The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1900-12-10
Metal Kings and ShipbuiId-
ers Gather at Navy De-
partment in Numbers.
CONTRACTS TO BE LET
RUN UP TO $50, 600, 600
Eight Concerns Make Figures Seek
ing the Work, and in Nearly
Every Instance the Offers
Are Well Within Limit
OF Cost Allowed.

Washington, December Never since
the birth OF the new navy has there been
such a gathering of ship builders and
metal kings as We're assembled IN the
office of the secretary OF the navy at noon
today to witness the opening bids for the
amount of the naval construction which
Secretary Long denominated as the great
est Industrial event this or any other
country had ever seen. involving the plac-
ing OF contracts Of about s50o00o0o- The
secretary left the cabinet meeting 10 pre-
eide ~ the ceremony. and associated with
him were the chiefs Of the naval bureaus,
Admiral Hichborn. Admiral Melville. Ad-
miral ONeHl and others. while among
the SPECTATORS were Henry Scott. Charles
and Edwin Cramps. Mr. Trigg. Of the
Richmond Locomotive Works; President
Morse. Manager Newman and John Lind
say. of the c(ew York Ship Building Com
pany, the New Delaware river concern;
Manager Clarke. Of the Mnes Tool Com
uany: Louis Nixon. Of the Crescent
works: President Olcott. Judge Payson
and Manager Post. of the Newport News
works; T. . Wellington and TT T IT.
well Of the Fore river works, President
Taylor ard NIr. Tarbett Of the R-dson
Shin Building Company; John Dialogue.
titled with ship building.
There We're eight bidders. and most ~
the bids We're wei within the limit OF cost
allowed by congress for the ships. The
notable feature was the attempt on the
mart of the younger and smaller concerns
to break the line Of the old organizations
which have constructed all Of the heavy
vessels of the new navy up to this time
While II is not possible ~ this moment 10
tf-f
dications that in at least one instance.
and ro-haps two instances. these attempts
viii be attended, with some degree Of sue
cess for IL looks as though some Of the
work viii be bestowed upon the Fort
river company. which appears Tor the
first time as q bidder for the construct
ing of arm0red ships. The Pacific coast
too. presents a likely candidate in the
Moran bid. Because of changes made in
the soec.'cations by the bidders. the sen
eral tendency of which Is 10 considerably
.educe the equipment Of the ships, it IS
not possible 10 tell which of the BIDS are
actually the lowest
AS read the bids for armoreh cruisers
are:
Union Iron Works. San Francisco. one
sheated and caupetco, $5,SJvyo; without
Sheat hing s5,ftttiJ-
William Cramp x Sons. Philadelphia,
Pa, one she8rhed, tut uucupperc4, S5.ss@i'-
. t.t- one uu5ttsl tllafi. S5>41-tUi-
Neru1rf News sap 8lildIG- ana DrE
Docs Company, one Snt4,n,d ana cor
lerc5. So ,>1..1. enc without sheath -
,",tt5.tae, tEis for two ships
Moran B-os = Co.. Seattle Wash, one
.itat.eL ana COZ 3eTea $tla--555 or W. ~
Sizes a.8 each. Bae without shea -1lus.
s. a3.Co8 or two AZ s3,>tl go each.
Fort River ship Bu.ailnS and isocomo-
tive Works. Quincy Mass. one z1eatatb
ana coppered S3.e55.p0U, or TWO al S5-5e.t1
each: without S1catninc. one for S5.St1,.'ff.
nr a a..
is made ais for Two more ships IT tie
same price mi under the same conditions
under the act of 1880. The preceding
bidders. Moran & B-cs. and the Newport
News com pauy. made similar propositions
John Dialogue x Sons. Camden, y. J.,
one sheathed 3.S25to0; another under the
act OF 1900 III the same price.
Ris.lon Iron and Locomotive Works. san
Francisco. one without shedtning A,u'v,-
The battleships bids as read are:
Cramp * Sons, one sheathed ana cop
pcred $3,e00000.
Newport News company. one sheathed
and coppered S,595,oc0, one unsheathed
Fort river works. one for ss5s0.oO0 or
two for S3.555.00 each. all sheathed ami
COppeTed. Without S-e&thlng enc Tor
s. &c. e9 two Tor SS.495,'u3 each y b4d
also is submitted Tor t"o more al the
same prices under the act OF 1850.
John II. Dialogue x Sons, one sheathfd
and copu,rai $s40a.101; one without
figure undcr the act of 1900.
Bath Iron Works, one sheathed ana
coppered S3.5&0000.
New York ship Building Company, one
sheatred and cope ed. S4-2ooto0 o. two At
SfIT50O0 each. Without sheathinG one
for $i1CGOC0 or two for S+015,0o0 each
This firm offers TO reduce the time limit
of completion six months.
Moran Bros. < Co, Seattle, one sheath
ed and coppered s.. Sc. 90 two sheathed
So 100 O00 each. Without sheathing. one
for So 697. 600 or two for S3.5S6 90 each. Bios
also are made Tor TWO more NJ the same
price under the act OF 1900. This firm also
offes 10 REFUGE the time limit about SIX
months.
g. 49, 600
y naval board will consider the bids and
report upon them.
The acts of congress limit the cost of
the cruisers to Sc. 100000 each. and of the
pattleships to s. 10000 for the sheathed
and 100000 for the unsheathed.
Secretary Long expressed himself as
pleased with the result of the bidding
and that the bids were very liberal
The bids wee for five new battleships
and six armored cruisers. asgregating a
total displacemcnts of 154.C0o.
OF the battleships, namely the Penn
sylVania. New Jersey. Georgia. Virginia
and Rhode Island, three are TO he sheath
ed and cOppered and Will carry super
imposed turrets: the other two are TO
be unsheatEed vessels. having ''qUadrilat-
eral arrangement OF eight inch turrets.