Arizona republican., 1900-11-19
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Big Contract of the Atlantic
 Transport Com Fany
Combinations For the Encouragem ent of American Ship Building Enter prises-A Significant Result of the L ate Election.

New York, Nov. 1S.--Probably one of the biggest ship building contracts in years is that of the Atlantic Transport
 company, in combination with other trans-Atlantic companies, which con templates the construction of six of the largest steamers ever put together in American yards Each of the proposed new craft will be several thousand tons larger than the great St. Paul. of the American line, and, in addition. will be the first steamers of the Transport company to be built on this side.
 News of the combination of several companies and of the immense build ing programme was noised about the Maritime exchange today and hailed with considerable delight by those members who believe in encouraging American ship building interests. At the headquarters of the Atlantic Trans port company No. 1 Broadway, no in formation could be imparted. Presi dent Baker is in Baltimore, and Mir Thomas. the acting manager of the To- cal offices, said that he knew nothing concerning the matter.
 "I would not say anything about it if I did," he added, with perfect frank ness. Nevertheless. the programme of the company is pretty well known in steamship circles.
 The first two of the six ships will be put together by the Maryland Steel company, of Baltimore, and will re- semble in general outline the Mime apolis and Minnesota, 13,o0o ton yes fT,ic 0I type of the other four vessels has not yet been determined, but two are to be constructed on the Delaware, probably at Cramps, and two at Newport News, Va. Each of the six ships is to be 14,- 0GO gross tons, and will cost S1,490O0O apiece. They are not to be built with any idea of speed, but as great cargo carriers and transporters Of the mod crate rate passengers.
 4 significant thing in connection with the building programme is that its consunImation depended more or less upon the success of the republican ticket, the contract for the building of the first two ships being withheld until the question of President McKinley's reelection was decided. The Atlantic Transport company owns more than twenty mammoth steamers, in the New York, Philadelphia and Baltimore trade, and although nearly all of the stock of the line is owned on this side all of the fleet has been built on the Clyde, Tyne. Queens Is!ands or else where in the United Kingdom.
 Colonel Baker. on a recent trip abroad, discovered that vessels of the size of the Minneapolis and her type could be built on this side nearly as cheaply as in Europe, and he decided to encourage American ship building by building here. The new ships are to have acconl'nfodations for 200 saloon passengers, and will be 6SO feet long. or considerably more than the St. Paul They will be ready in May next
 One of the officials of the Atlantic company said today that with the completion of two steamers to be built by the Harlan & Wolff com pany of Belfast, Ireland, the Atlantic Transport company would probably not build any more ships abroad.
 The plan is to give America the whole job" said he. None of the ships is intended for speed. The Atlantic Transport company does not care for speedy, expensive boats. It prefers the nine-day craft, with big capacity for two-leGged as well as four! legged passengers and i'm Opuen C9rpOpS'