The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1907-06-21

Quincy. Mass, with a bid of s4.S77,- y
W0.- were the successful bidders y
4 today for the big 2O.000-ten battle =
y ships.
<<<<<t*<++<%<+*+***+<++%++
Washington. June 20.-Bids were opened
at the navy department at noon today for
the construction of two American
'Dreadnaughts,' or what are officially
known as battleships Nos IS and %, each
to be of approximately 10000 tons dis
placement, the cost or each not to ex-
coed s6,OOO00O, exclusive of armor and
armament. The total cost of cache when
completed is estimated to be SlO,009900
Responsive to the invitations of the navy
board of construction there were sub
nitted various designs and sketches for
the proposed vessels from shipbuiIdels
and naval constructors. These were in
turn submitted to a naval committee On
design, the head of which was Assistant
secretary Newberry, which board report
ed that the 5l0foOt design of the bureau
of construction with officers quarters
forWardb. was the most suitable. This
board gave an opinion that a vessel con-
structed on this design would carry as
heaVy armor and as powerful armament
as any known vessel of this class; would
have a speed believed to be the highest
practicable for a vessel of this type and
class, and have the highest practicable
bunker capacity of about 1890 tons a
speed on trial of twenty-One knots,
length on the load water line of about
5l2 feet and an extreme breadth of about
50 feet 25s inches.
Armament of the Vessels.
The armament is to be composed as
follows:
Main battery-Ten 12-inch breech load
ing rifles.
Second battery-Fourteen 5-inch rapid
fire guns; four S-pound saluting guns;
four 1-pOundeT semi-automatic guns, two
3-ineh field pieces; two machine guns,
caliber 30: two submerged torpedo tubes.
The hulls of the vessel are to be pro-
tected by water line belt of armoF eight
feet in width, whose maximum thickness
is II inches, and whose cross section is
uniform throughout the length of the
belt: This belt armor gives effective pro-
lection to the boilers, machinery and mag
azine spaces, and. most important of all,
for vessels of this type, whose centers of
gravity are necessarily very high, af
fords, In connection with the easemate
aTmor, extensive compartmental sub-di
vision, a reasonable assurance of the
maintenance OF the stability of the yes
sci under battle copditiops. The side
f se9E fhf fee s P sd r ana to Be hsTs
thickness of ten inches. This arnlor IS
likewise of ppiform cross section through
out, and in. lspgth is only Slightly less
than that of the main water line belt ar
NOR. Above the main casemate armOr,
amidships, the side is covered by armor
five inches in thickness. which affords
protection to the smoke pipes, the major
portion of the secondary battery of five
inch guns, and the hull structure. Suit
able athwartship and diagonal bulk
heads are to be located at the extreme
ends of the belts and easemate armer, and
protective deck of suitable thickness is
provided throughout the length of the
vessels.
Terrific Broadside Fire.
The arrangement of the main battery
guns is to be such as to permit a broad
side fire % per cent greater than that
of the bToadside fire of any battleship
built. The average elevation of the axis
of these guns is expected to be greater
than that of any known battleship, thus
affording a distinct advantage in long
range firing under ali conditions of wealth
er.
The arrangement of the interior will
be such as to give the maximum degree
of protection to all vital portions of the
ship by means of unusually effective COM
partmentaI subdivisions.
The actual total weight Of hull and
armor in the proposed designs for the
ships is approximately 5000 tons greater
than the largest battleships so far built
for the installation of reciprocating or
turbine machinery.
The bidding brought together the larg-
est company of shipbuilders and others
been seen in the navy department for
many months. The bidding was neeessar-
lily complex, the builders aVailing them
selves of the department permission to
submit all sorts of combination and al
tentative plans. These included straight
bids upon the standard type with recip-
rocating engines, original bidders designs
and combinations of the department. hull
plans with turbine engine, some with and
some without separate cruising turbines
The Newport News company alone sub
mitted no less than seven plans, and they
were generally the lowest at all points
and with all combna lions.
Bids also were opened for supplying the
armor needed for the two big battleshps.
For the armor, which is divided into four
classes, upon the basis of the difficulty
of the shapes required, the Midvale Steel
company appeared to be the lowest bidder
for the largest class, namely, 1856 tons of
class A at $40 per ton. For 952 tons of
armor in class B the Carnegie and Beth
lehem companies each bid $40 per ton,
while the Midvale bid was $40 For 1872
tons of class c, the Carnegie and Beth
Iehem companies each bid 500, and the
Midvale $40. For 1,706 tons of class ID
armor Bethlehem bid $500, Midvale $40
and Carnegie submitted no bid.
Rose day" at Lagoon Sunday.