The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1900-08-14
BIDS FOR WAR SHIPS ARMOR.
They Are Submitted by the Carnegie, Midvale
and Bethlehem Companies.
(By the Associated Press.l

Wy III ASSOCldlSu 1TcSS.t
Washington, August 10.-Bids for tn.
arrnor for the eight battleships, six ar
mored cduisers and three protected cruis-
ers authorized by the last two sessions
OF Congress were opened at the Navv
Department today. There we're but three
bidders. The armor advertised for ag-
greg2tes $3.50 tons and constitutes the
largest item of it's char . er ever opened
to competition by the Navy Department.
The Carnegie and Bethlehem Steel Com
panieS which lave heretofore monopOlized
the production of armor plate for the
use Of the Government had a rival today
in the Midvale Steel COMPANY of Mid
vale, Pa.
The Bethlehem and Carnegie Com
panies each bid for only half the armor
to be furnished and their bids were iden-
teal in amount, terms of delivery and
other features. The Midvale Company bid
for the entire amount of armor at &
price considerably below that of the 9th
er companies and also included in their
bids a sliding upward scale for lesser
amounts than the total aggregate with
the condition., however, that the bid
should not be considered unless %, 900
tons or more should be awarded to them.
Thu bids by the Carnegie and Ba.h!a-
hem companies are each for u, 900 tons
of face hardened armor of class a. that
is, armor for battleships and armored
cruisers of five inches or more in thick
ness at $40 per ton, exclusive Of q roy
atty CT $45 per ton, making an aggregate
of cost to the Government of SIS %, 600
for Is. 1000 tons Of armor of this class.
On the class. "B" armor for the battle
ships and armored coisers,awhich is face
hardened armor Of less than FIVE inches
| -, thicLrccc nrr6 of which 3 300 tors g TO
to be furnished, each bid at the rate of
$500 per ton exclusive of a royalty,
amounting to $11.20 per ton, making an
aggregate BID of S1,562, $50 for this class
Of armOr.
For class &C" armor, which includes the
| diagonal armor bulkhead plates, etc, not
face hardened of which 1,150 tons are 10
be furnished and the bid also was $40
in each instance or an aggregate OF
$3.50, 0O0 for the armor Of this class.
Each. company explained that it's. bic
must be considered as a whole and i
awarded the contract under it, hrupp ar
NOR would be furnished.
The bid of the Midvale Steel Company
was a fiat bid to furnish the tota! OF
$13,578. OG0 with no royalty charged to the
Government.
In the letters of transmittal that &C
CONTAINED the bids Of both the Bethlehem
and Carnegie Companies, it was stated
that the Navy Departments conditions aS
laid down in the advertisement were no
applicabIe to the production OF krupI
armor' and that the bidders should Eek,
pect such reasonable notifications of ttl'
departments conditions as would be ne
cessary.'
This means that the companies will no
allow the naval officers detailed on in
1.-. - ,-o+ch tho n D1Jfan tIvr
of the Krupp plates through the entire
nrocess. The companies claim that thi
was among the conditions on which II
secret of the process was purchase'
abroad.
No action will be taken upon today,
bids until the return of Secretary Lon;
when he will decide whether he will ac
cent them or pursue the alternative cours
OF erecting a Government armor plant.