The Washington weekly post., 1900-12-11

Never since the birth OF the new navy
has there been such a gathering OF ship
builders and metal kings as were as-
sembled IN the Office Of the Secretary
of the Navy last week 10 witness the
opening Of bids for an amount Of naval
construction. which Secretary Long de-
nominated as the greatest industrial event
this or any other country, had ever seen,
involving the placing Of contracts fer
abou: E0.G00O0
The Secretary left the Cabinet meet
ing FOR the purpose OF presiding at the
ceremony. and associated with him were
the chiefs Of the great naval bureaus, Ad-
miral Hichb0rn. Admiral Melville, Admiral
O'Neil, and others. Among the specta-
tors were Henry Scott. Charles and Edwin
Cramp Mr.. Trigg. OF the Richmond Lo-
comotiye Works President MOrse. Mana
ger Newman and John Lindsay. of the
New York shipbuilding Company. the new
Delaware River concern; Manager Clarke
% the Miles Tool Company; Louis Nixon,
Of the Crescent Works; President Olcot.,
Judge Payson. and Manager Post, OF the
Newport News Works: f. o. Wellington
and II. T. Elwell, OF the Fore River
Works. the Moran Brothers. OF Seattle;
President Taylor and Mr. Tarbett, OF the
Risdoa shipbuilding Company; John Dia-
iOFue. OF Camden, and a number Of others
identified with ahipbuilding.
Aspirations Of smaller Firms.
There were eight bidders. and most OF
the bids were well within the limit OF cost
allowed by Congress for the ships. The
notable feature was the attempt on the
part Of the younger and smaller concerns
10 break the line OF the Old organiZa-
tons. which have constructed all OF the
heavy vessels OF the new navy up TO this
time. While IL is not possible 20 forecast
results accurately, there are indications
that In at least one instance, and. per-
haps, two instances, these attempts Will
ks attended with some degree of success.
for IL locks as though some OF the work
win be bestowed upon the Fore River
Company. which appears for the first time
rs a bidder for constructing armoreI
ships. The Pacific Coast, too, presents a
likely candidate in the Morans bid. Be
cause OF changes made in the specifca-
Tons by the bidders, the general tendency
CT which Is TO considerably reduce the
equipment OF the ships, II Is not possible
yet 70 tel which OF the bids are actually
the lowest.
six Arm0red Cruisers.
For the six aTmored cruisers the bid
dcrs are;
Union Iron Works San Francisco, / sheathed and
ooDDered. So 500 600; without sheathng S. 750 000
another under the conditions, So $50 VJO max
ing two In all
William Cramp & Sons. Philadelphia Pa. III
sheathed but uneOppered. s. ssso,oo9; unshesthed.
$3.50. O0O.
Newport News shipbuifding and Dry Dock Com
pany. sheathed and coppered, IS. ss5 900 / with
out sheathng. So. us 900: this for two ships
Moran Brothers Co, OF Seattle, Wash. l
sheathed and coppeFed. {i132 O0O OF al 81 COS 600
each; without shesthing. $3.50, OO0 Ut At So
si4, 00V each.
Fore River shipbuildng and locomotive Works.
Quiney, Mass, sbeathed and copps.ei S. s95 vga
or at ss,S5O.OOO each; without shesthine. fer
S5ss0o,0Oo. or at S. 775 90 each. The same pia
also Is made for two more ships At the same price
ana UNDER the same condtloas under the act az
1900 The preceding bidders Koran & Bros. and
the Newport News Company made similar prcp-
0sitions.
John Dialogue q Son. Csmlsn N. j.. i uD,teath.
CO. 'as-SoOO Another under the art of 1900 az the
same price.
Aisdon Iron and locomotive Works. San Francis
co. Without shsathing &g.075.OOO.
Five BaIIie-ships.
For the FIVE battle-ships the following
were submitted:
CramP Sons. shsathsd and eoppsred. s., ,soO,-
Newport News Company. i sheathed and cypps,-
cd, sS'SsS.Oooi unsheathed, IS. so, 600.
FORE River Works. for s., $50 OVO or . for g.
ooo'oOO each. all sheathed and ecppereJ y'itbout
sheathing. for SS.43O0OO. for s.. lO5 Ooo escb
bid also is submitted for two more st the 80
prices under the act Of 1900
nm
'oHh II dialogue Son. shea.asi and tn
peTed, SS 10000; 1 without shesthipp g $40 roo
Another at the figure amer the a., ., ,s1s
BATH Iron Works. / zheathed aa1 eonnsra1 q,
$50 900. RPsisd' a.
Nc" YORK shipbuilaing Comesny 1 sheathsa m,
0oPpefed A9OOOo. or at 81 rs 90 each. v,i,bo-,,
theathing. for s4.I0OOOO. or for siV75 ys, o.sS
4his him offers to reduce the time limit of CON-
pleton six months " e'h'-
Moran Bros. 4 Co.. Seattle. wash.-ona sh.a,b.,
and coppsred. S5Sd5 900, or two az g. 7.s aoo -
Without sheathing. one for 81 ss7 ooo ' ' 0a.H
SS'SaooOo each. Bids also are made "a, -, - 80
al the same price under the act of ls0o M. e..
also oheFs TO reduce the time limit shont 80
months. "o0ut ak
lhioh Iron wOrks-ons unsheathed. "a asa ooa
"A naval board will consider the hid.
ana report upon them. The acrs of O.,
gress limit the cost Of the crpisars =
$o.ooo'OOO each and OF the battle-shins 70
Sir-Jo,UJO Tor the sheathed and "a OOo 0o0 For
the unsheathed. N''V'''VVO ior
pleased with the result of Tbe hidIt+r as
Tar as ne could perceive IL from the h3stN1
leading OF the bids. lie felt thar on tbss
"hoie tue latter were very liberal.
What Specifications Call Far.
TIE specifications called for the cor-
struction OF five new battle-shins ana e.
armored cruisers aggregating a total dis-
Placement Of ld. 0O0 tons, and comnrisir,
the largest consignment OF material fnr
lhe navy ever contracted for az a single
bidding. The three battle-ships author-
lied by the act OF March, 1893 were never
contracted Tor, owing 20 delays in pro-
eufemeht OF armor bids. in the completion
St ueslshs, ana controversy as TO whether
the new superimposed trrrets should he
used In their construction. Inability 10
reach satisfactory conclusion I'm reears
10 sheathing delayed construction of the
three armcred cruisers authorized bv the
same acts. These points have been adj
Justed.
The five new battle-ships-namely. the
pennsylvania. New Jersey, Georgia, Vlr-
ginid, and Rhode Island-are divided into
TWO classes, 10 compromise upon the con-
trOversy as TO their turret systcms.
Three are 10 be sheathed and coppered.
and VIII carry supeTimposed turrets; the
other two are 20 be Unsheathed vessels,
having the "quadrilateral arrangement"
or S-inoh turTets. TO meet the contin-
eency that the bids may be IN excess OF
the authorized cost the bidders were.
however. invited TO submit plans In each
case Tor both sheathed and unsheathed
ships.
speed OF Nineteen Knots.
F-E. -. a. a
tons displacement with a lengtii or sS5
feet, breadth Of 76 feet 10 inches. aud
greatest drafs Of 2s feet. The unsheathed
ships are slightly smaller. and on the
same length are l-2 inches narrower aud
400 tons less displacement. Both classes
Of battle-shiDs will compare with any IN
the world nCt only nf.oat bur nrnIectrd.