Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1907-06-21

one of the two mammoth 10000
ton battleships recently authorized
for the United States navy will lie
built in this oity, the Newport News
Shipbuilding & Dry Dock CompanY
having yesterday agreed with the
navy department. 10 construct one of
the vessels for nearly half million
dollars less than any Of the other
shipbnilding companies bidding. The
bid of the local yard was $3.gS7 900
The next lowest bid for reciprocal en-
gines was S4,dSG00O, submitted by
the Fore River Shipbnilding Com
pany, of Quincy, Mass. which com
pany will construct the other ship.
The vessels arc to be completed
within thirty-six months.
Soon after the bids on the big bat
lleships were opened in Washington,
ID. c., ut noon yesterday. the shipyard
officials here received n telegram
announcing that this yard had landed
the contract for one of the new yes
sells. The news spread rapidly
through the main office of the yard
and in short time it was generally
known throughout the city. Every.
where the news was received with
rejoicing, for It was generally recog-
ni2ea that the yard was badly in
need of one of the ships. The yard
officials now in the city expressed
great satisfaction over the triumph
of the company.
Bids Surprisingly Low
The Officials of the navy DEPART
ment and shipbuilding men al large
We're surprised at the lowness of the
bids, and especially of the lids Of
the Newport News company 1T is
pointed out that tho bid OF the local
company was St230OO less than the
company's bid on the 10000 ton bat
tleship Minnesota. completed about
three months ago. and $4,000 less
than the contract price of the 10000
ton battleship Louisiana, bnilt by this
yard in competition with the New
York navy yard.
Representing the local shpyard
when the bids were opened at
the navy department. were: Gen
eral Manager Walter A. Post
Assistant General Manager A.
l.. Hopkins Assistant Chief Engineer
Fred p. Palen, Naval Architect Will
liam Gatewood and Attorney r. G..
Bickford. These officials will return
to the city this morning
With the bids from the private shin
builders were received special bids
from the naval constructors at the
New York and Mare Island navy
yards, prepared by the direction of
the navy department. as check -on
the private builders The figures of
these bids have not been made pub.
lie lat 1t is known that they were
considerably in excess of the bids of
the private builders.
Four Yards In Bidding
Only four private yards submitted
estimates on the ships and each of
them made two separate estimates.
one on n vessel equipped with reel
procal engines and the other on n
vessel equipped with turbines. The
bid Of the local yard on turbines was
81, 100000 while that of the Fore Riv-
er Company was $4377 900. The New
York Shipbniding Company's bid was
S4,5i5,O0O on reciprocal and $4,000
on turbine engines. The william
Cramp e Sons Ship G. Engine Com
pany, tho fourth bidder. bid $1,000 900
on reciprocal and s5,05G,000 on tur-
bine engines.
Many Bids Submitted.
The bidding itself was necessarily
complex; the builders freely availing
themselves OF the departments per-
mission TO submit all sorts of comh-
nations and alternative plans. These
included straight bids en- the battle.
ships Of the standard type with reel
procating engines designed bv the
navy department itself: original bid
der's designs and combinations of tho
departments hull plans with turbine
engines. some with and some without
separate cruising turbines.
The Newport News Company sub
mitted no less than seven sets of
p;ans and they were generally the
lowest at all points and with all com
binations. But as the law provides
that no company shall receive the
contract fer more than one ship. the
second lowest bidder also is assured
an award in this case. the company
being the Fore River Shipbuilding
Company, Quincy Mass.
The lowest bids i'll substance were