Brooklyn Naval Yard Station logs

[Lisa Murphy]

Scene in the Brooklyn Navy Yard from the Library of Congress -- That's one big pile 'o cannonballs!

I have been researching the Brooklyn Naval yard, what it did during the war, and I came across the "Kings County, New York Genealogy and History" records (link attached). Toward the bottom of the records are STATION LOGS - 1839 - 1863. Could somebody enlighten me as to what the "fire and Lights" reports were (see below). Was each fire truly checked daily? Why? Was the risk of a fire breaking out that high?

Have not been able to find many photos or drawings of the yard -- nothing in Leslie's Illustrated, and nothing in the Library of Congress from the 1860's but the above photo.

[From the Station Logs]:

• Remarks at the United States Navy Yard, New York.
  Thursday January 5th 1863.
  Hiram Pauling [13] Commandant
  William Radford [14] Commander.
  Fire & Lights on board different vessels during the day for Gen Purposes.
  Fire & Lights in a Forge during the day, use of Boiler Makers.
  Fire & Lights in a forge near the Boilermaker Shop during the day for heating rivets.
  Fire & Lights on the dock, on No.2 post.
  Fire & Lights in the Ordance building during the night.
  Sailed at 7 A.M. Coal Boat Bayman, Stout Master.
  Sailed at 12 M Barge Sphinx Burst Master.
  Sailed at 1.25 P.M. Schr. Malady Welch Master.
  Sailed at 3 P.M. Lighter Suffock Lud Master.
  Arrived at 8.45 A.M. Schr. F.P. Simpson Ellis Master.
  Arrived at 9 A.M. Schr. J.M. Hazzard with timber from Elizabethport, Butler Master.
  Arrived at 9.15 A.M. Ship Enoch Barnard with coal from London Ross Master.
  Arrived at 9.50 A.M. Steam Lighter Wallace with eleven inch gun from N.Y. Sterns Master and sailed again at 11 A.M.
  Arrived at 10 A.M. Schr. Sarah Matilda Acking Master,with lumber.
  Arrived at 11 A.M. U.S. Steamer Weehawken McFaron in charge.
  Arrived at 2.15 P.M. Sloop Victorine with guns & shell from Cold Spring, Aldridge Master.
  Arrived at 2.00 P.M. Schr Amelia with vegetables from N.Y. Menchridge Master.
  Fire & Lights in Upper & Fire in the Lower Reservoir & Caisson during the night.
  At Evening all Buildings Fire &c were examined by the Police Officer and reported to Lt. Comdr. Fillibrown [16] as safe. The Watchman and Ship keeper were visited during the night at their respective posts and found attentive to their duties.
  65 Men Empd . in the Boatswains Dept. Lack[awanna], Iroquois General Purposes .
  168 Men 3 Boys in Sailmakers Dept Lackawanna, Iroquois, S. Knap, General Purposes
  Laborers employed on the above named vessels
  Total No. Mechanics & Laborers Empd in the Yard 3737
  Midnight January 5th [signed] Thomas Hope Police Officer

[Purported to be the Brooklyn Naval Yard but the website I got it from did not cite where they got it, who made the drawing, etc...]

 

[Lubliner]

I remember reading a book, "The Man Who Burned New York City", I believe it was. It happened sometime in 1863 and if memory serves me correctly, there were patrols of men keeping the lamp lights and checking them, whom he had to avoid while starting the conflagration.
Lubliner.

 

[DaveBrt]

I'm not familiar with a "Fire and Light" report or patrol, but modern ships have a "Sound and Security" patrol that patrols the ship, checking for leaks, flooding, fire, etc. The Sound and Security patrol keeps a log and reports hourly to the Engine Room Watch. Fire and Light may have been similar, with fire being more dangerous on wooden ships than flooding was.

 

[Tom Elmore]

Some shots recently taken in the Brooklyn Historical Society annex in DUMBO (Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass):

 

[Lisa Murphy]

Thank you thank you! I bet the "sound & security" check is the explanation. Found a book on the Brooklyn Navy Yard by Thomas Berner, which has some chapters on the Civil War era. I'll see if he elucidates this job any.

And the photos from DUMBO are great -- I can see them on the web now that I have their titles. Looks like the yard was quite BIG. Impressive.

Found reference to a dissertation by Christopher Mauceri, who has a PhD in civil war History:
"'A Political Lazar House': The Brooklyn Navy Yard in the Era of the Civil War"
Have not yet figured out how to get a hold of him, but I am on the trail. Hoping I can get his dissertation.
So, making progress.

And here is a child sailmaker. Guess there were 3 at the yard at this time.

Wonder how a navy yard would have compared to a private shipyard, like William H. Webb's (just down the East River)?

USS Dunderberg under construction at the Webb shipyard, 1863

 

[Lisa Murphy]

Some shots recently taken in the Brooklyn Historical Society annex in DUMBO (Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass):

View attachment 330481View attachment 330482View attachment 330483

I just posted a book review of The Brooklyn Navy Yard by Thomas F. Berner. He had lots of wonderful maps, drawings and photos, but not as much text about the yard as I had hoped.