening was the entrance into eoInPeti-
ticn for the construction Of armcr eIads
of several firms that have heretofore coz
fned themselves TO building small ships
and torpedo boats The Cramps. CT Phil
delphia; the Union Iron Works. of San
Francisco. and the Newport News Com
pany. of Newport News, Va, have built
all tse battIeships and armored cruisers,
with the exception OF tTo constructed at
navy yards that the Government has in
service All the bids were based on the
department plans. The bids follow:
Arnored eruisers-sheathed and copper
ed. william Cramps Sens ShipbUilding
and Engine Company. Philadelphia. one
vessel authorized by the act of March 5.
1899, at s.. .Se1, GOO; act Of June :. 1850. one
vessel at So, so, COO
NeWDGTL News SE4pGlIii4ii5 COslgails
and Dry-Doch Company, Newps-t News,
Va. one vessel act March 3. s.. .SS5. eco
Fore River Engine Company. Quincy,
Mass, act March 3 one vessel a. $3.50
co., or two at s.. .95G.06e each
Union Iron Works, San Francisco, act
aarch 3, s, ,Soo, 600.
Moran Bros Company. of Seattle. Wash.
act March 3. one at S4,i32,ooe OF Two AZ
81. aGS, coo each.
Risdon Iron ana Locomotive Wcrks- q
San Francisco. act Of June Z. one vessel at
"a 075, ,o00
Armored cruisers. not sheathed or cop
gered. Newport News Shipbuilding and
Dry-Dock Company, act March 3. one ship
a; So as, ,Oe0, OF two ships at same price
each.
Fore River Engine Company act March
,. one vessel at $, So, 600. Or two at So
re. .Oeo each. act June 7. one vessel At S5.-
SOC. 600. OF two at S3,175, 600 each
Union Iron Works. act March 8, one YES
sci at SS.550, zoe; act June I, one vessel at
3.750. eco.
John H. Dialogue & Son, Camden. y. J,
act March 3, one vessel at IS. SO 00e, act
June I, one vessel al 50. .S2s, ,o60-
Moran Brothers, act March ? one vessel
at So. .ss6. Geo. or two vessels at So $4,000
each; act June =. one vessel at >. .ses. Geo,
or two vessels at 50, ,S44. .etle each
Bsttleships, unsheathed- Newport News
Company act March 3. one vessel At So
so. .0c0.
Fore River Company. act March 8 cne
vessel at So. .4S6, Geo, or two at S3 3.4o5,00o
each. Act June Z, one vessel at g, .oeo.
or two at s.. .405. $50 each
Union Iron Works, act June l, one YES
sci at SO, ,460. eco, electric plant and eosling
appliances TO be furnished by Govern
meRt
BattIeships, sheathed-Newport News
Company, act March 3. one vessel at 3d.
592. eco.
Fore River Engine Company, act Nsrch
3. one vessel at $3.50. Geo. or two at S3.
555. eco each
Union Iron FORKS. act March 8. one ves-
sci at Sc, ,600. 600
John H. Dialogue. & Son, act Of March
s one vessel at s.. 100 eco.
Moran Bros. act March 3 one vessel az
IS, ,S6a. coo. OF two vessels at s.ouo
John H. Dialogue & Son. one vessel at
$3.50, 600.
New York ShipbuiIding Company. act
March 3, one vessel at s4,i90.0ee, OF tEO
at 81, ,0T5 00e each.
Moran Brothers, act March 3. one vessel
at s.. So. 900, or two at S3.5S6. 600; act June
I. one vessel at S2,5s6,ooe, or two at 81
5Ss, eco each.
Sailor Falls Eighty Feet.
ELIZABETH, n. J., Dec T-Jessph
vertuia, sailor On the schooner John P.
Smith. which is being cverhaulea at the
New Jersey Transportation Company's