The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1900-12-08
MILLIONS FOR
THE NEW NAVY
Bids Opened for Battle
ships and Cruisers.
EIGHT in THE FIELD.
Smaller Concerns Will Probably Get
Some of the Ships.
WELL WITHIN SPECIFIED COST.
Secretary Long PLEASED With the
Result Naval Board VIII Con-
slider Bids and Report Upon
Them = Five New Battles
ships and Six Armorcd
Cruis sers.
Smaller Concerns viii Probably Get
Some of the Ships.
WELL WITHIN SPECIFIED COST
(By Associated Press.)


WASHINGTON, Dec. 7.-Never since
the birth of the new navy has there been
such a gathering of shipbuilders and metal
kings 1t were assembled in the office OF the
Secretary of the Navy at noon to-day TO
witness the opening of bids for an amount
of naval construction which Secretary
Long denominated as the greatest indus
trial event this or any other country mad
ever seen, Involving the placing of con-
tracts for about s50,o00G00.
The Secretary left the Cabinet meeting
to preside at the ceremony. and associated
with him ware the chiefs of the great
Naval Bureau. Admiral Hitchborn, Admi-
raj Melville, and others.
Among the spectators were Henry Scott,
Charles and Edwin Cramp, Mr. Trisg,
President Zorse, Manager Newman, and
John Lindsay, of the New York Ship
building Company, ths 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 New
port News Works: G.. 0. Wellington and
II. n. iElMall, of the Fore River Works:
The Moran Brothers, of Seattle; President
Taylor, and Mr. Tarbett, of the Risdon
Shipbuilding Company; John Dialogue, of
Camden, and number OF others identified
with shipbuilding.
EIGHT BIDDERS.
There wera eight bidders. and most of
the bids were we'll within the limit of cost
allowed by Congress for the ships. The
notable feature was the attempt on tine
part of the younger and smaller con-
GERS to break the line of the old
organizatio which have constructed
all of tiA= heavy vessels of the new navy
up to this time.
While it is not possible at this moment
to forecast results accurately, there are
indications that in at least one instance,
and perhaps two instances, these att5mpts
will be ATTENDED with some degree OF suc-
cess, for it looks as though some of the
work will be bestowed upon the Fore River
Company, which appears for the first time
as bidder for constructing armored
ships The Pacific coast, too, presents
a likely candidate in the AIorans bid
Because of changes made in the speciti-
cations by the bidders, the general ten
dency of which is to considerably reduce
the equipment of tisA ships. it is not posi-
BILE yet to tell which of the bids are ac-
tually the lowest.
THE BIDS.
AS read they are as follows:
Armored Cruisers-Union Iron Works,
San Francisco, / sheathed and coplired,
s3SGO.G9O; without sheathing, SO, $50, GO3: an
other. under the same conditions, SO, 10000,
making two in all.
William .Cramp & Sons, Philadelphia,
Pa.-One sheathed, but uncoppered,
S9,s90,coo. One unsheathed, s3,7s0,0oo.
Newport News Shipbuildins and Dry
Dock Company-One sheathed and cop
pered, s3,Ss5,OO0. One without sheathlng,
sS775, 900; this for two ships.
Moran Brothers & Company, of Seat
tie. Washington-One sheathed and cop
pered, s4132,009: or two at Si,O0S0oo each.
One without sheathing, s3,9S3,C9o; or two
al S3,Si4,0G3 each.
Fore River Shipbuilding and Locomo-
tive Works, Quincy, Mass.-One sheathed
and coppered. $3,9I5,GGO; or two at S3,3sO,-
coo each. Without sheathins, one for
S3,SO0,GQ0; or two at s3,ll5,000 each. The
same bid is also made for two more
ships at the same price, and under the
same conditions, under the act OF 1860.
The preceding bidders, Moran and Broth
ers and the Newport News Company
made similar propositions.
John Dialogue & Son. Camden. N. j.
One unsheathed, s., $4,000. Another un-
der the act of 1860 at the same price.
Risdon Iron and Locomotive Works,
San Francisco-One without sheating.
$i,oi5,000
BATTLESHIPS
Cranlp & Sons-One sheatta:d and cop
pered S3,GO0G00.
Newport News Company-One sheathed
and coppered, S3,595,OO0. One unsheathed.
So, $4,000.
Fore River Works-One for $35So,oo0: or
two for s3.555,00o each, all sheathed and
soy, -.1r, +bS,, for
So, 43o,c COO. two for sa,405,GC0 each.
A bid also is submitted for two more at
the same prices under the act of 1900
John II. Dialogue & Son-One sneathed
and ccppered. S5,40ol1,o. One without
sheathins, s3,2so, COO. Another at the same
figure under the act of 1850.
Bath Iron Works-One sheathed and
coppered. $3, $50, Geo.
New York ship-building Company-one
sheathed ana coppered, $4,000 .G00 or two at
st175.0oo each. Without sheating, one
for s4.1C0cOo, or two for si,0.5,OOo each
This firm offers to reduce the time
limit of completion six months. .
Moran Brothers &c Company, Seattle.
Washington-One sheated and coppered !
So. .Se5.oH CT two at S5,14g.pCG each With
cut sheating. one for $3,69f,0o or two for
SSS.5SJ.0c0 each
Bids also are made for two more at the !
same price under the act of 1900 This
firm also offers to reduce the time limit |
about six months
Union Iron Works-one unsheated, 49,
400 900.
WILL GO BEFORE NAVAL BOARD.
A naval board will cons de- the bids ana !
-e;,ort upon them. The acts of Congress
,srY1It the cost Of the cruisers to So. .eG1DGn
each and Of the Eattissh.s to 81. 80 0Io
for the shEathed and $4c COZ, coo for the un-
sheathsi.
Secretary Long expressed himself as
pleased with the result of the bsld!ng. /
and that the bids were very LIBERAL The
lids were for five new battleships and six
armored cruisers, aggregating> total dis
,laeenent Of SI5i,e4 tens OF the battle
hos namely the Pennsylvania, New
Jersey, Georgia. Virginia and Rhode