The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1874-03-25
The Fire Fiend Rampant Through
out the Country.
DESTRUCTION OF LARGE ESTABLISHMENTS
Workingmen Thrown Cut of Employ
Families Rendered Homeless.
The Forthcoming Demands on the
Insurance Companies.

Disastrous Fire in Cramps Ship Yard,
Philadeiphia-The Building and Ma
chinery Destrcyed-Narrovv Escape Of
Government VesseIs-List of Insurance.
PHILADELPHIA, March "a, 1874.
Between the hours OF one and two O'Clock this
morning disastrous fire broke out in the. large
shipbullding yard OF Messrs. Cramp Sons, causing
damage TO the extent OF hundreds Of thousands OF
dollars, throwing hundreds of men out OF employ
ment, and OF necessity suspending great indus
try which. for a few years past, has been de-
veloping along the Delaware River 'front.'
This morning, just after midnight, the
Waterman of the premises, upon entering the
large machine shop, detected mass OF flame in
one OF the smaller rooms, which in a few Moments
so violent was the raging wind, wrapped up the en-
tire structure and spread to the shops adjoining
The alarm was promptly given. but the yards are
somewhat remote ron the fire departments, and
before assistance could be rendered the entire
premises seemed a vast area OF Kissing, crack
ling flames. Then began
The AWFUL BATTLE
between man, wafer, wind, smoke, ruin and fire.
The building in which the coltlagraIOn started was
built OF brick, being 200 feet long by so feet wide
One-half was divided into stories, while the other
half consisted o. a single apartment, with gallery
and baustrade standing midway between floor and
ceiling This was the tool shop, and was filed
with great lathes, planers slOtters, drills, boring
mills, along with three huge engines for the three
iron steamships Lancaster. PottsvIlle and Will
Transport, all OF which were completely ruined and
destroyed.
In the upper stories of this shop were stored all
the patterns models, &c, OF the firm, which were
OF exceeding value and which, Messrs Cramp h
sons inform me, cannot be replaced Tor less than
$4,000. Ihls building was completely Quilted, tue
roof fell in, ana Its interior now presents q sad
spectacle Oh broken iron, Charred timber and de-
tacned masonry.
RICH, next to this shop was another known as
the joners' rooms. In the lower part was stored
an exceedingly large amount Of ships hardware,
which, along with the structure itself. was en-
The shipsmiths shops were all burned out. and
the blacksmith and other shops very heavily dam
aged.
Tne Pennsylvania, that particularly i'll fated ship,
which stuck upon her stocks at her launch, and
which was almost lost IN the recent cyclone, was
lying under relair at the yard at the time, not
more than twenty feet away from the burning
buildings. The wind, roaring like q hurricane at
the time, dashed naming clnders thick upon her
decks, and every one believed that she too
had however, attracted a large number Of per-
sons to the spot, who, assisted by the workmen,
turned their entire attention to the Pennsylvania,
and saved her IRON destruction and any serious
damage. Adjacent to this ship were SIX other iron
SHIPS. built Tor the Reading Railroad Company,
which were described in these columns some weeks
ago, and which were, with the utmost ullculty,
preserved from injury. SO wild blew the wind
tnat the SPARKS lying across the Delaware set on
fire another great structure, known as niander-
sons mill which Is located on Petty's ISLAND. Tue
damage done here amounted to 100000.
THE INSURANCE
upon Messrs. Cramp Sons yards Is as follows
which does not At all cover the losses:-
an