The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1900-12-08
EIGHT CONCERNS BID
The Contracts to be Placed Amount
to S5O,OOO,OOO.
FIVE BATTLESAIPs, 6 ARMoRED CRUISERS
One or Two Young Concerns May Get Some Of
the Work. Naval Board 10 Consider
ard Report Which Bids Are
Actually Lawest.
(By the Associated Press

Washington, Dec. 7.-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 today to witness the opening of
bids for an amount of naval construc-
tion which Secretary Long denomi-
mated as the greatest industrial event
this, or any other country has ever
seen, involving the placing of con-
tracts for about $50000,000 The Sec
retary left the cabinet meeting to pre-
side at the ceremony and associated
with him were the chiefs of the naval
bureaus, Admiral Hichborn, Admiral
Melville, Admiral O'Neil, and others.
Among the spectators were Henry
Scott, Charles and Edwin Cramp, Mr..
Trigg, of the Richmond Locomotive
Works; President Morse, manager
Newman and John Lindsay, of the
New York Shipbuilding Company, the
new Delaware River concern; Manager
Clarke, of the Miles Tool Company,
Louis Nixon, of the Crescent Works;
President Olcott, Judge Payson and
Managed Post, of the Newport News
9,0rks; +: o. Wellington, and II. 7.
Elwell, of the Fore River works; the
Moran Brothers, of Seattle; President
Taylor and Mr.. Tarbett, of the Ris-
don Chipbuilding Company; John
Dialogue, of Camden, and a number
of others identified with shipbuilding.
There were eight bidders, and most
of the bids were well within the limit
of cost, allowed by Congress for the
.H s., 4 l...
tempt ON the part of the younger and
smaller concerns to break the line of
the old organizations which have con-
structed all 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 WORKS
will be bestowed upon the Fore River
Company, which appears for the first
time as bidder for constructing ar-
mored ships. The Pacific coast, too,
presents a likely candidate in the Nor
ans bid. Because 0 fchanges in the
specifications by the bidders, the gen
eral tendency of which is to consid
erably reduce the equipment OF the
ships, it 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 $3,S0O.0O0; without
the same conditions $3,750,000; MAX
ing two in all.
William Cramp and Sons, Philadel-
phia, one sheathed but uncoppered
$3,890,000; one sheathed S3.7S0,000.
Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry
Dock Company, one sheathed and cop
pered $3,8S5,000; one without sheath
ing $3,775, 900; this for two ships.
Moran Brothers and Company, of
Seattle, Washington. one sheathed and
coppered $4, 1o2,0 900, or two at $4,008,000
each. One without sheathing $685.,
600, or two at SO, ,S44, 900 each.
Fore River Shipbuilding and Loco
motive Works, Quincy, Mass, one
sheathed and coppered $3,975, 900, or
two at S3,950.000 each. Without
sheathing one for $3,SOO,0OO or two
at $3,775,000 each. The same bid also
is made for two more ships at the
same price and under the same condi-
tions, under the act of 1900. The pre-
ceding bidders Moran Brothers and
Company, and Newport Shipbuilding
Company made similar propositions.
John Dialogue and Son, Camden. n
j., one sheathed $685., 900; another
under the act OF 1900 at the same
price.
Risdon Iron and Locomotive Works,
San Francisco, one without sheathing
$4,O75,00O
Battleships: Cramp and Sons, one
sheathed and coppered $3,600,000.
Newport News Company, one
sheathed and coppered $3,593, 900 One
$3.540,000
Fore River Works. one for $3.5S0000.
or two for S3,555 900 each, all sheathed
and coppered. Without sheathing one
for $3,430,C00, two for $340.5,000 each
A bid also is submitted for two more
at the same prices under the act of
1900.
John Ii. Dialogue and Son, one
sheathed and coppered S3,40O,O00.0 One
without sheathing S3,290,000. Another
at the same figure under the act Of
1900
New York Shipbuilding Company.
one sheathed and coppered $4.2O0000
or two ut S4,175,000 each. Without
sbeathing cne for 1. 100000 or two for
S4 ,075 900 Zach This firm offers to re-