The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-02-16
FIRE LOSS OF 100000
MACHINE SHOPS AT BROOKLYN NAVY
YARD DESTROYED.
Models and Records of the III-Fated
Battle ship Maine and other
War Vessels Burned.

NEW YORK, Feb. 15.-Over 100000
worth of government property was de-
stroyed by fire which started in the large
machine shop OF the Brooklyn navy yard,
known as machine shop No. %, tonight, and
the workings of the navy yard have received
a serious setback. Many fine models and
patterns of battle ships, their parts and
plans have been destroyed, and some Of them
cannot be obtained again except by going
over the work mapped out in the beginning.
The fire was first discovered at $50 o'clock
tonight by the man on the watch Of the
battle ship Massachusetts. He Immediately
notified Lieut.. r. II. Mulligan, in charge of
the watch, and a call to fire quarters was
made The men Of the Massachusetts sour
ried down to the machine shop, about 300
yards away, and with the aid Of a hose
reel picked up in the yard got a small stream
playing on the fire. The building was about
one hundred feet in width and 326 feet long.
1t was four stories in height and built of
stone and brick The wooden inside was
thoroughly saturated with oil, and the
flames rapidly gained headway. 1t was seen
that the Massachusetts, men could do but
little against the blaze and Colonel Hunt
ington, in command of the marines, Joined
in the work. About this time an alarm was
turned in and all the engines in the neigh
borhOod Of the navy yard responded. The
flames had then completely enveloped the
great machine shop 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 roof, but the firemen
quickly put them out. A small corrugated
iron building in the rear of the machine
shop was burned, but the loss on this is in
cf-r ha b1fo
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 $50 o'clock the officials of the
navy yard pronounced It an utter loss. AT
about II o'clock the fire had spent itself.
Machine shop No. 2S was occupied by the
coppersmiths, the bolermakers, the carpen-
ters and machinists About six hundred
people were employed there, but only two
of the outbreak of the fire, Aside from be-
ing filled with great mass of machinery.
more or less used, the building was occu-
pied as a pattern and model shop Here
were kept all the models plans, drawings and
specifications of work 10 be done on any of
the naval vessels that We're TO be repaired
at the yard. Many models of battle ships
and war vessels built from time to time
were kept there These were most copies of
models. and their loss, while footing up con-
siderable from pecuniary point, will not be
irreparable. The steam engineering depart
ment had a number of elaborate plans which
were originated in this yard and they can
not be replaced
In the machine shop very little work was
on hand. a number of small orders were
being flied for the torpedo boats Mckee,
Rogers. Foote Porter, and some engine fit
tings were being turned out for the Newark,
Scorpion and Indiana. The records and
models of the battle ship Maine, which was
blown up in Havana harbor on Feb. IT, 1888,
were also destroyed.
The loss to the building is placed at $780,
000, that on the machinery and lathes in the
building al $4,000. The cost of the models
and patterns is variously estimated. but Off
cials in the yard put the total loss at a little
over N,000000. The cause of the fire is un-
known as yet The two watchmen claim
the fire started in the southeast corner OF
the building. The cause of the fire Will be
the subject of an inquiry within the next
few days.