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Coast Guard Calls for Bids on Cutter No. 55 The United States coast guard has invited bids for building United States coast guard cutter No. 655. Bids were opened Oct. 30. Cutter No. 55 has the following character- istics: Hull of steel, construction suitable for rescue and assistance work on Lake Michigan. Length over all, feet, inches.... 165 Beam, molded, feet, inches .......... 36 Depth, molded, to upper deck at side amidships, feet, inches.... 21 Draft, maximum, feet, inches.... 13 Displacement, at about 12 feet mean Gract, CONS ccscscscsercs sc 960 Geared turbine drive, single screw Shaft horsepower, estimated...... 1500 The cutter will be of steel, of the flush upper-deck design, with ample freeboard and sheer, straight raked stem and conventional cylindrical overhung stern. Vertical bulwarks will surmount the sheer strake for- ward and aft. The erections above the upper deck will be limited to the extent necessary to house the radio room, galley, boiler casing, engine casing and towing machine inclosure, and to support the bridge and super- structure decks upon which are mounted the wheelhouse and emer- gency cabin, respectively. The ves- sel will have two pole masts and one smoke stack; all of the same ap- parent rake. There will be two continuous in- terior decks, the uppermost (main) deck to be watertight for practically its entire length. Similarly, the low- er (berth) deck will be watertight throughout its extent forward and abaft the machinery space. The fore-and-aft subdivision will be ob- tained by means of six watertight and two oil-tight transverse bulk- heads extending to the main deck with the exception of the end bulk- heads which will extend to the up- per deck. The subdivision to be thus obtained will insure a very satisfac- tory measure of protection in event of collision or grounding damages if any should be encountered. The cutter has been expressly de- signed to permit ice-breaking and has been given the cutaway forefoot of the conventional ice-breaking bow. A heavily reinforced cast steel stem has been provided to withstand the direct impact of the vessel on floe or solid ice. In addition, an ice belt of %-inch thickness will extend for the full length of the ship on each side and suitably widened forward to provide for excessive changes in trim while the vessel is breaking solid ice. A forward trimming tank, of ample capacity to secure the desirable im- mersion of the forefoot for various ice-breaking operations, has also been incorporated in the design. It is intended that the vessel, in the performance of its designated duties, oo oo can operate in solid ice two feet in thickness. The underdeck living spaces have been divided into crew space forward and officers’ quarters aft. The in- tended complement consists of 5 of- ficers, including the commanding of- ficer, and 46 men. Forward spaces in excess of living quarters are to be given over to refrigerated and dry stores, paint and oil. Similarly, aft there has been made provision for miscellaneous clothing, engineers’, ordnance, canvas, cabin, and ward- room stores. The windlass and steering engine will be electrically operated. The automatic towing engine and the gypsy are to be steam-operated. The main propelling machinery will consist of steam turbines of the impulse, or impulse-reaction type, exhausting into a single pass con- denser and driving a single propeller shaft through double _ reduction gears. The shaft horsepower will be 1500 at a turbine speed not ex- ceeding 7000 revolutions per minute and a corresponding propeller speed of 140 revolutions per minute. Two oil-fired marine water-tube boilers will supply steam at 325 pounds pressure and 200 degrees Fahr. su- perheat. The boilers may be oper- ated with either natural or induced draft. Engineering auxiliaries will consist of two 25 kilowatt 120-volt direct current turbo-generators, a turbine-driven circulating pump, one 250 gallons per minute turbine driv- en fire pump, and the required fuel oil, lubricating oil, feed, condensate, sanitary pumps, etc., in accordance with modern engineering practice. Bids for Cutter No. 55 were to be received until Oct. 30, 1931. It is expected that the successful bidder will immediately begin work on the project. The completion date shall be not later than Oct. 3, 1932. De- livery shall be made to the govern- ment either at Buffalo, or any United States port of the Great Lakes wect of Buffalo. Shipbuilders to whom plans and specifications for the construction of Cutter No. 55 have been sent are: American Boiler Works, American Ship Building Co., Bath Iron Works Corp., Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corp. Ltd., Defore Boat & Motor Works, Great Lakes Engineering Works, Carl Hartmann Co., Manitowoc Ship Building Corp., Calumet Shipyard & Dry Dock Co., Brewer Dry Dock Co., Maryland Drydock Co., Mathis Yacht Building Co., Newport News Ship- pbuilding & Dry Dock Co., Leathem D. Smith Dock Co., Sun Shipbuilding & Drydock Co., Todd Shipyards Corp., United Dry Docks, Inc., Toledo Ship- building Co., Spedden Shipbuilding Co. Inc., Buffalo Marine Construc- tion Corp., Marine Iron & Ship Build- ing Co., Warwick Machine Co., How- ard Ship Yards & Dock Co., Jeffer- sonville, Ind. MARINE REviEw—November, 1931 New England Yards Busy With New Construction A total of $460,000,000 in contracts for vessels built, started or ordered in 1931, indicates the amount of work at three shipyards in New England. These yards are employing over 8000 men. The Bath Iron works has sufficient work on hand to keep its 700 employes busy throughout the winter. This yard was recently awarded the contract for building a United States naval destroy- er at a cost of $2,626,000. This yard is also building a 165-foot coast guard patrol boat. A number of yachts have been launched at the Bath yards dur- ing recent months. These include the CAROLINE for Eldridge Johnson, the SEAPINE for Frank H. Goodyear, the Feicra for United States Senator Jesse H. Metcalf, the Hetenr for Charles Sorenson, and the Hatonta for Charles H. Stone. The Fore River plant of the Bethle- hem Shipbuilding Corp. in Quincy and the Boston navy yard were each award- ed one of the new United States navy destroyers.. These contracts will keep both of these yards busy throughout the winter. The Fore River yard is building three new liners for the Mat- son Navigation Co., one of which, the MARIPOSA, entered service. The Mon- TEREY Was launched Oct. 10 and the keel of the LURLINE was recently laid. Also at the Fore River yard the 10,000- ton cruiser PorTLAND is under con- struction as well as three passenger liners for the United Fruit Co. Propelling Equipment A contract for new geared turbine propelling machinery for the three bat- tleships, New Mexico, MISSISSIPPI and IDAHO, was awarded recently to the Westinghouse Electric and Mfg. Co. by the United States navy department at a price of $1,395,632. The propelling equipment for each battleship consists of four 10,000 shaft horsepower, cross compound impulse reaction turbines with single reduction gears designed for a gear speed of 250 revolutions per minute. The New Mexico is at the Philadel- phia navy yard and the MISSISsrpPi is at the Norfolk navy yard for moderni- zation. The IpAHO was to arrive at the Norfolk navy yard Oct. 1. Order for Large Oil Barge The McClintic Marshall Corp. Riter Conley works of Pittsburgh has re- ceived a contract from the Atlantic Re- fining Co. for the construction of one oil tank barge for use in Pittsburgh harbor. The barge, which will be built in the Leetsdale yards, will be 106 feet long, 26 feet wide and 7% feet deep, with a capacity for 105,000 gallons. 61