The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1907-06-21
CONTRACTS LET FOR TWO MON
sTER 9ATTLEsHiPs.
HEAVIEST EVER BUILT
Proposed Floating Fortresses to Ex-
ceed in Weight by Thousands of
Tons ony Warship Now Afioat-
Cost Will Be Great.

Washington, June 2O-The Newport
News shipbuilding company, with one
bid at Ss,9S7, ,0O0 and me Fore River
shipbuilding company or Quincy,
Mass, with a bid of s4,377,O0O, were
the successful bidders today for build
ing the two 2O,OOO-ton Datt1eships of
the "Dreadnaught' type for the United
States n.Vy.
The design selected insures the fact
that the ships will carry as heavy ar
NOR and as powerful ornaments as
any known vessels of this cYass; will
nave a speed believed to be the high
est practicable in readiness OF action,
with total coal bunker capacity or
1890 tons; a speed on rriaI OF 81
knots; length ON the load water line
of about $40 feet and an extreme
breadth of about IS feet two inches.
The armament is to be composed as
follows:
Main battery, 10 12-inch breech-load-
ing rifles; second battery, IA five-inch
rapid fire guns; four three pounu
saluting guns; four one-pounder auto
matte guns; two three-1ncn field
pieces; two machine guns, caliDre 30;
two submerged torpedo tubes.
The hulls of the vessels are ITO be
protected by water line belt of al
NOR eight feet in width. whose maxi
mum thickness is II inches and whose
cross section is uniform throughout the
length of the belt. This belt armor
gives enective protection to the boil
ers, machinery and magazine spaces.
The arrangement of the main Dae-
terry guns is to be such as TO permie
broadside fire 25 per cent greater
than that of the broadside fire OF any
battleship built. The average eleva-
tions of the six-inch guns IS expected
to be greater than that of any known
battleship, thus affording a distinct ad.
vantage in long range firing under all
conditions of weather.
The arrangement OF the interior
will be such as to give the maximum
degree of protection to all vital por.
tions of the ship by means OF unusual
ly effective compartmental divisions.
The actual total weight or the hull
and armor in the proposed design Us
approximately 5000 tons greater fllan
the largest battleship SO far built. The
design contemplates an arrangement
for the installation of recfprocau1ng OF
turbine machinery.
The bidding brought together the
largest company of shipbuilders and
Others interested in navaf construction
that has been seen an the navy de
partment for many months. The New
port News company alone submitted
! no fewer than seven plans, and they
were generally the lowest at all points
and with all combinations.
Bids also were opened for supply
| ing the armor needed for tine two bic
battleships. For the armor, which Is
divided into four classes, the Midyale
Steel company appeared to be the low
est bidder for tine largest class, name
" 1856 tons OF class A, at $41O pc,
ton. For 952 tons of armor In class s
the Carnegie and Bethlehem compan
les each bid $4OO per ton, while the
Midyale bid was $41O. For 392 tons O
class G, the Carnegie and Bethlehem
companies each bid $40O and the Milo
vale, $41O. For 1,7O6 tons of class I
armor, Bethlehem bid $40O, Midvale
s41O, and Carnegie submitted no bid