The sun., 1917-12-04
SOLDIERS TAKE CHARGE
One Foreigner Arrested and
All 1900 Men on Night
Shift Detained.
MACHINE SHOP BURNED
Other Important Structures on
Five Blocks Of Waterfront
Also Are Destroyed.

FIRE started few minutes before 10
o'clock last night In the plant Of the
T. ". Morse Dry Dock and Repair
Company. which covers five blocks of
the waterfront from Fifty-nfth to Six.
tisth street in Brooklyn. and although
four alarms were turned in ana all avail
able apparatus was hurried to the scene,
the flames RACED for more than two
hours before they were brought under
control Six buildings were destroyed
the carpenter shop. the pattern shop, the
Joining shop. the oh building. the res
taurant the machine shops and a
wooden barracks IN which soldiers were
housed-wth a loss estimated by offi-
ciak Of the company at 100000.
United States Marshal Power. together
with Fire Marshal Brophy and the po-
lice Of the Fourth avenue station under
Capt. James Gillen, Immediately started
an Investigation to determine II the fire
vas the result Of German plot. Their
Arst step was to SURROUND the dock and
the yards OF the company with q strong
guard Of soldiers and policemen and to
detan every man Of the 1900 workmen
employed on the night shift. No man
was allowed to leave the plant or the
yards Of the company until he had been
questioned or had given an account Of
his movements during the early part Of
the evening.
Soldier Arrests Suspect.
While the soldiers were clearing the
vicinity OF the plant of civilians and
others who had gathered to watch the
flames, Private InSraham Of Company
X. Twenty second u. 8. Infantry. ar
pactAA v~vh~> ;hnA hlv~~Ale
y. Sayso Christensen OF $50 Sixteenth
street, Brooklyn Christiansen said he
was Dane and had been in the United
States but six months. Private Ingra-
ham told the police, who took the man
10 the police station to be examined.
that Christensen was crouching and
running around in a suspicious manner.
and that he tried to escape when or
dered to halt.
The fire started in the carpenter shop.
4 one story frame structure at the head
Of the dry dock at the foot Of Fifty-sixth
street. A strong north wind was blow
Ing and the flames quickly spread to the
frame building in which soldiers. on
guard duty at the plant. had been housed
since the United States entered the war
against Germany. The firemen attacked
the flames there, but the wind suddenly
shifted to the west and other buildings
lying In a semicircle around the ma
chine shop burst into flames.
Fire Spreads Rapidly.
From these the nre spread to the ma
chine shop. q large three story brick
building and one Of the most important
units Of the plant. The hremen expert
snced considerable dificulty when they
tried TO fight the flames around the SOL
ho, onLa ~ ha NnlA Aatn
Of large number OF cartridges which
had been left In the building when the
names forced the soldiers to leave the
place.
Two alarms we're turned in almost
as quickly as the fire was discovered.
and third and fourth followed in short
order The final alarms were answered
BY Chief Kenlon and Deputy Chief
oHara. and by Deputy Police Commits
soner White and Police Inspector Com
hoy with the reserves Of ten precincts.
Three fireboats came quickly up the
river and played streams of water from
their hose on the burning buildings, but
'ehtred their activities on preventing
the spread Of the fire to army transports
and other ocean going vessels tied up at
piers within two or three hundred feet
o' the machine shop. There were eight
vessels within radius Of hundred
Yards Of the fire. but they we're not en-
dangered. although As q precautionary
measure they were towed BY tugs out Of
possible reach Of the IRE.
Naval Militisnen Ala.
The fremen were given great assist
ance by nearly a hundred members OF
the Naval Militia, who came under COM
mand Of Lieutenant Commander ]. T.
hing and Ensign Willis H. Harrington
rom their encampment two blocks
away. More than two hundred soldiers
rom Fort Hamilton also came over and
Joined the tremen, helping them move
MIR hose about and forming bucket
orisades to check the spread of the
flames
The plant OF the Morse Dry Dock and
Repair Company Is ono Of tho largest
Aca most complete shipbuilding and
reh Giants tn, the United States. and
since this country entered the war has
oeen the scene Of important military
activities II has a value of some
S'ooo,ooo and was organised BY Ed
ward p. Morse and others. Who were
Connected for many years with the
Morse Iron WOFka on tha sit> ~ tina