The New York herald., 1921-12-25
COMPETITION KEEN
FOR LEVIATHAN JOB
Ship Repair Firms Along At
lantic Coast to Send Bids
Thursday.
COST Is PR0BLEMATICAL
ReconditiOning Task Believed
Certain to Be in Excess of
S5,0OO,OOO.
COST Is PROBLEMATICAL

although no bids on the recondltioning
of the Leviathan have yet been turned
in. it is known that practically every
large ship repair firm on the Atlantic
coast has had a corps of experts at
work on the specifications with a view
TO entering the competition for the job.
The bids will be opened Thursday, De-
cember 20, at 10 A. NJ: in the office at
II Broadway of w. f. Gibbs, chief Of
construction for the International Mer-
camille Marine Company and official
custodian of the vessel for the United
States Shipping Board.
There is no significance in the fact
that bids have not yet been turned in
Mr.. Gibbs said yesterday. The bids will
be brought in person by representatives
OF the various repair plants on the day
set for making them public. Besides
the repair men, A. d. Lasker. chairman
of the Shipping Board, and other officials
are expected up from Washington. all
though definite, word on this point has
not yet been received.
No clear indication can be gained in
advance of the opening regarding fig
ures that will be named in the bids
cials vary widely from those quoted by
other interested sources. It is agreed
however, that the bids submitted year
ago TO the Shipping Board for the recon-
ditioning of the Leviathan give no posi-
tive clew TO what the job will cost under
present conditions.
The bids submitted on the former oc-
casion ranged between $S,so0.00O and
$40, 10000. New specifications have
since been prepared. however, and many
changes have been Incorporated with
the intention Of bringing the ship up
to the best present day marine engi-
neering practice. Although these changes
VIII not add appreciably to the amount
or labor and materials needed there
have been added specifications for stew
ards supplies which did not enter at all
into the bids submitted last year.
If the new specifications called merely
for reconditioning of the engines and
passenger accommodations it would be
expected that the lowest bid submitted
thursday would not be over 5000, 900,
and would probably be less The stew
ards supplies will add an indeterminate
amount to this figure
The task of preparing bids has been
g. heavy one for the shipyards. One re-
pair plant has had seventeen surveyors
anu othc f'S studying the problem
LOT two The specifications are
the rate ever pr, 1arad Cor
work 3eeamship, forming a book OF
more tnan $4,000 words. with 1924
pages of text, besides SO pages of index.
the volume being six by nine inches and
nearly three inches thick. The subjects
covered are grouped under twelve heads.
ranging from general conditions, oil
burning installation, plumbing and ven
tiiating. TO lifeboats and equipment for
tneir handling. Another volume Of 12o
pages contains specifications for alter
atoms and repairs to the ships ma
chinery. and the specifications for stew
ards department supplies. including
hnen and tableware. also are separate.
Little of the equipment taken out of
the big ship when she was put into
transport service is now available. Some
OF the furniture. which was maintained
IN fairly good condition, was reuphol-
stored and placed in the George Wash
ington when she was reconditioned last
spring.