The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1899-02-16

NEW YORK, Feb. 15.-Over a million
dollars worth Of government property
was destroyed by fire which started in
the large machine shop Of the Brooklyn
navy yard, known rs machine shop No.
IS, tonight, and the workings OF the
navy yard have received q serious set
back. Many fine models and patterns
of battlcships, their parts and plans
have been destroyed and some OF them
cannot be obtained again except by so
ing over the work mapped out in the
beginning. A great number OF the
models were simply copies OF plans,
drawings and specifications now in the
store rooms of the department at Wash
lngton, and these 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
will have TO be thrown temporarily
upon the department Of yards and
docks, and that Of construction and
repair. There is considerable ohstruc-
ton 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 first discovered at $3.50
o'clock tonight by the man on the
watch Of the battleship Massachusetts.
He Immediately notified Lieutenant r.
7. Mulllgan, 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, and with the aid of II hose
reel, picked up in the yard. got small
stream playing on the fire. The build
ing was about 100 feet in width and 225
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 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 an alarm was
turned in and all the engines in the
neighborhood of the navy yard respond
ed. The flames had then completely
enreloped the great machine shop and
attention had to be paid to the foundry
and other buildings in the vicinity.
Several times the flames got n start on
the foundry roof, but the firemen quick
ly put them out. A small corrugated
iron building in the rear Of the machine
shop was burned, but the loss on these
Is Insignificant.
The lremen 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 $50 o'clock
the officials of the navy yard pro-
nounced II an utter loss.
At about II o'clock the fire had spent
Itself. Machine shop No. eS was occu-
pied by the coppersmiths. the boiler
makers. the carpenters and machinists.
About 600 people were employed there.
but only two watchmen were In the
building at the time of the outbreak OF
the fire. Aside from being filed with Il
great mass of machinery, more or less
used, the building was occupied as 4
pattern and model shop. Here were
kept all the models, plans, drawings
and specifications OF work to be done on
any of the naval vessels that were to be
repaired at the yard. Many models of
hattfeShips and war vessels built from
time to time We're kept there. These
We're mostly copies Of models, and their
loss. while footing up considerable from
n pecuniary point wiz ,.ot be irrepara-
Die. The steam engineering Depart
ment had 4 number of elaborate plans
which were originated in this yard and
they cannot be replaced.
III the machine shop very little work
was on hand. A number of small or
ders were being filled for the torpedo
boats Mckee. Rogers, Footc. Porter and
Some engine. fittings We're being turned
out for the Newark. Scorpion and In
diana.
The reports and models of the battle-
ship Maine, which was blown up in Ha-
rana harbor. on February Is. 1898, were
also destroyed.
The loss TO the building Is placed at
SS50,O0O: that oil the machinery and
lathes in the building 100000. The cost
OF the models and patterns is var!ously
estimated. but officials in the yard put
the total loss ut little over a million.
The cause OF the fire is unknown as yet.
The two watchmen claim the fire start
ed In the southeast corner of the build
Ing. The cause of the fire will be the
subject of an inquiry within the next
few days.