The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-12-08
Propositions Received by Secretary
OOO,OOO Worth of Floating Forts.
NEW BUILDERS TO THE FRONT
ALL BIDS WELL WITHIN THE LIMIT
OF COST FIxED BY CONGRESS-. s.
Eleven Armor C1ads OF the First Glass,
Six Cruisers and Five Battle
ships, to he Constructed.

WASHINGTON. Dec. Z-Never since the
birth Of the new navy has there been such
a gathering of shipbuilders and metal
kings as were assembled in the Office of the
secretary of the navy at noon to-day 20
witness the opening of bids for an amount
OF naval construction which Secretary
Long denominated as the greatest indus
trial event this or any other country had
ever seen, involving the placing of con-
tracts for about $50, 900, 900. The bids call
for the construction of eleven ironclads
OF the first class-five of the most powerful
hattleships ever built, and six armored
cruisers of great speed and size. The ar
mored cruisers are TO be the West Vir-
ginia, the Nebraska, the California, the
Maryland. the Colorado and the South Da-
kota. The battleships will be the Penn
sylvania, the New Jersey, the Georgia, the
Virginia and the Rhode Island.
Secretary Long left the Cabinet meeting
for the purpose Of presiding at the cere-
mony of opening the bids. Associated with
him were the chiefs of the great naval
bureaus, Admiral Hichborn. Admiral Mel
Vile; Admiral O'Neill and others. Among
the spectators were Henry Scott. Charles
and Edwin Cramp, Mr.. Trigg of the Rich
mond locomotive works; President Morse.
Manager Newman and John Lindsay. Of
the New York S~hipbuilding Company. tho
new Delaware river concern; Manager
Clarke. Of the Miles Tool Company; Louis
Nixon. of the Crescent works: President
Olcott, Judge Payson and Manager Post,
of the Newport News works; F. u. Wei
lington and III. T. Elwell, of the Fore river
works Of Massachusetts; the Moran Broth
ers, Of Seattle; President Taylor and Mr..
Tarbett, of the Risden Shipbuilding Com
pany; John Dialogue. Of Camden, and 4
number of others identified with shipbuild-
ing.
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 concerns
to break the lines of the old organizations.
which have constructed all of the heavy
vessels Of the new navy up to this time.
While it is not possible at this moment to
forecast results accurately, there are indi-
cations that in at least one instance and
perhaps two instances. these attempts will
be attended with some degree of success,
for IT looks as though some of the work
will be bestowed on the Fore River CON-
pany, which appears for the first time as
a bidder for constructing armored ships.
The Pacific coast. too, presents a likely
candidate in the Morans' bid. Because of
changes made in the specifications by the
bidders, the general tendency of which is
to reduce considerably the equipment of
the ships, 1t is not possible yet to tell
which of the bids are actually the lowest.
AS read they are as follows:
-Armored Cruisers
Union Iron Works, San Francisco-One
sheathed and coppered, s, 900; one with
out sheathing, 50. 0,OOO; another under
same conditions, So, $50, 600, making two in
all.
William Cramp & Sons, Philadelphia, Pa.
One sheathed but uncoppered, $780, 900;
one Jnsheathed, 50, $4,000.
Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry.
Docks Company-One sheathed and COP
pered. 3d. $50, 900; one without sheathing, g.
776. 900: this for two ships.
Moran Bros. & Co, Seattle, Wash.-One
sheathed and coppered. H,1S2,oM or two at
81, 00S, 900 each; one without sheathing, 49,
96S. 600, or " at, 81. S44. 600 each.
Fore River Shipbuilding and Locomotive
Works, Quincy. Mass-One sheathed and
coppered, $S,975,W0, or two at S,S5O,WO each;
without sheathing, one for $500. 000, or two
at So. 775.O0o each. The same bid is made
for two more ships at the same price and
under the same conditions. under the act
of 1900. The preceding bidders, Moran
pIOo. ~ w.. dlu liz A>CNPOll ANt"o SOll-
pany, made similar propositions.
John Dialogue * Son, Camden, N J.-One
sheathed, 3,S25, 600; another under the act
of 1900 at the same price.
Risden Iron and Works. San
Francisco-One without sheathing, si,075,-
600.
-Battleships.-
Cramp & Sons-One sheathed and cop
pered. S3,600,000.
Newport News C~ompany-One sheathed
o-I nOD1orol e. zoo Oll. npa ChnnfhaA e9 -
Fore River Works-One for $3.50. 900. or
two for So, 600 each. all sheathed and
coppered; without sheathing, one for $3.-
430, 000, two for So, 405. 600 each. A bid also
IS submitted for two more at the same
prices under the act of 1900.
John H. Dialogue & Son-One sheathed
and coppered, So. 100000; one without sheath
ing, s., $4,000 another at the same figure
Under the act of 1900.
Bath Iron Works-one shsathed and cop
rered, So, 5S0,000.
New York Shipbuilding C~ompany-One
sheathed and coppered. 100000. or two at
$4.175,0 900 each. Without sheathing, one for
81, 10O,O 900, or two for $.075,000 each. This
firm offers to reduce the time limit of COM
pletion six months
Moran Bros. & Co., Seattle, Wash.-One
sheathed and coppered, IS. S65, 600. or two at
50, 1890 o each. Without sheathing, one for
$685., 900, or two for S.5S6.OOO each. Bids
also are made for two more at the same
price under the act of 1900. This firm also
offered to reduce the time limit about six
months.
Union Iron works-One unsheathed,
So, AGO. 600.
A naval board will consider the bids and
report upon them. The acts of Congress
limit the cost Of the cruisers 10 $,600,00g
each and for the battleships to $4.250.o0
for the sheathed and 81, 600. 600 for un-
sheathed. Secretary Long expressed him
self as pleased with the result. so far as
he could judge from a hasty reading OF the
bids. He felt that, on the whole, the bids
were, very liberal.