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 fifty-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
authorized for the navy increases.
Vessels for which estimates OF pri-
vate 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 later date
figures will be received on one am
munition 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
pital ship. fuel ship and gunboat has
already been started at the navy
yards at Philadelphia. Boston and
Charleston. respectively.
To Carry BIZ Rifles.
first OF the American navy to carry
teries. Each will be equipped with
eight OF these big guns-the heaviest
known to have been placed aboard
warcraft although It 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. 45,
46. Al and as. They will be similar
in appearance and general design to
/ tho superdreadnoughts Tennessee
and California. now under construc-
tlon. but will be 500 tons heavier in
I displacement. totalling $4,000 tons.
The additional tonnage is due TO
more torpedo protection and side
armor.
The ships are expected TO have a
cruising radius OF nearly 1000 sea
miles without refueling. They will
have the steam electric drive and
make ut least twenty-one knots.
! In addition to the slxteeu-inch RI
! nes. the new ships will carry eighteen
I iive-inch torpedo defense guns. four
of the new high range threc-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 tho
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 a sustained
speed OF thirty-five knots an hour.
They will look like big destroyers and
be nearly six times as large as the
greatest torpedo craft. displacine
400 tons and having length OF
$50 feet. Tho 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
anti-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
its range Of observation.
The twenty new destroyers viii
be virtually the same in design as tho
latest craft OF the type laid down OK
cept that they will have a maximum