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That's the W. N.Y.C. Millville unit reporting from the New York Naval Shipyard better known as the Brooklyn Navy Yard where within the past hour and a half. To ship on the construction at the Brooklyn Navy Yard had an explosion aboard Pan of pliers the fire is still under way workmen here at the Navy Yard say that approximately four thousand workmen were aboard the ship at the time that the explosion took place in the town of Richard Hahn the public information officer of the ship says that no navy personnel were aboard we do not have yet to meet an estimate of how many men were injured by the explosion and fire but there are hundreds of Fire Department and navy and police department emergency rescue a piece of equipment here and the fire are peroration is being directed by commish McCarron auto can be seen on the top deck of the U.S.S. Constellation the U.S.S. Constellation the sixty thousand ton vessel under construction and was still to have been commissioned in March of this here lets the W N Y C in September might have heard the commissioning ceremony of the ship as they were broadcast over W N Y say they want to constellation is the largest conventional powered ship and it is part of a threesome that the Navy Department was about to launch in nineteen sixty one the Constellation was due to the. To go to say on March twenty fifth the Kittyhawk under construction and candy was due to go to sea on March fourth and the Enterprise the only nuclear power that all was due to go to state in the fall of one nine hundred sixty was. Workman tell us the color of what the chef at the time of the explosion fire that's a large metal plate was being brought on board and it's at that time period that's all our tank carrying is flammable liquids they are still work when trapped below decks that's why this operation is being carried on on the favorite control of the fire department and safety officials of the Navy Yard. Staff will be a press conference later on when their admirals at and high in the commander of the New York Naval Shipyard will try to gather all the information available within your report at that time. The fire taking place amidships of the U.S.S. Enterprise is. On the water or at least the ship is on the water and from its. Far Side rescue fire Todd such as the Coast Guard and the fire department the archer rescued people from the far side of the ship they then adjourn to another side of the pier and are now about one hundred feet away from the ship that they would pour water on the ship at this moment it would impede the rescue operation the men the load but fire lines are drawn up all the ladders from fire pumping station are the fire department and the Navy fire department to the ship. This is now affect a lot of fire although additional call out for other information Pat lake when the explosion took place the fire caught on the scaffolding and other equipment on the same area heavy smoke pouring out of the middle of the ship and that's the point of origin of five supposed a ban on a hangar deck which is several text below the flight or top deck of a ship right now the same of this pier as one mass of red fire equipment. They work when I've done a wonderful job in rescuing their fellow workers and the fire department is there bringing hose lines and. Everyone to boarding the ship now is equipped with a portable oxygen mask. That bringing an addition. A chemical found to subdue the fire and hopefully it will be under control within a short time one can see the fire hoses playing on the smoke and no one knows exactly the extent of the damage or how many men are still trapped below the decks all of the ambulances from brain hospital Kings County Hospital the Navy hospital and other units are here and have been seen taking people away in the ambulances to for treatment this emergency seems to be very well coordinated the fire aboard the ship is still going on and the smallest of bellowing from on that ship attempting to get the names of the injured and we'll of course broadcast them at so that they are available we'll bring you further reports from the scene of the U.S.S. Constellation fire in the Brooklyn Navy Yard as some of their avail we return you now to the W.N.O. I think is right. W. N.Y.C. mobile unit talking to you want to get in from here today in the Brooklyn Navy Yard where the U.S.S. Constellation is a fire having had an explosion and it's a little portion of about an hour and a half two hours ago smoke a spill still billowing from the center of the ship or midships and now we see that small but also an eighteen from the bow of the ship fire men are on top of the ship wearing oxygen tanks and masks trying to get to the source of the fire. The There are area ladders of the fire department and the Navy fire department with hoses lined up or trying to put the flames out we don't know how many men were injured in this as yet we hope to get that report and names of the injured before long right now they entire pier is lined up with firefighting equipment and rescue equipment from surrounding hospitals the Cumberland Street Hospital Kings County Hospital Greenpoint hospital and the emergency rescue equipment of the police and fire department in addition there are police tugs the Coast Guard and fire department fire boats and emergency crews from every agency involved the fire department is basically clamoring aboard the ship and within the ship