The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1903-01-07
Congress Appropriated 100000
for Construction of the Ten
nessee and Washington.
SPEEDIEST SHIPS OF NAVY.
Bidding Is Spirited and Seven
Companies Offer to Build the
Great War Vessels With
in the Time Limit.

Washington, Jan. 6-Bids for building &c.
! 0N,eW worth of warships We're opened at
the Navy Department to-day in the pres
eEce of representatives OF nearly every ship
building concern of note in the country, to-
gether with a host of subcontractors who
supply structural material for the big
ships.
The Kidding was close and exciting. A
feature of the event was the submission of
appropriation to supply the enormous horse
pu"er required to drive the Tennessee and
washington, the speediest ships the navy
VIII nave on Its list, with the new turbine
inotoIs. Inc latter will be supplied by an
american company.
Another feature was the e,,brn;s, :.
s.ateIiienL from one Of the largest bidders
10 the effect that they had satisfied them-
Hgons bnat no less than 25,eO0 horsepower
MOULD be required to drive the big ships at
.hs calculated speed, thus verifying the es-
Inmates OF Engineer-in-Chief Melville.
BIDS FOR TWO SHIPS.
me bids were as follows:
oaeWport News Shipbuilding Company,
me snip IN forty-two months on depart
ment designs for 1882, 700.
FORE RIVER Ship and Engine Works of
signs. in forty-two months e for "a 5s noS de-
Bath Iron Works. one ship, in fortv-two
months departments designs, for 81, 500. 900.
Union Iron Works. of San Francisco, one
ship, in forty-two months. 81. $1,000.
New York shipbutlding Company of Cam
d den; n; w.; one ship in forty.two months,
ships. same class for s4.l5e, 900, each to he
acs!ivered in forty and forty-two months. y"
.,i Hhnne eonpany. on its own designs, pro-
ID and q months. ssn S. e.oo % each ae delivered, nv Tei in
connection with this bid that the letter wss
E9oInitted demanding an allowance of 25,.
tW-horse-Dower. "
Moran, Bros, &c Co. of Seattle .b;o g.,
p months for 1885,, 900. ga
william Cramp & Sons, PHILADELPHIA. one
snip. departments desi2ns. 80 months a.
100000. Same company on it's own desjcnss
ships to be delivered in Sc and SO months
70 be OF 22-knots speed. one ship for 81,
co., 600 each. ~ =" II
Same company, on plans Of its own, pro-
vioins Tor the use of steam turbines and
" Wa ns boilers, $4,000 for one and
The Judgment of the Board of Bureau
CnleIs Will be necessary to determine the
SPECIFICATIONS FOR CRUISERS.
The two first-class armored cruisers, bids
Tor which were opened, were authorized by
act or Congress. approved July !. 1902. the
cost OF each not to exceed "a, $50, 800.
Forty-tWo months is allowed for their
construction, and a minimum speed trial
OF ~ knots is required. Each cruiser will
measure on ioad-water line 5O2 feet in
length and q feet 10is inches at extreme
breadth. They will have each a trial dis
placement OF not more than 1850 tons. a
total coal bunker capacity of about 1000
tens and 4 mean draft at trial displacement
If % feet.
The hull of each cruiser is to be of steel
throughout. The armament of each will
consist of a main battery Of ! l0-inch and
IL 6-inch preech-loading rifles. q 3-inch
rapid-fre guns and a secondary battery of
II threc-pounder.. semiautomatic rapid-fire
guns, z one-pounder automatic guns. 6 30
ca!iber Colt automatic guns and 9 3-inch
field guns.
War Department. Honolulu Cable.
Washington, Jan. 6.-The Secretary Of the