Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-01-06
Opened at the Navy Depart
ment Today.
MANY PROPOSALS MADE
SHIPBUILDING TRUST SEEMS TO
HAVE BEST OF 1T.
Some Features That Excited Interest
Character of the Vessels to
Be Built.

ships were opened al the Navy Department
today in the presence of representatives OF
nearly every shipbulding concern OF note In
the country, together with host OF sub
contractors who supply structural material
for the big ships. The bidding was close
and exciting, and on the face of the bids 1t
appears that the shipbuilding trust has tie
best of the struggle. A feature of the event
was the submission of proposition to sup
ply the enormous horse power required to
drive the Tennessee and Washington, the
speediest ships of war the United States
navy will carry on it's lists, with the new
turbine motors, the latter to be supplied by
an American company. Another feature
was the submission of a statement from
one of the largest bidders to the effect that
they had satisfied themselves that no less
than % GOO horse power would be required
to drive the big ships at the calculated
speed, thus verifying the estimates OF Engi-
neer-in-chief Melville, when he took excep-
ton to the findings of the majority OF the
board which designed the ships.
The Bids.
The bids were as follows:
Newport News shipbuilding Company
One ship in forty-two months on depart
ment's designs for $4,S ,S2o, 600.
Fore River Ship and Engine Works of
Quincy, Mass.-One ship on Department.
designs in forty-two months for $4,57SO 600.
Bath Iron Works-One ship in forty two
months on departments designs for $4,000
600.
Union Iron Works Of San Francisco-One
ship in forty-two months, 81, 1866, 600
New York Ship Building Company Of
Camden, N. J.-One ship in forty-two
months, Department. designs, for 81, go, ,OOO
Two ships same class for 81 100000 each, to
be delivered in forty and forty-two months.
Same company on it's own designs provid-
ing for twenty-twoknot ships to be de-
livered in forty and forty-two months.
81 $50 600 each. 1t was in connection with
this bid that the letter was submitted de-
manding an allowance Of 25,OOO horse
power.
Moran Brothers & Co. of Seattle, one
ship in forty-two months, for 81 1897 600.
VIM. Cramp & Sons. Philadelphia, one
ship on departments designs, th1rty-n
months. s4,2OO,OO0 Same company on Its
own designs, ships to be delivered in thirty
six and thirty-nine months, and to be OF
twenty-five knots speed, one ship for 81
100000 two ships on same plans for $1,000
600 each. Same company, on plans of Its
own providing for the use Of steam tur-
bines and watertube boilers, 81, 600 for
one and $4,O6O, 900 each for two.
The judgment Of the board OF bureau
chiefs will be necessary to determine the
awards.
Character of the Ships.
The two first-class armored cruisers for
which the above bids were received were
authorized by act Of Congress, approved
July l, 1902 the cost of each not to exceed
81 $50, 600. Forty-two months is allowed for
their construction and minimum speed of
twenty-one and a half knots Is required.
Each cruiser will measure on load water
line 502 feet in length and Y feet l01a
49, A. Thary yrry{h touv
each trial displacement of not more than
1850 tons. total coal bunker capacity of
about 1000 tons and mean draft at trial
displacement of 25 feet.
The hull is to be of steel throughout and
the armament will consist of a main bat
terry of four 10-inch breech-loading rifles,
sixteen 6-inch breech-loading rifles. twenty
two 3-inch rapid-fire guns and a secondary
battery of twelve 3-pounder semi-automatic
rapid-fire guns, two 1-pounder automatic
guns, two 1-pounder rapid-fire guns. two
.3O-caliber Calling guns, six .30-caliber Colt
automatic and two 3-inch field guns.
The hullS of the cruisers will be protected
by a water-line belt of armor worked in
vertical Strakes, amidships. where it will be
about eighteen feet in height. The armor
will be of uniform thickness of five inches
throughout the machinery and magazine
space and three inches forward and aft.
The protective deck will extend from
stern to stern, being fiat amidships but
sloping at the sides and at each end. 1t
Will be Dullt up OF tWenty-pOunQ lower
plating throughout. with nickel steel
forty pounds on the fiat and 140 pounds on
the slopes.
Hoists driven by an electric motor and
delivering seven pieces per minute will
convey the ammunition for six-inch and
smaller guns directly from the ammunition
rooms to the deck where it is required. The
turret guns will have regular ammunition
hoists. operated by electric power, leading
directly from the handling room to the tur-
retS.
The new men-of-war will be propelled by
vertical twin screw, four-cylinder triple
expansion engines of a combined indicated
horse power of not less than 25OOO. There
will be sixteen Babcock and Wilcox boil
ers of the straight water-tube type on each
cruiser, placed in eight water-tight COM
partments. These will furnish steam for
the main engines and all the necessary
auxiliary and other machinery throughout
the ship. Each cruiser will be fitted with
four tunnels, 100 feet high above the base
line.
The cruisers will be lighted throughout
with electricity. With the exception of GER
tain auxiliaries to be operated by steam, all
boat cranes turret-turning motors, ventiia-
tion-fan motor, etc.
Designed as fagships, the new cruisers
will each provide accommodation for the
following complement: Flag officer, COM
manding officer, chief of staff nineteen
ward room, twelve junior and ten warrant
officers, and not less than S14 men, includ-
ing sixty marines.
Each cruiser carries steel masts forward
and aft. and the specifications require that
they shall be arranged for wireless teleg-