The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1868-12-02
FORT LAFA YETTE.
The Interior in Ruins-The Fire East
Ntght-The Magazine Intact-General
Excitement Among the People.


Night-The Magazine IntRct-General
Excitement Among the People.
Says the New York Tribune OF this morRng:-
About 1850 z. M. yesterday, 3 hre was dis
covered issuing from the roof Of Fort Lafayette,
which In short time was communicated TO the
quarters of the officers aud soldiers. and after
wards extended to large quantity of latas aud
boards; SO that, within q comparatively short
space OF time, all the woodwork within the fort
was abaze, and continued burning until near
midnight, when everything iufammable within
the walls was destroyed. The ire was caused
by the carelessness of Joseph Muew, laborer,
In building @ fire TO cook his dinner in
chimney-place near the soldiers quarters, con-
trary 10 the orders of hr. Lane, SIperln.
tendent ct Engineers who had charge
of the construction Of a new roof and other
the chimney was even with the roof, aud being
nearly cboked with SCOT caught FIRE. The root
igpited aud although the wOrkmen who were
engaged upon il did their utmost to suppress
the hames, they spread with such surprising
rapidlty that they barely esca%CG11 Dy lettnD
themselves ~yyn 10 the ground b. means OF
iUpcs. There being no means at hand 10 sup
stress the FIRE the guard, Numbering some SIX
men, the Sergeant IN charge OF the Fort, ana
the carpenters, left for the Long Island shore,
leaving the structure 10 its fate.
report was circulated that the magazine IN
the tort contained some l75 tons of gunpoTder,
which ii was eventually asCertained amounted
TO about 10 tons This had the effect OF thro ~
ing tue citizens of the village OF Fort Hamilton
into panic, Nearly all deserted their houses,
in some instances leaving the servants IN charge
and in others abandoning them altogether The
cars running to the city were Gro wded with
women and children. as It was believed that if
the powder 10 the magazine eXoloded the entire
village would be shattered and the inhabltsntS
be destroyed.
The in SIDE of the fort contained about 100, 900
feet Of lumber aid some thousands OF shingles,
all seasoned ana highly combustIble, aud which
burned with great fury, presenting the appear
ance through the sally-port facing the shore OF
u huge fiery furnace.
During the progress of the fire eighteen shells
exploded and flew in different ditectlons. None
reached the shore, however. and no lives were
endangered thereby.
At last accounts the great body OF the fire was
confined to the westerly side of Staten Island.
The magazine is on the side facing Long Island,
and all danger was believed to have passed.
The Hames from the burning fort were dis.
Guctly visible in different parts of the city, q
distance OF some six miles from the scene otthe
conhagraton.
As the roof OF the quarters used by both
officers and soldiers within the fort had been
very much damaged by artillery firing, for eX-
perimental purposes, 1t was recently ordered
that they should be rebuilt. few months ago
orders were accordingly issued by Gen. New
ton, commanding the Military Department of
New York, TO begin the work,
About 10 o'clock last evening, Sergeant Mac
Rellar and other members OF the Police Depart
ment were rewed to The fort In an open boat,
and on landing proceeded to the door leading
to the magazine. After examining carefully the
surroundings, they returned with the news that
all danger from an explosion of powder was
over.
Fort Lafayette was built during the year 1917
for the protection of New York barbor. 1t was
generally, however, known as Fort Diamond.
from its shape, until the arrival of General
LafaJe in 1924, when its true name WAS re-
sumed. Ii has probably more of interest
attached to it than any other fort in the United
States excepting Sumter), from the fact that
from the very commencement OF the war 1t was
used as place of confinement for political pri-
soners. AS early as the Goth OF July, 1862, II
received within its massive portals b. :. Ruggles
of Fredericksburg, and many others OF his
stamp. Towards the end of the year the num-
Der of prisoners had so largely increased thai
the accommodations offered at the Fort were
insufficient, and several were tran ferred ia
Fort Columbus. The loss on Government pro.
perty will not exceed, it is believed, 100000.
Another journal says:-
Fort Lafayette was built sub3equent to the
close OF our war with England, for the purpose
Of more effectually guarding the ocean entrance
to the metropolis. II stands on the Long Island
side of the bay, about six miles below the
city, and almost directly opposite to Fort
WadsworLb, on staten Island. 1t was built
on reef about three hundred yards from the
about six feet OF water. The structure was
quaint in appearance from the outside as
well as within. The inner wall is diamond
shaped, and rises five or SIX feet higher than the
wall surrounding it. The too surface of the
inner wall slopes towards the centre, and it is
upon this strong rampant that the heavy guns
of the fort were mounted, For long series OF
years this fort has stood like a sturdy sentinel
guarding the gates 10 the kmplre City, without
once having had the satisfaction of discharging
q hundred pounder across the bow of hostile
man ofwar