The Constellation Fire - Dec 19, 1960 Brooklyn Navy Yard

[mack]

The USS Constellation aircraft carrier, while being fitted out, caught fire on December 19, 1960.  The fire was started by a forklift truck accident.  The initial alarm for Box 308 was transmitted at 1030.  The 5th alarm was transmitted by COD David within 30 minutes.  A 5th alarm simultaneous call from Manhattan box 277 brought 59 companies to this fire.  Over 3200 workmen were on the carrier and countless rescues were made by members.  50 died, 336 were injured and 40 FDNY members sustained injuries. 65 lines were put in operation. 

 

[nfd2004]

In the book, "20,000 Alarms", the Late Lt Richard Hamilton (Rescue 2) talks about responding to this incident and the collision of two planes, one landing on S.I. and the other in the streets of Brooklyn. (A seperate thread is also written on here about that incident).

  I think the chapter in his book is called "I'll be home for Christmas, MAYBE". It was a very busy couple of weeks.

  And wow, "65 lines put into operation". I don't think I've ever heard that.

  Once Again, "Thanks mack".

 

[68jk09]

12-19-60.... https://www.google.com/search?q=USS...57j0i390l4.12925j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

 

[68jk09]

FROM DC JAY JONAS 2017 DV*7 NEWSLETTER.....
" Rescue 2 was called to the scene of the USS Constellation fire from operating at the site
of the plane crash from a
few days earlier at Park
Slope. They were led by Lieutenant Richard
Hamilton.
Upon arrival, Lieutenant Hamilton, Fr. Henry Zuercher, and Fr. Tony Motti made their way to the flight deck. They made their way down to the hanger deck. It is there that they found trapped and endangered workers. Lieutenant Hamilton sent a Firefighter to show them the way through the smoke to the exit to the flight deck.
They came upon a foreman
walking around in the smoke.
He told Lieutenant Hamilton that four of his men were trapped four decks below. Lieutenant Hamilton dispatched Fr. Motti to get a rope and a charged hose line to assist them in the rescue. The metal on the decks was hot. When Lieutenant Hamilton and Firefighter Zuercher made it to the bottom of the ladder, the foreman’s four friends were found
quickly. They were all semi-conscious. The two rescuers tied a bowline on a bight on the rope that was dropped down from Fr. Motti. One by one, the trapped workmen were raised to the upper decks of the ship. Lieutenant Hamilton had taken off his SCBA facepiece to give one of the trapped workers some fresh air. By the time the last worker was raised, Lieutenant Hamilton began to suffer from the effects of carbon monoxide poisoning. His body was failing. Fr. Zuercher was
able to position Lieutenant Hamilton’s body on top of his shoulders and climb the vertical ladder. Both Firefighters were hospitalized."


THE ENTIRE NEWSLETTER.....
www.fdnysbravest.com/Div7NewsletterNov2017.pdf

 

[1261Truckie]

Continued Rest in Peace to those who perished on the USS Constellation that day. May the families of those who passed and those who responded to this fire continue to be comforted.
A tough three days in New York (Brooklyn) history with the plane crash on the 16th and the Constellation on the 19th.

 

[Rich M]

I remember both of those jobs/fires. At the time, we were living on South 4 Street between Berry and Wythe. We were also in between firefighters on the job. My grandfather retired in 1957 from L104. He had quite the commute.
His son, my uncle, didn’t get on the job until 1961. I remember walking with my grandfather down Wythe Ave to Broadway. From there we could see the smoke from the Constellation, burning in the Navy Yard.
It’s something I still remember to this day. May all those who died on the planes and the ship, continue to Rest In Peace.

 

[Bulldog]

I remember watching this on television when it happened, of course I was only 6 years old time so I didn't quite comprehend that was happening. I forget, was a cancellation ever put back in service after this fire or was it scrapped like the Bon Hom Richard (Sp) was after its fire after the fire on it?

 

[raybrag]

I remember watching this on television when it happened, of course I was only 6 years old time so I didn't quite comprehend that was happening. I forget, was a cancellation ever put back in service after this fire or was it scrapped like the Bon Hom Richard (Sp) was after its fire after the fire on it?

The Connie was commissioned on 27 October 1961 and served for 41 years, in the Viet Nam War, the Gulf War and the Iraq War. She was decommissioned on 7 August 2003. Something I find interesting is that she endured another major fire in August 1988, when an enormous JP-5 jet fuel leak ignited and almost destroyed the carrier. Only quick thinking (by jettisoning ammunition) and the heroic efforts of the crew saved her.

 

[ta176]

My Dad was a chauffeur in 211 at that fire and he was impressed at how the trucks improvised in the operation there. At the plane crash he was off and he drove us downtown to assist in any way he could. Me being 14 years old, whatever other info he may have told me about went right into the recycle bin and I haven't been able to retrieve it.