under adverse conditions because it has started snowing now and the smoke is quite second coming from them from amidships and the bow we have here let's hand it Richard Hahn the public information officer of the U.S.S. Constitution the constellation rather lieutenant on this ship was about to take to say within a few months and that right. Well that they ship is due to make a motion on May twenty fifth of March of this coming year that than the shipyard with selling the ship and turning it over to the Navy right I was possessed by the comet out of the third naval district and the captain of the ship Captain Thomas J. walk me take my hand on that they. Evidently these plans will be changed now don't you think well we don't know at this time what the extent of the damage is that we don't know whether that be any delay at all in the mission of the ship that is home what do you give our listeners an idea of the scope of this operation by doing as the dimensions of the ship and how many men were intended to be aboard. But this is the largest conventionally our ship in the world it's the largest of the four style class super aircraft carriers the let the ship as a thousand point three seat the number of man scheduled to be on board is over forty one hundred and the State of the ship despite its life says one thing over thirty knots. How many men do you have assigned to the ship at this point because it still isn't ready for sea trials. This time we have an eighty five medium and here in New York and twenty five officers down in office we have about sixteen hundred men and around fifty officers at the training center down there training preparation to come on board and metal park getting back to this emergency situation with kind of how. Would you say that the figure given to me by some of the work crews aboard to the number of men working on the ship at the time the exposure in fact took place that four thousand were aboard is about right do you think. I can answer that for sure I know there's a large number on board when we see them coming and going at their work breaks and there is a large number of men working on what and you pinpointed all where this fire took place and originally. I can get an exec confirmation I think it's somewhere between the hangar deck area and the flight deck which is about it's about three decks of difference between those two decks. And what sort of equipment was on the scene with what accounts for the heavy smoke and fire even though you don't know the exact art and the blaze what sort of materials were in the area which might account for this heavy smoke and fire I can't answer that I can't determine at that thing today with the water mixing with the fire areas and that's because I mean I can never smoke I think the ship and there are a lot of scaffolding wooden construction work I see on top of the flight deck or the top of the ship wooden structures which were for civilization and construction work going on do you think that might account for well as a possibility that I could say for sure but then upon. The you think that there could be an estimate from your view of the ship at this moment as to how long it'll take before my get under control. I thought and I can answer that now they've been working playing the fire had to get out of control for several hours and can't count right now how much time is going to take Thank you very much dependent on public and Mark public information officer of the U.S.S. Constellation looking at the ship again the fire still seems to be coming out of the. Ships and the top deck and firemen seem to be trying to get down into the ship to get to the Archon and put it out there using all kinds of chemical equipment and. Fire baiting material but still the smoke is white and gray emanating from the bow and top deck of the ship as well as lower down on the ship amidships the equipment on the scene is that what you might find at a five alarm fire which in this case we understand at the expense exceeded because there's been called there have been calls for additional equipment. There have been some cases of remarkable rescue work the cranes with large metal scaffolding have lifted man off the ship the fire boats and tugboats we referred to earlier also took men off the ship by coming around to the other side of it and gangplank those were used also the area ladders of the fire department at the bow is still smoking the forward part of the ship is still. Billowing white and gray smoke. This ship was under construction and was about three months ready from being turned over to the Navy for its trials it was to be commissioned on March twenty fifth but obviously because of the extent of the damage planned will be changed. This ship was also to be equipped with missiles the terrier missile a fifteen foot long missile although I understand none of their lives and potentially dangerous equipment was aboard ship at the time the fire broke out. They ceremony's a christening were broadcast over W. N.Y.C. about two months ago on October eighth when Mrs Christian heard her side of the ceremonies along with Secretary of the Navy William B. Frankie we hope to bring you further reports on the extent of the damage a number of casualties involved and hopefully this fire will get out of control as the equipment being deployed all over the ship is successfully brought to the Arjun of the fire this is the W N Y C lovely old unit returning to our studio. There's a W I N Y C News