Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-12-07


Occasion.
Never since the birth of the new navy mas
there been such a gathering OF shipbullders
and metal kings as were assembled IN the
office Of the Secretary of the Navy at noon
today to witness the opening Of bids for an
amount Of naval construction which Secre-
tary Long denominated as the greatest In
dustrial event this or any other country had
ever seen, involving the placing OF con-
tracts for about $4,000. 600. The Secretary
himself quilted the cabinet meeting for the
purpose Of presiding at the opening, and
associated with him were the chiefs OF the
great naval bureaus, Admiral Hichborn.
Admiral Melville, Admiral ONeill, and
others.
Among the spectators were Charles and
Edwin Cramp, Mr.. Trigg of the Richmond
locomotive works, President Morse Man
ager Newman and John Lindsay of the
New York Shipbulding Company the 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. O. Wellington and II. I.
Elwell Of the Fore river works, the Moran
brothers Of Seattle, President Taylor and
Mr.. Tarbe,t Of the Risdon Shipbuilding
Company, John Dialogue of Camden, Henry
Scott of California and number of other
men identified with shipbuilding.
Most of the Bids Within the Limit.
There were eight bidders and most Of the
bids were we'll within the limit of cost al
lowed oy Congress for the ships. The
notable featur was the attempt on the part
of the younger and smaller concerns to
break the line of the old organizations.
which have constructed all of the heavy
vessels for the new navy up to this time.
While 1t is not possible al this time to
forecast results accurately, there are indi-
cations that in at least one instance, and
perhaps two instances, these attempts will
be attended with SOM degree of success,
for Indications now point strongly to the
beStoWal of some of The work upon the
Fore River Company, which appears for
the first time bidder for constructing
armored ships. The Pacific coast, too, pre-
Sents likely candidate in the MOranS bid.
Because of changes made in the speciica
lions by the bidders, the general tendency
of which is to considerably reduce the
to tell which of the bids are actually the
lowest. AS they were read, they were as
follows:
ArmOred Cruisers.
Union iron works, San Francisco-One
sheathed and coppered $3,SOO,O00; one
without sheathing 3.750.OOO. Another un-
der the same conditions, s., 100, Co., making
two in all.
William Cramp L. Sons. Philadelphia,
Pa.-One sheathed, but uncoppered, $780,
coo; one unsheathed. 81, 10000.
newport news Sn1pDullQlnS ana Dry
Dock Company-One sheathed and copper
ed, So, So, 600; one without sheathing $3775-
600; this for two ships.
Moran Bros. & Co. Of Seattle, Wash.-One
sheathed and coppered. A.132 900, or two
at s4OOS 600 each; one without sheathing,
s., 1853 600. or two at 81, S44, 600 each.
Fore River shpbuilding and Locomotive
Works, Quincy. Mass-One sheathed and
each; without sheathing. one for So, 800 600,
or two at S3115,00O. The same bid is also
made for two more ships at the same price
and under the same conditions under the
act of 1900
The preceding bidders, Moran & Bros.
and the Newport News Company made
similar propositions.
John Dialogue & Son, Camden N j.
One unsheathed, 81, $4,000 Another under
the act Of 1900 at the same price.
Risdon Iron and Locomotive Works San
Francisco-One without sheathing, 5000
600.
Rattle Ships.
Cramp 4 Sons-One shcathed and COP
pered. s36Oo,0oO.
Newport News Co.-One sheathed and
ccppered, $685., 900; one unsheathed So
$4,000.
Fore River Works-One for 81, $50 600 or
two for s., 555.oo0 each, all sheathed and
coppered. Without sheathing, one for So
10000: two for $3,405 900 each. A bid is
also submitted for two more at the same
prices unuer the act or l3bO.
John H. Dialogue & Someone sheathed
and coppered. $3,4oO,0OO. One without
sheathing, $32.D,OOo. Another at the same
figure under the act of 1900.
Bath iron works-One sheathed and cop
pered, So, $4,000
New York Shipbuilding Company-One
sheathed and coppered, $4,2GO,UOO, or two
at $4,175,O0O each; without sheathing, one
for 100000, or two for s4,075,OH each.
This firm offers to reduce the time limit of
completion six months.
Moran Bros. 4 Co., Seattle Wash.-One
sheathed and coppered, S,SG5,OO or two
for 1867 600, or two for $3,5S3OO0 each
Bids are made also for two more at the
same price under the act Of 1900. This
firm also offers reduction of the tie
limit about six months.
Union iron works-One unsheathed, 49,
$4,000.
Secretary Long Pleased.
A naval board will consider the bids and
report upon them. The acts Of Congress
limit the cost Of the cruisers to $500 600
each and OF the battle ships to $4,25O, 600
for the sheathed and 81, OO0, 600 for the un-
sheathed.
Secretary Long expressed himself as
pleased with the result Of the bidding. SO
far as he could perceive it from the hasty
reading Of the bids. He felt that on the
whole the bids were very liberal.
The New Battle Ships.
The five new battle ships. namely, the
Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Georgia, Virgin
Ia and Rhode Island are divided into two
classes to compromise upon the contro-
versy as to their turret systems Three are
to be sheathed and coppered. and will carry
superimposed turrets; the other two are to
be unsheathed vessels, having the quad
rilateral arrangement" of S-inch turrets.
Still to meet the contingency that the bids
may be In excess of the authorized cost, the
bidders were invited to submit plans In
each case for both sheathed and unsheathed
ships.
The ships Of the first-class, namely the
sheathed vessels, are to be of 1900 tons
displacement, with length Of 435 feet.
breadth of seventy-six feet ten inches, and
greatest draught of twenty-six feet. The
unsheathed ships are slightly smaller, and
on the same length are seven and one-half
inches narrower. and 400 tons less dis
placement. Both classes Of the battle ships
will compare with any in the world, not
only afloat, but projected, for they will