The Washington times., 1915-10-19
TWENTY-FIVE NAVAL
CONTRACTS AWARDED
Secretary Daniels Acts on
Largest Order Ever Award.
ed BY Department.

Forging ahead in the process OF up
building the navy. the department mas
awarded contracts for sixteen suoHa-
rines and six destroyers.
One destroyer will be built at Nor
folk navy yard and one at Mare Island.
Cal. Four submarines will be built on
the Pacific coast. The Bremerton,
wash. and the Portsmouth navy yards
each Will build one.
Awards on the four destroyer were
Cramp & Sons. two at $4,000 each !;
Seattle Construction and Drvdock Com
pany. one at sss5.ooo; Bath Iron Works.
one at sS79. 800
The destroyer to be built at Mare
Island will cost s76263s. and the one at
Norfolk. s7O6. .30j.
Total Of the destroyer awards IL
A.o23. 44S. Each will have thirty knots
speed. Delivery Is required In eighteen
to twenty months.
Gets Eight Awards.
On the submarines. the Electric Boat
Company got eight at S545. 900 each. The
Lake Torpedoboat Company got three at
the same figure. and the California Ship
bull ding Company got three at $S4s.oOo
1T is interesting to note" said Sec
retary Daniels In awarding the con-
tracts. that the six destroyers and six
teen submarines constitute the greatest
number OF contracts for new construc-
tion ever awarded in the history of the
Navy Department at one time.
THE destroyers will be built. in the
main, In accordance with the depart
ment's designs. except in the case of
the one boat to he built by the bath
Iron Works. which viii be according to
the bidders design OF machinery, for
which that company guarantees results
IN speed and cruising radius somewhat I
In excess of those required by the de-
partment.
Aids Navy Yards.
THE order for the construction OF
one OF these vessels at each of the Mare
Island and Norfolk yards is In pur-
suance of the departments policy OF
equipping and developing our navy
yards to the highest point OF efficiency
In times of peace. so that they may be
prepared for the greater strains whicn
would be thrown on these organizations
In time of war.
THE award of a contract for one ves-
sci to the Seattle Construction and Dry
Dock Company marks the beginning OF
the first vessel of this class to be built
on the Pacific Coast by a private con-
cern since the completion of the Paul
Jones. Perry, and Prehle. in 1907.
Both OF the submarines to he built
at the navy yards will be on the design
Of the Electric Boat Company. The de-
signs and Specifications which were sub
mitted by the bidders meet in all es-
sential respects the rigid requirement
for this class of vessel which were laid
down by the Navy Department.
Engines Improved.
''In general features and characteris-
tics they represent a small advance In
size. bat much greater advance In
efficiency. Both designs propose i'm
proved engines OF the heavy oil types.
and greatly improved storage batteries.
these advances having been made pos
sihle by general developments in en-
gineering science. and by extended cx-
perience In previous subma rines Of the
United States navy.
AS In the case Of the destroyers, the
bidders for these submarines show their
ability to build more rapidly than here
tofore. as the guaranteed dates of de-
livery are in all cases we'll within the
twenty-four months. which was the best
teriod of construction for any boats OF
this class previously laid down"
Specifications For Boats.
The principal characteristics of the
new vessels will be:
Destroyers-LsnCth, 1854 feet: beam.
80 feet I inches: draft. feet; displace-
ment. 1.le5 tons: speed. 30 knots Each
VII have battery of four finch rapid
nre rifles. two anti-aircraft guns. four
triple torpedo tubes to discharge the
heaviest and longest range torpedoes 8
now built. They will he propelled by
> steam turbins. oil fuel fired water tube
boilers.
submarines-steed. II knotds on sur
facc and 10 submerged: displacement.
6so tons Each will carry. In addition TO
ne torpedo tubes. 3-inch dIsaDpearng :
rihe for surface fighting They will
have oil engines for cruising on the sur
Iare and batteries for propulsion when