The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1916-10-25
Which Are to Be Laid Down in
1917 as Part of Greater
Navy Program.


WASHINGTON. Oct. 25-Bids for
the first ffty-eight ships TO be laid
down in 1917 as part Of the greater
navy building program are being
opened today at the navy depart
ment. Congress has authorized the
beginning OF sixty-six ships in 1917
as the first installment of the 155
authorized for the navy increases.
Vessels for which estimates Of pri-
waite bidders were examined today
include four battleships. four scout
cruisers, twenty destroyers. and
thirty coast submarines. Early in
December bids will be open for four
battle cruisers and at a later date
figures will be received on one ann
munltion ship.
Under the terms Of the navy bill
all the 1917 ships must be contract
ed for or work on their construction
in government yards begun before
February /. Construction OF hos
pltal ship. fuel ship and gunboat has
already been started at tho navy
yards al Philadelphia. Boston and
Charleston, respectively.
To Carry BIZ Rifles.
The four battleships will be the
first OF the American navy TO carry
sixteen-inch rifles in their main bat
teries. Each will be equipped with
eight OF these big guns-the heaviest
known to have been placed aboard
warcratt although il is currently re-
ported that Great Britain Is prepar-
ing TO arm an experimental ship with
eIghteen-inch rifles.
Until names have been selected
the ships will be knowns as Nos. 40.
as. Al and 4S. They will be similar
In appearance and general design TO
the superdreadnoughts Tennessee
and California, now under construc-
ton. but will be 500 tons heavier in
displacement. totalling $4,000 tons.
The additional tonnage is due 10
more torpedo protection and side
armor.
The ships are expected 10 have a
Icruisiug radius of nearly 1000 sea
miles without refueling. They will
I have the steam electric drive and
make at least twenty-one knots.
In addition TO the slxteen-inch RI
nes, the new ships will carry eighteen
/ lve-inch torpedo defense guns. four
OF the new high range thrce-inch
anti-aircraft guns and the usual
equipment Of torpedo tubes. Their
main batteries will be mounted two
guns to turret, departing from the
three gun turret construction on the
Pennsylvania and later ships.
Scout Cruisers.
The scout cruisers will be the first
scouts, designed for that work alone.
to be added to the navy. The old
light cruisers Salem, Chester and
Birmingham. known as scout cruis-
ers, have not the speed necessary for
modern sea picket.
The scouts will make n sustained
speed OF thirty-fve knots an hour.
They will look like big dcstroyers and
be- nearly six times as large as the
greatest torpedo craft, dlsplaclng
100 tons and having a length Of
$50 feet The mass OF machinery
necessary to drive them at express
train speed will be covered by light
armor and each will carry eight long
range six-inch rifles, two three-inch
Rnti-aircratt guns and four torpedo
tubes.
The most striking new features of
the ships will be the installation OF
catapult devices which will permit
the launching of hydro-aeroplanes in
any weather. Each scout will Be ft-
ted TO carry four aircraft TO extend
it's range OF observation.
The twenty new destroyers will
be virtually the same In design as the
latest craft OF the tyne laid down ex-
eept that they will have maximum