Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1899-02-16
FIRE BRooKLYN MAYNARD.
over 81 100000 Worth of Property
Observation-Disclosures Plans gone.

DestrOyed-haine Plans oo"e'
NEW YORK. February 15.-Over a mil
lion dollars worth OF government property
was destroyed by a 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 set
back
Many fine models and patterns Of bat
tleships, 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.
A great number Of the models, however,
were simply copies of plans, drawings,
and specifications now in the store-rooms
of the department at Washington, ana
these can be replaced at any time.
The steam engineering department OF
the Brooklyn yard IS practically Wlp'u
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 obstruction 10 the Work
there, and an extra force Will have 10
| be put on in order TO keep up with the
/ work.
|
! O'clock Tonight By the man on the
watch of the battleship Massachusetts.
He Immediately notified Lieutenant X.
! T. Mulligan, in charge OF the watch, ana
q call to fire quarters was made. The
men OF the Massachusetts scurried down
/ TO the machine-shop, about 80 yardS
away, and with the aid OF hose-reel
I. picked up in the yard got small stream
playing on the fire. The building was
! about 100 feet in width and 325 feet long.
/ 1t was four stories in height, and built
of stone and brick. The wooden inside
was thoroughly saturated with OIL, ana
| the flames rapidly gained headway. III
was seen that the Massachusetts, men
could do but little against the blaze. and
Colonel Huntington, in command OF the
! Marines. Joined in the work. About this
! time a nre-alarm was turned in. and all
the engines in the neighborhood OF the
navy-yard responded.
OTHER BUILDINGS SAVED.
The flames had then completely en-
veloped the great machine-shop, and at
tention had to be paid to the foundry and
| other buildings in the vicinity. Several
| times the flames got a start on the foun'
dry roof but the fremen quickly put
| them out A small, corrugated-iron build
ing In the rear Of the machine-shoo TOOK
fire, and was burned, but the loss on this
! is insignificant. The iiremen pumped huge
streams of water into the blazing ma
chine-shop, but all efforts were fruitless.
The fire made such rapid progress in
the machlne-shop that by o'clock the
officials Of the navy-yard pronounced II
an utter loss. At about IL o'clock the
fire had spent itself.
Machine-Shop No. 2S was occupied by
| I'LL. olrara ha
carpenters, and the machinists. About
coo people were employed in them, but
| only two watchmen were in the building
at the time of the outbreak OF tie IRE
! The last workman had left the place at
: o'clock Aside from being filled with
| q great mass of machinery, more or less
| used. the building was occupied as pat
tern and model-shop. Here were KEEP
the models. plans. drawings and specln
cations Of work TO be done on any or th'
naval vessels that were 10 be repaired a
| the yard Many models or battieship'
and war-vessels built from time TO uin'
were kept there. These were mostly
copies OF models, and their loss, WINE
footing up considerably from pecuniars
| noint will not be irreparable. The steam
| engineering department had number OF
elaborate plans which were originated u
this ward and they cannot be replaced
In the machine-shop very little WORK
was ON hand A number Of small orders
were being filled for the torpedo-boat'
Mckee, Rogers, FooIe, add Porter anC
| some engine-httings were being turne1
| out for the Newark, Scorpion, ana In
| diana.
MAINE MODELS DESTROYED.
The records and models OF the battle
ship Maine; which was blown up In ha
| bana harbor on February 10, 1898. were
| also destroyed.
The loss 10 the building Is placed a
$4,000. That 10 the machinery and lathe'
| i'm the building at $4,000.
The cost of the models and patterns i
variouslv estimated but officials In th'
yard put the total loss az little over
| million.
The cause OF the fire Is unknown as YET
II will be the subject OF an inquiry withif