unit talking you want to get from the Brooklyn Navy where it appeared the U.S.S. Constellation it's still a fire sent our last report we can tell you that the smoke pouring out of the little section of the ship has stopped although the bow of the ship still has white and brown and black smoke pouring forth from the upper or flight that. The smoke is happening from they wouldn't shack on the flight deck which personally would be the place for the construction of the snow that's all. They fire and that shifts are they the smoke pouring fog came from the elevators which were at a low level about thirty feet from the water line and. The ship now because of the tremendous Khana to water being poured into it beginning to lead to the starboard side or toward the pier along which the ship is anchored. There is also. By dropping of the ship. The chef started portion it thinking quietly into the water although this does not mean that the ship in any danger of going got tough because of the amount of water poured into the ship to college fire the ship had begun to lead about five to six forty five degree. Directors brought aboard the ship within the past ten minutes two doctors and four nurses an additional doctor being called. Presumably for the rescue operation. Of the four thousand men or apart the ship. And the aftermath of one hundred men trapped below the ship some of the workmen have said that they locked themselves into compartment when the fire broke out helpfully as many as possible will be rescued the firemen are still aboard the ship with oxygen tanks and masks trying to bring the water and chemicals to the place of the remaining blaze which is as I said before I was near the bow of the ship and claiming lay. At one of the top decks although there's no way of determining that exactly a matter of fact on the port side of the ship on the side away from the acetylene torches were to cut through a hole ever solidly that resulted and they finding out a number of workmen were trapped below and the rescue operations are continuing and relentless from all of the middle of the next community Greenpoint hospital Kings County and others in the area bringing blankets and medical care to the entered workman like Anaconda public information officer of the U.S.S. Constellation said before that there was no navy personnel aboard the ship. Worked when her contract took out the ship which was to have gone to sea sometime in March for its trials. And now we still see the rescue operation in progress the smoke has not abated from the fall we are about to have but the fire department crows and Safety Division personnel of the Navy are still aboard trying to bring comfort to the man who had been found Lee cannot get the names of the injured nor can we get an accurate estimate of the number of people who are casualties in this accident barring the largest conventional power to ship in the Navy. It's one of three ships which was like a god to see this coming year the others being in other areas. Augmented personnel from the fire department training division from hospitals the Red Cross and other disaster units out of the city and that area could secular. The man in the area are standing all of the walkways on this tremendous here so that the personnel coming in and leaving the as well not slap on the snow and ice which is falling since this fire broke out the fire made ships near the elevators which work brought the plane from the hangar text below the flight deck. They are now they this area and that ships is now clear or smoke and evidently a concentrated effort is being made to stem the fire in the fall with a section of the ship. Police Commissioner fire commissioner Kavanagh has been directing this operation along with the fire department of the Brooklyn Navy Yard and there have been hot matadors now from the Navy Marine Coast Guard cliff brought tips to the same. In the rescue work from the burning U.S.S. Constellation they entered are being remote to hospitals down as we can get further information on that number of men involved and where they entered might be brought talking which to suddenly bring it to you here Admiral and by the commandant of their unit of the Brooklyn Navy Yard is expected to hold a press conference whenever zealously all of the bits of information will be pieced together to give you a complete picture of this fire and. Danger to the man at the Brooklyn Navy Yard right now the listing of the ship as a ball some time ago was estimated at forty five degrees we don't know whether this will continue but when you consider the hundreds of fire fighting apparatus that were here pouring water into the ship it's no wonder why it should begin to lead and to. Lower itself into the water and they. Will bring a further report from the scene of the U.S.S. Constellation fire. At don't add additional information is available we're returning now to the W N Y C studio. A W N Y C mobile unit talking to you again from Brooklyn Navy Yard where they fire is still raging and they call it part of the U.S.S. Constellation. We reported to you in our last message from this point that a letter had been evident in. The port side of the U.S.S. Constellation that is the site for the pier we have with us Lieutenant Douglas W. Smith the communications officer of this aircraft carrier which was gone on at sea trials and about to land and then got out of the Navy for active duty but then it's what the does come back from a duty of or another