The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1907-03-22
Building No. l, Containing
Quantity of Machinery
Destroyed.
LOSS ESTIMATED
AT ABOUT $4,000
Fire Discovered at 10 O'clock
and Burned Until After
Midnight.
ORIGIN is YET UNKNOWN, BUT
STARTED IN FOUNDRY OR
POWER HousE-HARD WORK
OF FIRE FIGHTERS PREVENT.
Ed SPREAD TO THE VALUABLE
MACHINE SHOP BUILDING.

One OF the most disastrous fires
to occur at the Pensacola navy
yard in many years, was discovered
last night about 1910 o'clock in
building No. /, occupied by several
departments The building, with all
machinery, was destroyed, entailing
loss estimated at about $175,tU0.
From the moment the blaze was
discovered until after midnight ma
rines under the command of Com
mander Hogg and many civilians re-
siding at Woolsey and Warrington
fought the flames and prevented them
from spreading. to the machine shops
of the steam engineering department,
thus ayerting loss OF about $500, 00o-
Origin of the Fire.
The origin of the fire is at present
unknown. 1t started either IN the
foundry OF the steam engineering de-
partment or power house of the de-
partment Of yards and docks. Ii was
under fairly good headway when dis
covered and an alarm sounded whiens
brought fhe IRE department of two
engines and company Of marines
20 NE SCENE Eommarder- Hogg. dis
rected the work. and aided By .ciyif.
411a. he'd ne rs To- the one bsif14
] ing. which could not be saved and
is complete loss. The building was
occupied by several divisions OF the
steam engineering and yards and
docks departments. and the losses
are about as follows:
Estimated Loss.
BuiIding-$1U0,0 900.
Foundry-$3,0 900.
Boiler shop-S30. 900.
Copper shop-s10,000.
Power house--$l0, 900.
Blacksmith shops, 600.
In addition there was considerable
machinery in the building from the
gunboats Gloucester and Isla de Luz
zon. which was being repaired, and
Judging from reports, none of this
was saved. In fact but little could
be removed from the building.
A Large Building.
The building destroyed was q very
large one. 1t was about 800 feet in
length and 20 feet in width. 1t was
of brick and only recently repaired.
the roof having been carried away
by the storm.
The building was one of the old
ones, but substantial in every way,
and would soon have been devoted
entirely to the steam engineering de-
partment, as the power plant was TO
have been moved shortly to the new
power house, which Is now nearing
completion.
Saved Twin Buildings.
BY the hard and energetic work of
the fire fighters the twin building
81 II Tr,
this building is the machine shop of
the steam engineering department,
and in addition all of TIE patterns
and drawing Of the department,
which have valuation of over $780,
600. The new machinery recently in
stalled there also has q valuation of
a similar amount. This building is
Of the same size as the one destroyed
and occupies place alongside No.
L. Had it burned that department
of the yard would have been COM
PEELED to close, and when the fire
fighters saw No. l could not be saved
they concentrated their efforts in
preventing the flames from spreading
to the machine shops
Yard In Darkness.
With the destruction of the power
plant the yard was in complete
darkness This plant was IN,
der the department of yards and
docks, though it occupied a portion
of the building with the other shops
which are under the supervision OF
The steam engineering department
The power plant had only been in
operation about three days During
The September hurricane the machin
cry was badly damaged and some oil
the machines burned out completely
owing to water reaching them while
they were in operation New ma
chinery had just been received and
Installed and the plant placed in
operation Sunday night.
Burned Rapidly.
The building burned rapidly from
the moment it was discovered, and
Notwithstanding the, fact that the
steam IRE engine pumped streams OF
water upon the fire the progress
could not be checked and soon the
entire structure was a mass of flames
which could be seen from Pensacola