New-York tribune., 1899-02-17
THE NAVY YARD FIRE.
ACTUAL DAMAGE NOT so GREAT AS
FIRST ESTIMATED.
,oss or p,.xs HOWEVER INEsTIMABLE-GooD
WORK DONE BY FlREMEN AND sAHoNs
rot-RT OF INQUIRY NAMED.

LOSS OF PLANS. HOWEVER lNESIlMAHi-e WV
WORK DONE Ry FIREMEN AND SAILORS
COURT OF INQUIRY NAMED
while the actual financial loss by the fire when
destroyed the big machine shop OF the S'ea", e'-
r,reerins department, in the Navy Yard on "eonts
dav nirht will faU slightly below the orisha' eS'
,,at. ~ 81 600 ooo the loss plans. drawings ahu
nat,erns which were stored in the attic or ""''
-. hoe, called the fourth floor of the building ~
bevond computation as /; Is entirely impoSsio'e ~
repace any Of them. and their value Jay III ""' ''
that from them duplicate parts c"ud ne ina"e :"
any Of the machinery which might o'eaN u'"" -
service - -, $40
,,raov anS streams of water were kept PLAYING on
,bo ruins constantly The big machine shop use"
Is totally destroyed The enSne-room Is "''0N'
Nh, fortunately the high-speed engine Is ID cur
di,ion which will permit It's being worHe" os u,'
afternoon From this a belt VIII 0e run 10 ne
hoilar- -shop OF which only the western end was oe-
s,roved and work in that section OF the Depart
mont will not be seriously interrupted. me I'M
mense travelling crane in inc boiler SHOP "'i'
natelv was I'm the end OF tho building near the e'
and was somewhat damaged but can ne repaired
Late IN the afternoon the la5ors of Chiei boller-
maker O'Rourke and gang Of his men WORKING on
the safe which IN CHIEF Engineer N'hlSoi
Office were successful and large portion oi '"e
valuable books and papers were recovered S'N'''
charred hut I'm the main in fair condition. among
the losses which will trouble 70 the engineers
was that Of the payroll for the first half OF Fen-
r,ar, hut with the aid of the list I'm the pay or
sce Of the ward and the record Of the Labor Bureau
II will be possible 10 come within ie" uo''"'N %
the actual amount due 20 the men
Naval Constructor Bowlcs. before the arriNa! OF
the steam engineering men yesterday morning ha'
preparations made for the accommodation Oh ''e
clerical force Members Of his own stan VINO mao
separate rooms were doubled up other rooms were
vacated and these with the DIG room occupied 'S
.hn
ing No S were turned over 10 tho use "f OhI"I
Engineer Windsor and his men. Everything was
crowded hut fair hcadway was made in strash'eh-
Ing out the ,angle caused 10y the are lhe me-
chanics employed in the department were scattered
around in the various shops OF the YARD shu' Win
few exceptions all were provided for
COURT OF INQUIRY NAMED
c,D,s,, George " sumner. acting commanaant
OF the yard in the absence of commodore fhilip'
Yesterday snponted a court Of inquiry 10 nvesti-
gate the cause Of the fire and the extent OF the
damage This court began its work before noon
Yesterday ana nothing will be known OF It's findings
uni. word IS given out from the Department IN
Wash.neton. where the report will be sent CAPTAIN
Merrill Miller IN charge Of the receiving snip eI-
NO., ,e rresidon of he court the other members
htGn hene cabtain Nco Ludlow Of ;he MASSACHUSETTS,
snd iianisrsnt EIarry K Hines who is attached TO
The 0rdnarce Department in the yard. No one At
the yard could give any explanation OF IN cduSe %
the nre and Il is possible that it VII never oe
known as the destruction Of the building vas so
complete II stated positively mat ne tlre was Wa
FIRST seen the second floor in the northWes, cor
ner o; the building which as Occupied oy sne ~
cal force snG one Si Je & I5' on sentry duty is said
to have gone into the building through waoo~ was
which in blaze. Lack Of pressure on on me ne
hose. with which me building was well supplied rs
ssnything toward putting ont the IRE
The building was Wen equippel win appar9i'0ss as
about two thousand feet Of hose I'm The structure
and yesterday afternoon water vas pouring from
IN n
II mas been said that = the fire had been ATTACKED
hage hrST been 5ns exngas6ed but owing to the na
mable nature Of it's contents and the 1acI tnat (
oughy oil soaked it is highly probable hat suifoGa-
ton would have followed any attempt 10 Attack the
blaze from the interior Of the structure.
BLESSING IN DISGUISE.
No plans have been formed as to the reconstruc-
tion OF the building II Is not regarded as likely
that there will he any delay in that work II may
be said that the fire IS not an unmixed evil. With
the exception OF few monitor lathes IN the north
ern end OF the building the machinery was Of an
antiouated and almost obsolete pattern The whoe
lower floor was maze Of pUlleys and shafung and
oil-soeked betting which formed the best Kind OF
fuel for the flames. and work assigned 10 the
bJreau was often delayed on account Of the lack
oS TeslV drst-ciass machinery When the
building goes up. IL will be equipped WIN eLsr{
thing which modern ingenuity has Produceq' ana m IN
new machinery IN con}u WIN '{@v R"le Viii
! BE- able TO handle promptly any work that may
come IL III,
The city Fire Department which responded with
IT'S usual promptness 70 he call foI help llo 81
fective Work after rs lines were laid. but expert
enced a great deal Of difficulty IN getting the en-
gnes within proper distance Of the fire. In this
Way they were aided greatly by the sailors from
the ships IN The yard. one ~ the city engines was
stalled in second-st.. about I'VE blocks from the
fre with its pole broken. Al he suggestion OF
Naval Constructor Bovles one % The gunners got
a crew OF men fastened couple Of ropes TO this
engine and "snaked' 4 through snowdrfts ana
around corners up 20 q fire hydrant near the burn
ing building as II IL had been toy machine Inc
frehoat Seth Low came up 10 the sea wall near
ne. entrance drNdock 40. O. its big o-inCh
hose lid not reach within hundred feet OF the
Of hos was coupled on and the big stream did eX-
cellent work in saving The machinery Of the boiler
shop from being warped by the intense heat. ofn-
GERS at the ward yesterday were loud IN praise ~
the gallant and faithful work performed ny the sail
ors on the ships and while an were grieVed over
the delay and damage caused by the destruction OF
the shop were an highly pleased that the evil e.
fects OF the Ere 10 greater an. ihat me
foundry and It's valuable mouds and patterns were