ship but this was you know a time and how do you thank that fire will affect your future assignments I'm sure that the fire will certainly be Elaine getting layout that much money now telling the board of surveys has gone aboard and that the damage that occurred at this point no real way of that battle damage. The kind of math you pointed out the left of the ship and also the fact that the current is also slightly going below the surface that it is thinking to the Breyer because of the tremendous amount of water that was poured into the ship so I wonder if you could explain what the implications are here we all remember the Normandy disaster during a war where ships actually overturn. An aircraft carrier on a construction. Water it's been caught on and we don't know how much but what do you think could happen if. Water got get into the halls of the ship. Well under normal conditions an aircraft carrier but there is a premium stable. That is under normal conditions out at sea it could be in a play taking. Seventy degrees don't return to the upright However in a condition such as this. By various fire apparatus the range of the balloting as a technical. Somewhat less. Number of factors first of all there is a. Rise center of gravity of the. Water being on the upper deck and starting running down to the building one might think and the second factor of course is this thing known as free surface back. Washing the water. Back and forth in the compartment of the hair. When that mathematically will provide a very great lasting. At this point I don't think the lake in any danger of foundering. But simply because. The bike like Paris water the. Greater. Area. However it is sufficient to cause the parent S.. That's. Something that is natural. But you can. Any other. Make this a great. Place at this moment. I would say that I left. Out the. Great. Name the apparent on the name the ten quite high about parallel. Wrong over at the top to work here. Saying that he. Had passed on. Matthew thank God because the fact that it's still under construction and there might have been a means for the water pump and get out again that they danger foundering are less. Well granted because the ship is under a rock an enormous fire fighting techniques all the top. Are not able to be operated properly however. Like that on the part of the type of effect that water can be very quickly. Under normal conditions where for such a battle. Right it has oscillated. Built they have not like you can very quickly remove any excess water. But thanks very much for the explanation of the. Problem that the U.S.S. Constellation is facing at this moment are you familiar at all with the construction material. At the time it might have accounted for government to the slightest. Leap for the mouth of a good deal of what gambling on the hangar deck area where I believe contributed greatly to the plane trip itself sometime early which of course not. Saying normally with. That. It's going to cause a great. Oh thanks very much and it's math communications officer of the U.S.S. Constellation I hope that the reporter here as well help. Make Barbara stand up there are left there is what is actually happening out here. Really hope that the rescue of the man aboard the Great through cutting through the. Opposite side of the ship that is the side not against the pier will come through successfully certainly there is enough medical equipment and personnel in the area with emergency rescue devices to apply and really don't know yet. The commander of this operation at. All until the press conference to. Gather up all the information that has been killing later on this read about for a. Moment the smoke is still pouring out of about the U.S.S. Constellation although that portion of the middle section the midship of the U.S.S. Constellation is now seemingly under control and that is the smoke that had been pouring out of the. Section where the elevator. Caringly airplanes from the lower hangar deck to the flight deck now completely clear and as being to bring Greg now in and out of the ship for the rescue operation without having to wear gas masks and the forward part of the ship is still being manned by the fire department crows with oxygen equipment and they are trying to get to the heart of the smoke that is coming out of the bow the constellation will bring a further report from the plane the casualties involved with the U.S.S. Constellation the aircraft carrier at the Brooklyn Navy Yard the largest Bennell power chip in the world and we hope that we'll have the final information from the scene and a matter of moment we are waiting for the rare admiral to appear here but he will not leave the scene until the fire is actually under control this is the W N Y thing all the old unit Returning now to our studios. This coming on why See you on it and you're trying to pass my name the I want to get sent out last report the. Human cost. Now finally on. My tax and a half seems. Small but it's far out from their hours of call the same only stop however the power of the ship is still a fine. TIME So the black and gray smoke emanating from the section of the ship the fire department is presently at work trying to reach the source of the fire and we've just had a conversation with fire commissioner at what I've Cavanaugh gives us the following report. Says that there are six known dead among the workmen who were aboard the ship. He says that there are hundreds more still up for the