The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1899-02-16
BROOKLYN NAVY YARD FIRE
OYER $I,OOO,OOO WORTH OF PROP
ER1Y DESTROYED.
tleshtps, Their Parts and Plans Lost
Workings of Yard Seriously Set Back
Six Hundred Men Were Employed in
Machine Shop No. 2s.

Six Hundred Men Were EMPLOYED in
Machine Shop No. 2s.
New York, Feb. 15.-Oyer a million
ooilafs worth of government property
was destroyed tonight by a fire which
broke out in the large machine shop of
the Brooklyn navy yard, known as ma
chine shop No. 2S, and the workings Of
the navy yard have received serious
setback. Many fine models and pat
terms Of battleships, 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. Some of the models
We're simply copies Of plans, drawings
and specifications now in the store
rooms of the department at Washing
ton and can be replaced at any time.
The steam engineering department of
the Brooklyn yard is practically wiped
out and the work done in that building
"iAA AAs~F% " Nc llIiOWi OpOlA luC uCpdlL-
ment of yards and docks and of con-
struction and repairs. There is consd-
cradle obstruction to the work there
and an extra force will have to be put
on in order to keep up with the work.
The fire was discovered at $3.50 o'clock
by the men on the watch of the battle
ship Massachusetts. He Immediately
notified Lieutenant r. T. Mullgan, in
charge of the watch, and a call to fire
engines was given. The building was
about 325 feet long and 100 feet wide.
1t was four stories in height and built
of stone and brick. The wooden inside
was thoroughly saturated with OIL 1t
was seen that the Massa chusetts men
could do but little against the blaze and
Colonel Huntington, in command of the
marines, Joined in the work. About
this time a four alarm was sent in and
all the engines in the neighborhood of
the navy yard responded. The flames
had then completely enveloped the great
machine shop and attention had to be
given to the foundry and other build
ings in the vicinity. Several times the
flames got start on the foundry roof,
but the fremen quickly put them out |
A small corrugated iron building in the
rear of the machine shop took fire and
was burned, but the loss on this is in
significant. The firemen pumped huge
streams of water into the blazing ma
chine shop, but all efforts were fruit
less, as the flames had too much of
start for the efforts of the firemen. At
about II o'clock the fire had spent itself.
Machine shop No. 2S was occupied by !
the coppersmiths, the boilermakers the |
carpenters and machinists. There were
900 men employed in them, but only two |
watchmen were in the building at the |
time of the outbreak of the fire. The |
last workman had left the place at 5
o'clock. Aside from being full with ma
chinery more or less used, the build
ing was occupied as a pattern and |
model shop. Here was kept all the
models, plans, drawing and specifica-
tions of work to be done on any of the
naval vessels that were to be repaired
at the yard. In the machine shop very
little work was on hand. A number of
small orders were being filled for the
tropedo boats. A particular feature Of
the fire was noted in the fact that the
records and models of the battleship
Maine, which was blown up in Havana,
were destroyed. The loss of the build
ing is placed at $350,000: that on the
machinery and lathes in the building
at $4OO, 900. The loss of the models and
patterns is variously placed but Off
cials in the yard put the total loss at
little over s1,0O0,000. The cause of the
fire is unknown as yet. The two watch
men claim the fire started in the south
east corner of the building. The cause
will be the subject of an inquiry within
the next few days. Commodore Philip,
the commandant of the yard, is now in
Texas. Captain George w. Sumner is
acting commandant of the yard.