The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1906-02-21
NANACLED SAILORS SAVED
Kirby's Daring Rescues at New
port Naval Buildings
PRISONERS FALL INTO SEA

seven Training Structures Arc De-
stroyed Damage 100000 ola
Problem Of the Naval Department
Solved by the Casastrophe-Shife-
inr Winds Save Constellation
Newport, r. I.-Seven buildings con-
nected. with the United States Naval
Training Station at Coasters HarDor
Island, in this city, were destroyed by
fire. the estimated loss being $100,oU.
The buildings destroyed were the
detention building, machine shop, paint
shop, paymaster's s%torehousc, carpen
ter's shop and two small ~storehouses.
The fire was discovered at about
$50 o'clock p. IN. by a sentry Who' IN
passing the machine shop, adjoining
the detention building, smelled smoke.
Investigation showed that the hre was
making rapid Roadway.
The alarm was given, and all the APP
prentice boys, 1900 in number "lth
the members of the detachment or ma
rines and the enlisted men, answered
the call to quarters. BY the time 4
bucket brigade had been formed the
flames had leaped to the detention
building, q brick structure two stories
high and about I2O by fifty feet dimen-
SionS.
The work of the bucket brigade was
of O avail against the fire, as a strong
northwest wind sprang up and threat
ened to carry the flames to nearly eV-
ery quarter of the reservation. Aid
from the Newport Fire Department
was then asked.
All the smaller ~storehouses anu
shops about the detention building
were Of wooden construction and Tell
an easy prey to the fire.
The apprentices, marines and enlist
ed men, under the command of Com
mander Sawyer, the Commandment OF
tile station, gave the fremen great as
sistance. When it was discovered that
the bucket brigaGe could not cope win
the flames the men were ordered TO
devote their energies to saving prop
erty.
At this time the paymaster's Office
and s%torehouse were burning fercely,
but the men and boys managed TO
make their way into the building and
to save a portion Of the stores. The
safe was opened by the paymaster and
all the money and official documents
were removed aud placed under q
guard of marines.
One of the burned buildings con-
tanned ali the small boats and cutters
used for practice purposes at the sta:
ton. These boats had been haulea
from the wafer when winter set in, and
had been stored in the building. All
were destroyed.
Several apprentices in single irons
were confined in the detention building
at the time the fire broke out. Phys
ical Instructor Joseph Kirby liberated
them by a heroic effort. When he
reached the detention building he could
not see the Joung prisoners because OF
smoke, but they answered his call.
Supported by a line Of men, Kirby
made his way to the spot where the
boys were in confinement, and passed
them back, one by one, to the men be-
hind him, and so out upon the sea wall.
In passing over the sea wall two OF
the MANAGED boys fell overheard, but
were Immediately rescued. They We're
sent to the barracks for the rest OF. the
night.
For a time the famous old frigate
Constellation, which is used as a prac-
tice ship at the station, was in danger
Of destruction, but prompt work on the
part Of the flremen saved the ship. A
shift of the wind q few minutes later
removed all danger.
The origin Of the fire is not known.
At 11.30 O'Clock it was still burning.
but under control. A large quantity
of naval stores was destroyed.
The fire-hghting forces were in
creased by details from the torpedo
station and from the Naval War Col
lege.
The destruction Of the detention
building has solved a problem at the
station. One naval board condemned
the structure, and recommended that
it be destroyed. Later another board
recommended that it be used rs a ma
chine shop. 1t has been used but little
recently. During The recent epidemic
of spinal meningitis it served as q hos
pital.