ship and hopes that he can reach them all however with the spy all of the emergency equipment on the scene of this fire at the Brooklyn Navy Yard with the resources of the department of hospitals and other hospitals in the area the. The emergency rescue operations of every conceivable unit in the New York area they have run out of resuscitator and a lighter and oxygen We ourselves saw truckloads of oxygen brought in by the police department among others however the need for this rescue equipment has been so great fire commissioner Kavanagh feels that there are hundreds more and he has put through an emergency call to Nassau County and to Con Edison for additional equipment he says that he understands this equipment on the way which will help the very much and meeting the needs of the man will attract support of the approximately four thousand workman engagement building the U.S.S. Constellation the largest conventional power ships in the Navy. The need for this equipped for this part of the equipment and the later oxygen and resuscitate it is urgent I'll play the ability of Nassau County and Con Edison to supply this material well make their problem commissioner Cavanaugh also reports that he has been all over the ship and that there are hundreds more below ship in the halls of the ship and he fears for their lives he did not protect what he expects to find it on this rescue operation proceed further. He did also report however that the. Commissioner Cavanagh reported that he has heard hammering from sections of the ship but in recent comments the hammering has become lax Autoblog this is not a very optimistic sign but as soon as the additional equipment as arrives on the scene and the work when with acetylene torches have gotten through to these halls of the ship we will know the answer. Evidently a part of the ship. Opposite that next to the pier is being cut into and the firemen with oxygen tanks are still best way to work on the forward part of the ship on the bow of the ship trying to get at the source of the fire which is causing black and gray smoke to billow farther from the bow we do not have a list of those who are victims of this disaster. Not that we know an actual number how many learned follow some of the work when we have talked to reported locking themselves into Eric try compartments with as many as thirty and even though they succeeded in escaping the conflagration they were severely handicapped by coming through heavy areas of smoke when they were finally released commissioner Kavanagh has one more ominous report A says the admiral asked and pine the commandant of the Brooklyn Navy Yard reports that the ship has now four percent less to starboard that is against toward the pier. A says that not being a Navy man is taking admirable minds work that a five degree lead to a list of one or degrade what but the ship and very great jeopardy and they would may have to evacuate all the members of the rescue units who are trying to put the ship under control and rescue the man who are still aboard a commission a cabin or reporter that pine also as awed at the opening of the valves on the other side of the ship which may help to compensate for the less that report was just starting and although the fire in the middle section of the ship is under control that at the back of the ship is still raging. Believe reached the point now it seems in the story of the U.S.S. Constellation vaster where the bodies of those who died in this disaster I think and those who are injured and hopefully they rescue equipment will arrive early enough to help save the lives of. What commissioner Kavanagh says hundreds more a large scale in the halls of the ship hopefully they are talking hammering on the section the ship will continue until they are ready this is the W N Y C Moby Dick returning to our studio this is I mean I know I see mom and I talking you know again from the Brooklyn Navy Yard where the U.S.S. Constellation is still a fire and it's almost five hours now since the this newly built and almost complete aircraft carrier the new class the largest. Aircraft Carrier conventional power the Navy has built. And that's fine I carried all the emergency rescue equipment available from Brooklyn and every area of the city and the island has been brought to the same hospitals emergency rescue equipment from the police and fire department among others. A moment ago welders work called to. Pierce the flight deck the top deck of the aircraft carrier to see whether any success can be gained in getting to the fire that is still raging below the decks of the forward part of the ship also at the rear of the ship the star and smoke is pouring forth and how. Brave you play the heavy smoke that was emanating from the Med ships. Was put under control and workmen are being carried up injured or dead from the halls below apparently now they firemen are succeeding and getting into some of the compartment because the number of casualties being remote is succeeding at a faster rate than before evidently the call for resuscitator Zana letters and other oxygen equipment was mad because we have learned that every call that is received from the ship is being answered the system into that way is very interesting because the distance between the ship and the pier is quite a few hundred feet especially when you consider the additional height from which these calls are being placed and these are accomplished by means of public address speaker. A