The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1900-12-08
BIDS OPENED FOR HUGE
WARSHIP CONTRACTS
New Firms Try TO Get a Share Of the Building Of
Heavy Additions TO the Navy.
Seattle Firm May Succeed-Metal Kings Gaher-Fve Bat
teships and Six Cruisers to Cost $sO,OOO,OOO.

washington. Dec 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 to-
day 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 contracts for about $50
900. COO 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 Hichboru. Admiral
Melville, Admiral O'Neil and others.
Among the spectators We're Henry
Scott Charles and Edwin Cramp. Mr.
Trigg of the Richmond Locomotive
works: President Morse Manager New
man and John Lindsay of the New
York Ship Building company. the new
Delaware river concern Manager
Clarke of the Miles Tool company.
/ Lewis Nixon of the Crescent works.
President Oicott. Judge Payson and
Manager Post Of the Newport News
works. r. o. Wellington and II T. FL
well of the Fore River " CrSs OF
Massachusetts. the Moran Brothers of
! Seattle, President Taylor and M. Tar
bett Of the RisdOn Ship Building COM
pany. John Dialogue of Camden ana a
number Of others identified with ship
/ building.
Young Firm Try to Break In.
! There were eight bidders. and most
of the bids were we'll within the limits
/ Of cost allowed by congress for the
ships. The notable feature was the
] l.
firms to break the line of the older
I organiza lions which have constructed
! all the vessels of the new navy up 10
I this time.
/ While ii is not possible at this moment
/ to forecast results accurately, there
! are indica lions that in at least one
instance and perhaps TWO instances
I these attempts win be attended with
/ some degree of success, for it looks as
| though some of the work viii be
/ bestowed upon the Fore River COM
! pany, which appears for the first time
/ as bidder for constructing armOrec
ships. The Pacific coast, too. presents
/ likely candidate in the Moran Broth
ers. Because Of changes made in The
1 specifiea tons. the general tendency OF
| which is to reduce considerably the
| equipment Of ships, Il IS not possible
| yet to tell which OF the bids are actu-
ally the lowest.
Bids For The Contracts.
As read they are as follows,
/ Armored cruisers.
/ Union Iron Works, san Francisco
/ one sheathed and cOppered. $3,S00.100
/ one without sheathing, S3,15O,O0O; an
/ other. under the same conditions
So. 750. GOO: making two in all.
| William Cramp K Sons, Philadelphia
one sheaIhed. but Uncoppered, $3.50,
| geo: one unsheathed, $3,7s0, 600.
Newport News ShiDhuiiding c0mEany
/ one sheathed and coopeTed, s3,SS5.000
/ one without sheathing. S3.715. 600 This
I for two ships.
Moran Bros. &, Co, Seattle. Wash
! one sheathed and C0ppered, $4.1520Go
or two al 81 COS, 600 each. One without
| sheathing. So. 963. COO. or two al S3,SS4,O0l
/ each
Fore River Ship Building and Loco
motive Works. Quincy Mass. ont
sheathed and coppered, s9,915OeO- or tw'
/ at So, $50 .800 each. Without sheathlns
one for s.. S00,O00 or two at sS-II5,oO
each.