Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1900-12-08
NEW FIGHTING SHIPS ARE
TO HAVE RACING SPEED.
BIDS OPENED FOR THE CONSTRUC-
TION OF ELEVEN FLOAT
ING FORTS.
SENTING HIGHEST DEVELOP
MENTS OF NAVAL ART.


since the birth of the new navy has
| there been such a gathering of ship
builders and metal kings as were as
sembled in the Office of the Secretary
of the Navy at noon to-day to witness
the opening of bids for an amount of
naval construction which Secretary
Long denominated as the greatest in
dustrial event this or any other coun-
try had ever seen, involving the plac-
ing of contracts for about $4,000, 900.
The secretary left the cabinet meeting
for the purpose of presiding at the
| ceremony. Associated with him were
the chiefs of the great naval bureaus,
Admiral Hichborn, Admiral Melville,
Admiral ONeil ana others.
There were eight bidders and most
of the bids were all 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 line of
the old organizations which have con-
structed all of the heavy vessels of the
| new navy up to this time
While it is not possible at this mo-
ment to forecast results accurately,
there are indications that in at least
one instance, and perhaps two in
stances, these attempts will be attend
ed with some degree of success, for it
looks as though some Of the work will
be bestowed upon the Fore River Com
pany, which appears for the first time
as bidder for constructing armored
ships The Pacific coast, too, presents
a likely candidate in the Morans' bid
Because of changes made in the speci-
ncations by the bidders, the general
tendency of which is to reduce con-
siderably the equipment of the ships,
it is not possible yet to tell which of
the bids are actually the lowest
Bidds were opened for five new bat
| tleships and six armored cruisers, ag-
| gregating a total displacement of 154,-
tons and comprising the largest con-
signment of material for the navy ever
| contracted for at single bidding. The
three battleships authorized by the act
Of March, 1899, were never contracted
for owing TO the delays in the procure
ment of armor bids; in the completion
Of designs and controversy as to wheth-
er the new supreimposed turret should
| be used in their construction. Inabil-
| ity to reach a satisfactory conclusion in
regard to sheathing delayed cOnstruc-
ton of the three armored cruisers au-
| thorized by the same act. These points
| have been adjusted.
The five battleships, namely, the
Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Georgia,
Virginia and Rhode Island, are divided
into TWO classes to compromise upon
the controversy as to their turret sys-
| tens. Three are 10 be sheaUhed and
! coppered. and viii carry supermposed
turrets; the other two are to be IN
sheatRed vessels, having the "Quadrilat-
eral arrangement" of S-inch turrets. To
meet the contingency that the bids may
be in excess of the authorized cost, the
bidders were, however, invited to sub
nit plans in each case for both sheath
ed and unsheathed ships.
The sheathed vessels are to be of 49,
900 tons displacement with length Of
436 feet. breadth of IS feet, 10 inches,
and greatest draft Of 26 feet. The IN
sheathed ships are slightly smaller,
and on the same length are ~ inches
narrower and 400 tons less displace-
ment Both classes Of battleships will
compare with any in the world not only
afioat but projected for they will have
a speed Of al least 10 knots, which is
expected TO run up TO 1919, great
/ pace for a battleship. which will be
maintained by twin-screw engines of
$4,000 horsepower supplied by TWEEN
| ty-four water tube boilers.
The radical difference in the bat
| tleships to the outward appearance will
/ lie in the turrets. Each ship will carry
four Pinch guns. which are of the
/ extraordinary length of forty cali
/ bers or twenty feet in the bore. OF the
new type just turned out by the ord
| nance bureau, and superior in effieien-
4 cy to any 12-inch gun in the world.
and at least equal TO the 13-inch guns
which have marked the maximum cal
iber in the American navy. In the
three sheatted vessels pair OF s.
| inch guns will be mounted on the top
Of each Of the 12-inch turrets. Four
other S-inch guns will be distributed
in two turrets smidships on these YES
sells.
The unsheathed vessels will have all
OF their S-inch guns mounted in four
independent turrets, one placed at each
corner Of the oblong superstructure.