Omaha daily bee., 1903-06-04
OPEN BIDS FOR BATTLESHIPS
Cost and Specification for Most Powerful
Vessel in Navy.
NUMBER OF BIDS FOR BUILDING IS SMALL
william Cramp a Son IL the only
Company seekiBe the COnutruc-
tion of More Than one
vessel.

day for the construction of Minne-
sofa, Vermont and Kansas. the three
16OOO-ton battleships authorized by the
last congress, each to cost not exceeding
A212,OOO.
The Newport News Ship Building COM
pany of Newport News, Va. was the low
est bidder for one vessel; the William
cramp & Son Ship and Engine Building
company was the only bidder for more
than one ship.
Following are the bids: Newport News
Ship Building company, one vessel depart
ments plans to be completed in forty-two
months from date OF contract, A,ilO.OOO;
William Cramp s. Son Ship and Engine
Building company, one vessel, depart
ments plans, 70 be completed In forty-two
months, S4.1SOOOO, or two vessels, depart.
ments plans in same time, 81, 900 each
Fore River Ship and Engine Building com
pany, Quincy, Mass, one vessel, depart
ments plans, forty-two months, A17s00o;
Eastern Ship Building company, New Lon
don, Conn, one vessel, forty-two months
s4,1s2,oOO; New York Ship Building COM
pany one vessel, departments plans,
forty-two months $.165.OOo
These battleships will be the most power
full vessels of the American navy. They
will have a required speed OF eighteen
knots, a displacement OF 5000 tons, a main
battery Of four l2-inch. eight s-inch and
twelve 7-inch breachloading rifles, and a
secondary battery OF twenty 4-inch four.
teen-pounder rapid-fre guns, twelve s.
FOUNDER semi-automatIc guns, two S-inch
pieces, two machine guns and six automatic
guns.
Arrangement of the batteries will be as
follows;
The 12-inch guns, mounted in pairs, in two
electrically controlled balances, ellipitical
turrets on the center line, one forward and
one aft, each with an arc of fire of about
27O degrees; the s-inch guns in four electri-
cally controlled balanced elliptical turrets,
two on each beam at each end of the super.
structure; the finch guns in broadside, on
| pedestal mounts on the gun deck behind
seven-inch armor each isolated by special
inter -bulkheads of nickel steel, forward and
after guns arranged to fire right ahead
and right astern respectively, the other L
inch guns to have the usual broadside
| trains.
Places for Secondary Battery.
Guns of the secondary battery will be
mounted in commanding positions, having q
| large arc of unobstructed fire. They will
have twelve-inch and eight-inch turrets A
complete belt of armor. nine feet three
inches wide, will protect the bull above
| the water line, and the necessary casemate
armor and protection for ammunition tubes
will be provided. The protected deck will
| extend from stem to stern, built up OF
| twenty-two-pound plating with nickel steel
Of forty pounds on the fiat and 100 pounds
| on the slope.
| Vertical twin screws, four-cylinder triple
expansion engines will propel them and
each vessel will be supplied with twelve
water-tube boilers, The total ammunition
of each vessel will aggregate 594.s tons
| Following are the, general dimensions and
features of the ships;
Length, low water line, $50 feet: extreme
breadth and low water line. 76 feet Il
inches; trial displacement, 5000 tons; NEAR
draft, "a feet; gross draft, full load, abou
q feet 9 inches; total coal capacity, 2,2O
tons.
Times Dull in Denmark.
Consul Raymond r. Frazier at Copen
hagen reports that the Official statistici
of Denmark for the last two years hav'
been published recently by the statistisk'
bureau in Copenhagen. There is gen
eraI complaint that times are dull. II
this report the United States stands thirt
in the import trade, but as many good
are shipped into Denmark from the United
States via Germany and England, and ON
cially credited to those countries. tn
United States unquestionably occupies a
present a position second only to that o
Germany.
Imports from the United States In 1Se
amounted to $4,562,1 ,164; in 1897, to sl2953, ,7sO
and in 1907, to over s2S,OOO.00o. OF the $2S.
100000 paid TO us in 1901, sl1,ooO,Ooo was 70
oil cake, oleomargarine, pork, lard ant
wheat. A great variety OF other good
was purchased with the remaining $12.
OO0000 For instance, the demand 70
American merchandise shows a steady in
crease; Danish business men write thei
letters on American typewriters and keel
their cash accounts on American cash reg
listers; the American bicycle is being use'
TO q great extent; the American automo
bile Is finding a place in this market, ant
American goods OF all descriptions, If re
liable and up to date, find a ready sale II
Denmark.
Legation Building at PelEing.
Pending the erection of new Legation
buildings for the United States in PelSing
the legation of this country will occup!
temporarily an old Chinese temple stu
ated on the grounds allotted to the United
States by China. The premises heretofor,
occupied by the United States Legation
have become the property of the KoreaI
government.
Secretary Hay called on the comptrolle
of the treasury to decide whether the sun
appropriated by congress- for rent of lega
ktion buildings in Peking could be used 4
Yepair the temple. Today the comptrolle
decided that while the question is not en-
tirely free from doubt, on the statemen
OF facts submitted. and in view Of the i'm
portant public interests involved he is O
the opinien that the appropriation may b
used In the way suggested.
No Move in Canal Matter.
The state department has no intentio
Of makingAn move in the matter of tn
Panama canal negotiations until the Co
lombian congress meets June 10 and ha
t given some evidence Of its dispositio
toward the treaty.
; President Marroquin, II is understood
. satisfied himself before calling the Colon
5 bian congress in special session that tn
? government would be able to command
safe majority upon the question OF ratif
. cation II is known that considerable OF
position has developed since the call wa
. issued, but II Is believed here that th
/ opposition in Colombia is based on ignol
ance and unwarranted suspicion OF the d.
signs OF the United States government
| nEaH,,rnaa nf Colon VIII has ftt,