The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1915-10-01
Bids Indicate That Bridge port Concern Underbids Rivals By $5, 900 on Each Boat Electric Boat Go. s Price $55O, 900 While To cal Firm Asks $545, ,O0O.
Even Keel Submersihles, Proved Efficient By Ger mans, and Invention of Simon Lake. Named By Park City Contractors
 Others Want Diving Type.

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 As a result of careful comparison of itae subnaarine bids opened at Wash s7gron yesterday it would appear, ire spective of q early accounts flashed Broadcast about the country to the s9ontrary that the Lake Torpedo Boat Co. Of this city is the lowest bidder upon the prime type of boat by 5000 each.
 Tn confrnation of this belief both Fred Brown whitney and Lieut.-Com- nander Fl. M. Robinson. retired, off, cials of the Lake Go. declare that thelr bids are the lowest tby the large figure New York Times today prints details of the bids which are taken to indi- cate that on the only type likely to be accepted by the Navy department the Lake co. has surpassed all it's com petitirs in bidding upon an even keel s1bInergence type that has both speed and coast defense qualities.
 It is shown by the bids that the Electric Boat Go, owned by the Schwab interests bid on eight boats figure of $550,0OO. while on the same class Of boat the Lake eoknpany bid oh from four to six boats figure of S5z5,a00.
 These boats had to come up to max irnun specifications for coast defense with 14 knots on the surface and II Knots submerged. Sixteen boats alt9- sether were bid upon, Il of which were to be built on the Atlantic coast and five on the Pacific coast
 The appropriation made by Congress WAS limited to $550. 600 per boat. They sVere not to be kzafrvsnA as the offensive. or high speed boats. but vessels strict fy Tor coast purposes. It was doubtful, naval constructors say, whether high speed boat could be built at rea4
 
 pfopTiatipn. In calling for bids the Navy Department stated in effect that four classes of boats would be enter: tafned- Maximum. minimum and mean. The maximum had a. speed of fl knots on the surface and II strb- merged. The minimum called for 1s 1-2 knots surface with 10 1-2 sub merged
 The Newport News and the New York Shipbuilding Cos. and the Lake Torpedo Boat CO of Bridgepore offered only boats of the maximum speeds.
 The Electric Boat co. offered a com promise boat In this class known as the M type, one of which they have already built. and tests of which are now in progress. In submitting the compromise bid they asked permission to withdraw the bid by October Is if the tests of that type boat were not satiANactory
 Electric Boat co. asked for
  maximum figure Of s550.0oo.
 The Lake Go. bid for the maximum class of boats, not less than four, or more than six, to be awarded them, quoting the figure of only s545, ,O00 Con- seuently, it would appear on the face of the bids. that the Lake Co, on standard government specification and without qualification. bid s5 GOO each less than their competitors for boats of the best speed and best characterisN tics.
 The Lake Go bids were upon aSboat Of the simon Lake even keel submerg- ence type. similar to those now used by Germany and which have been found to be far Superior to the diving type Of boat with which this and other governments have had troubles and upon whic some of Lakes competitors bid in the present case.
 All the other bids submitted at " Washington yesterday were for mini mum or mean speeds and cl,aracterIs- tics. It would appear that the low bid quoted throughout the country yesterday by the Electric Boat CO, s523, 900 each, was for boats of the L. class, onw undergoing tests They are n understood to be of only 13 1-2 knots From the bids submitted yesterday 1t also appears that the Lake Co.'S Pacific coast license, the California Ship Building Co., bid upon not less fhan three more than five of the Simon Lake even keel sub1nergence type with maximum Surface spec@ of knots and submergence speed e9 knots. at price Of $54s 500 each The Union. Iron Works, the associate company in the yVestgof the Electric Boat Co., bid for not less than five boats of the diving type at $5i0s 000A each These boats are of only 380 tons displacement as eor1n-. pared with 4s5 tons displacement of xered by the California Ship Building co.
 The Lake Go. is assured today from the bids that they will receive con tracts for at least eight boats, upon the face of the comparative figures displayed at Washington yesterday.
 Tn preparation for the work the company here has by the issuance of preferred stock defrayed all out standing indebetedness and has suf- dcient reserve fund in the treasury to comrlete the building operations that gre now begun.
 The account of the bidding as pub lished by the New York Times. which fs said by the Lake Co. ofd eials to be the most accurate, is as follows:
 Evidence Of a prebab1e develop snent of submarine types and building plants in the United States as a re cult of the lessons of the war in Europe, was furnished today. when
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