Huntsville gazette., 1890-05-17
THE WlLLET'S POINT FIRE.

One Hundred Thousand Dollars Worth OF
Military Stores Belonging to the Gov
ernment Eurned in the Recent Fire at
Willet's Point, Long Island-The Fire
Undoubtedly of Incendiary Origin.
New YORK, May 13.-About 500, 900
worth of military stores belonging to
the United States Government were
burned Saturday night at Willet's
Point, L. l. The fire broke out late at
night in the storage house of the mill
tary post, and Colonel King, who is in
command there, believes it was the
work of an incendiary. The building
burned was located on the outskirts of
the post. 1t was in charge of Sergeant
Kelly, of Company A, and none of the
soldiers or attaches of the post were
allowed to enter it. The building was
one-story wooden structure $50 feet
long and $50 feet wide. 1t was used for
storing all the implements of the en-
gineer corps, electrical apparatus,
pontoon bridges, and other army sup
plies. In the building were nine Fish
torpedoes valued at SIS, 900 each, and
electrical apparatus used for steering
them. The only torpedoes of this
kind ever made were manufact-
ured for the United States,
Germany and England Among
the other things stored in the building
were ten thousand feet of oak plank,
fifty bales of rope, ten thousand shovels,
ten thousand pick-axes, a number of
canvas boats and all the pontoon
bridges belonging to the post There
were also several pianos and a large lot
of furniture in the building. The pom
toon bridges were valuable and among
those used in the late war. There was
also large number of ship anchors and
small boat anchors destroyed. The pow
der and dynamite which had been stored
in the place was removed to the new
fire-proof arsenal two weeks ago. Tho
post is garrisoned by four hundred sol
diers and officers and is known as the
Torpedo School. Taps" had been
sounded on Saturday night and the
men were about going to bed when the
alarm was given. The men fell into
line and hurried to the fire, but the
flames had gained such headway that
they could not do much to stop them.
The fire apparatus at the post was use
less. When the hose was unwound it
fell apart. The supply of water was
inadequate. There is two-inch water
main which is supplied from the water
works at Flushing, but there was very
little pressure, and telegram was sent
to Flushing to turn on more water.
There is no direct wire with Flushing
from Willet's Point, and the telegram
had to go by way of New York. BY the
time sufficient pressure of water was
turned on in the pipe the building was
burned down. When the soldiers found
they could not save the building in
which the fire started they turned their
attention to the other structures and
with the assistance of hook
and ladder companies from Bay
side and Whitestone they succeeded in
saving the surrounding property. A
large building caught fire from the
sparks, but was saved after great ex-
ertions by the fighters. Colonel King
telegraphed a report of the fire to the
Secretary of War. Congress will be
asked to make an appropriation to
cover the loss. The officers at the fort
are confident that the fire was the work
Of an incendiary. 1t is the third fire of
incendiary origin that has occurred at
Willet's Point The last fire there de-
stroyed the theater about four weeks
ago. If high wind had prevailed
Saturday night many old dwelling
houses at the post would have burned.
A base line transit, said to be the only
one in the United States, which was
valued at $4,000, was destroyed. The
fire burned five hours. There were no
fires or lights in the premises.