The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1899-02-21

In the Machine shops at the Brooklyn
Navy Yard-The origin Not Vet
Known

hAOtS
New York, February 15.-Over 81, 000.-
900 worth of government property was
destroyed by a fire which started in
the large machine shops Of the Brook
lyn avy yard, known as machine shop
No. %, tonight, and the workings of
the navy yard nave received a seri-
Gus set back.
Many fine models and patterns OF
battleships, their parts and plans, lay
been destroyed and some of them can
not be obtained again except by going
over the work mapped out in the be-
ginning. A great number of the models
were simply copies Of plans, drawings
n specifications now in the store
rooms Of the department at Washing
ton and these can be replaced at any
time. The steam engineering depart
ment of the Brooklyn yard is practi-
cally wiped out and the work lone in
that building will have to be thrown
temporarily upon the department of
yards and docks and that of construc-
ton inc repair. There is considerable
obstruction to the work there and an
extra force will have to be put on in
order to keep up with the work.
AIIC AlC as AIo1 90 Wv
o'clock tonight by the man or the
watch of the battleship Massachusetts.
He Immediately notified Lieutenant r.
T.. Miligan, in charge Of the watch, and
a call to fire quarters was made. The
| men of the Massachusetts scurried
down to the machine shop, about 300
: yards away, n with the aid of a hose
| reel picked up in the yard. got a small
| stream playing or the fire. The build
| in0 uTaS ahn,1t 100 feet in width and
325 feet long. 1t vas four stories in
height and built of stone and brick.
The wooden inside was thoroughly sat
urated with oil and the flames rapidly
! gained Roadway. 1t was seen that the
| Massachusetts could do but little
against The blaze and Colonel Hunt
ington, in command of the marines,
joined in the work.
About this time a four alarm was
turned in, and all the engines in the
neighborhood of the navy yard re-
sponded. The flames had then com
plete enveloped the great machine
shops and attention had to be paid
to the foundry and other buildings in
the vicinity. Several times the flames
got a start on the foundry room, but
the firemen quickly put them out. The
firemen pumped huge streams of water
into the blazing machine shop, but all
efforts were fruitless.
The fire made such rapid progress in
the machine shop that by s o'clock
the officials of the navy yard p%ronounc-
ed it an utter loss. AT about II o'clock
the fire had spent itself.
| Machine shop No. % was occupied by
the cOpperSmithS, the bOiler-makerS,
the carpenters and machinists. About
600 people were employed in them, but
only two watchmen were in the build
ing at the time of the outbreak of the
fire. The last workman a left the
place at 5 o'clock.
Aside from being filled with a great
mass Of machinery, more or less used,
the building was occupied as a pat
| tern and mode shop. Here were kept
the models, plans, drawings and spec
ifications of work to be don on any of
the naval vessels that were to be re-
paired at the yard. Many models of
battleships and war vessels built from
time to time were kept there. These
were mostly copies of models and
their loss, while footing up considera-
BILE from a pecuniary point, will not be
irreparable.
The steam engineering department
had a number of elaborate plans which
, were originated in this yard and they
cannot be replaced.
The loss to the building is placed at
$3.50 900; that to the machinery and
lathes in the building at $500, 900. The
cost of the models and patterns is va
riously estimated, but officials in the
yard put the total loss, at a little over
81, O00, 600. The cause of the fire is I'M
known as yet, but will be the sub
ject of an inquiry within the next few
days.