man on the pier relays messages from the police and medical authorities to the ship and the ship also by use a private address speakers cost the sharks to the few for equipment and personnel needed. The ship to peer communication is the only contact that man working on the ship to get at the fire and to rescue those who are trapped have with each other the less that is the tempting of the ship because of the tonnage part of it has been poured into the ship appears to read remain the same approximately four degrees. A fireman who just succeeded in. Framing a survivor from the ship says that it's a difficult job because they have to climb ladders at ninety degree angles as many as six decks but love to get at the map there are apparently and of doctors an ambulance on the scene to meet the needs of those are surviving but the number of victims that is fear will run into the hundreds as far as casualties injuries are concerned the reports of dead has started at sex but on mounting rapidly. There is. A special equipment set up by the telephone company to handle the tremendous number of incoming and outgoing calls we don't want to tie up the line to long because the workman of the four thousand workman who are working on the ship many of them are trying to reach their homes to relieve their families of any anxiety. That moral time because the commandant of the New York Naval Shipyard will hold a press conference within the next quarter hour which will attend that conference and bring you any reports we can because he should be in a position to call light all of the information that has been gathered since this fire began almost five hours ago right now they. Still belching as black smoke from the forward section and water is being poured mine continually to the halt of the ship and the rescue operation continues hopefully the numbers will remain as low as possible this is the W. when I see all the old unit returning you now to our studios. That of the government watching all we're talking again from here today at the Brooklyn Navy Yard it is now past great thirty times that for a press conference to be held by Admiral and upon the commandant of the New York Naval Shipyard we are awaiting an arrival and we'll bring your report on as press conferences the battle at this moment is still coming out of the forward part of the U.S.S. Constellation which started burning after product explosion over five hours ago evidently the top of that we reported to you in our last report coming from the rear of the ship a fire rather the boilers of the ship have been called in to apply again to man the apartheid pumping equipment that is having a clip might well be used to take out of the ship they water that the fire department has been pouring into the ship so that the fire. The latest report on casualties is completely unofficial However it's estimated that at least twenty five that have been taken from the ship and the hundreds of and have yet to be found. In the halls of the ship. The. Other Ship That is the tilting of the ship toward the pier is now reported by the kind of medical reporter earlier as having been compensated for by the opening of that house allow the ship to come to an awful take well every as possible they. Ship on firefighting equipment and naturally a ship of this size would have such equipment that would have then had the ship reached that place. Generating equipment which would quell the fire especially on the flight deck where fires happen on to take place on an aircraft carrier. But since the ship was a few months from completion schedule for the regular season March this equipment they have was was not of God and ready to operate in any event the fire on the ship really started in the decks below the flight deck reportedly in the hangar deck they meant to portion of the ship which was flying and with smoke out clearly under control that is the middle section where the elevators on the side of the ship the port side were at level halfway between the top of the ship and the waterline. Emergency equipment is still on the scene and doing all. That is possible to bring the needed oxygen and a lighter and resuscitate it to the man who have suffered this. Disaster we understand that they thank God that the fire department crows are taking a port ship to get into the area with fire normally takes forty five minutes of you know but under that condition they can operate only approximately twenty minutes which again happened to the rescue operation. It was snowing for quite a few hours here but that seems kind of subsided now and they are which was why Porter late for the first few hours is now in a state of confusion and that is understandable because of the hundreds of ambulances and rescue equipment that have been brought on to the pier cranes are still operating bringing the platform from the ship to the pier and back again bringing victims and entered from the ship and bringing equipment apart and ship also the use of aerial fire the telescoping aerial fire ladders and the gang was also in play to bring equipment and man into the ship the nature of this fire fighting operation most difficult because there are places perhaps six X. below this like that where men are still trapped the fire is still underway and about the ship at Logan Airport you know from the scene after the press conference which the commanding officer at the Post held here at. The W. N.Y.C. while we are going to be returning now to our studio.