Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1909-12-12
SUCCESSFUL BIDDER ON
SEVENTEEN BIG SHIPS
Sixteen Vessels Are Now Building,
While Seven Have Been Launched
and Six Completed Since Last De-
cember-FuiI Force is Working Day
and Night.

Seventeen contracts landed, eleven
vessels launched and six completed
and delivered is the record made by
the Newport News Shipbuilding &
Dry Dock Company. during the pres
ent year
Taken as a whole the year probably
has been about the most successful
III the history of the company ana
the plant is now going at full blast
day and night and there is ample
work On hand to keep up this pros
porous condition for another year.
Besides the work already con-
tracted for, the company has very
bright prospects of landing several
ether good contracts early in the new
year and later on in 1910 the navy
department will let contracts for two
battleships and several other war
craft and this yard will go after some
of this work with every intention OF
getting a battleship. at least.
First Contract Landed.
The first contract landed by the
yard this year was that for the freight
and passenger steamer Wilhelmina'
which was delivered to the Matson
Navigation Company. of San Francis
60. Cal. last week, the contract be-
ing secured early in January. TINS
vessel was built at cost OF approx
mately 100000 and is 450 feet long,
"a feet broad and SO feet inches
deep. She is Of $500 gross tonnage
and is driven by a single-screw en-
CINE of 5000 horsepower.
Following closely upon this contract
the A. II. Bull Company, Of New YORK.
gave the yard a contract FOR Ddlldlhs
the big freight steamer Jean, wh'ch
was completed in July. The vessei
cost s35O.O0O. Next came a contract
from the Associated Oil Company, OF
San Francisco, Cal. for the big OIL
tank steamer ]. A. Chanslor, now on
the stocks. This vessel Is - cost
nearly half a million dollars
Ships for pacific Coast.
Contracts for the construction OF
the big freight and passenger steam
ers. Bear and Beaver, were received
from the San Francisco and Portland
Steamship Company early in the year
and these vessels are nearing compile
ton. They will cost half million
each and are 364 feet long and are
driven by single screw engines OF L.
ooo horsepower and are OF 400 gross
tonnage.
The Standard OH Company con
tracted with the yard for three large
oil barges. each 225 feet lcng, 30
foo, broad and ten feet deep and oil
zoo gross tonnage
Later the yard was the successful
bidder on the construction OF tne
freight and passenger steamers CITY
of Montgomery and City Of St LOUIS
now building for the Ocean steamship
Company at a cost of about a million
dollars for the two. They are 3fs
feet long. Al feet broad and 30 feet
deep and are to be of 5000 gross
tonnage and to have 2,560 indicated
horsepower.
eicqest Contract Of Year.
Fairly in the summer the yard land
ed the best contract Of the year.
heing the successful bidder on the
construction Of four big freight and
passenger steamers fer the Southern
Pacific c mpany Morgan Line)-
These vessels are named the e Sol
III Occidente. VI Mundo and Fl Orr
e,ti and are to be 410 feet long, %
feet broad and IS feet deep and OF
s7oe gross tonnage and $500 horse
mower. The aggregate cost will De
more than $2.ooO.o0o-
Pr several months after this con
tract was awarded, no more contracts
were received but in November the
company was Successful in landing
a big freight and passenger steamer
FOR the Old Dominion Steamship Com
many and vas given an order for
SupIcate OF the steamer Jean built
for the Bull Company. The Old Do
r,,nion liner viii cost 100000 and the
Ruu steamer viii cost 100000.
one TORPEDO Boat Destroyer.
In addition to the merchant woT'
received. the company was the ioN
.laa.- ~ the hn.ldInR Of The UnIte1