The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1900-12-13
ENORMOUS
SUMS.
FIFTY MILLIONS TO BE EX-
PENDED FOR WAR
VESSELS.
elEvEn nEv sAT1lEsnsps Aso eav.s-
-. kB8,

LASD~ ApptODtaedion Hor war teooels
Ever Msds Eight Bidders In the Field
Greas Ind.strial Revival.
Special to the Charlotte Observer.
WASHINGTON, Dec. 7th Never
since the birth Of the new navy has
there been such gathering OF ship
builders and metal kings as was
sssembl In the office OF The Sec
retary OF the Navy, At noon today.
to witness the opening Of bids for
an amount of naval construction
which Secretary Long denominated
as the greatest industrial event
this, or any other country had ever
seen, involving the placing Of con-
tracts for about $5O,OOo,OOO The
cabinet meeting to preside at the
ceremony, and associated with him
were the chiefs Of the great naval
bureaus, Admiral Hichborn, Ad
miral Melvill, Admiral O'Nei and
others. Among the spectators we're
Henry Scott, Charles and Edwin
Cramp, Mr.. Trigg, of the Richmond
L comotive Works; Pres d 9 n t
Morse, Manager Newman and John
Lindsay, of the New York Ship
Building Company, the New Della
ware river concern; Manager Clark,
of the Miles Tool Company; Louis
Nixon, of the Crescent Work; Pres.
ident Olcott, Judge Psyson, and
Manager Post, of the Newport
News Works; F. o. Wellington and
q. T. Elwell, of the Fore River
Works; the Moran Brothers. of Se-
attic; President Taylor and Mr.
Tarbett, of the Risdon Ship Build.
ing Company; John Dialogue. OF
Camden, and q number Of others
Identified with ship building. There
were eight bidders, and most of the
bids were we'll within the limit Of
cost allowed by Congress for the
ships. The notable feature was the
attempt on the part Of the younger
and smaller conceros to break the
line OF the old organization, which
hava4constructed all of the heavy
vessels of the new navy, up to this
time. While 1t is not possible at
this moment to forecast results &C
curately, there are Indications that
in at least one instance. and per
hsps two Instances, these attempts
will be attended with some degree
of success, for 1t looks as though
some OF the work will be stowed
upon the Fore River Company
which appears for the first time At
q bidder for constructing armOred
ships The Pacific coast, too, pre-
senis q likely candidate in the Mo
rams bid. Because of changes made
in the Specifications by the bidders
the general tendency of which IL
to considerably reduce the equip
ment of the ships, 1t is not 90 -sibl'
yet to tell which Of the bids are act
ually the lowest.
A naval board will consider th'
bids ana report upon them Tht
acts of Con9r. ga limit the cost o
cruiser to So 100000 each and o
the battleships to 81 25O, 900 for tn
sheathed and ST 600 600 for the un
sheathed Secretary Long expressed
himself as pleased with the re,ul
of the bidding aud said that tn
bids we're very liberal
The bids we're for Ave nex bat
tleships and six armored cruisers
aegregating q total displacement o
154 600 tons. OF the bait eships
namely, The Pennsylvania, New
Jersey, Georgia, Virginia and Rhod
Island, three are to be sheathe'
} and coppered, and will carry super
imposed turrets: tho other two ar
to be unsheathed vessels, havin
the "quadriteral arrangement Q
, 8-inch turrets.