6/9/23 Queens 2nd Alarm Box 1446

Super pumper wouldn’t make an effect at this fire for a few reasons….

1) to far from the water and a beach marine 9 would be very far out.

2) they had terrible water issues trying to keep the tower ladders using 4-5 hydrants. It was dropping they couldn’t keep the manifold going.

3) the response time just to far. Really 1 TL knocked down this fire by time most of the 2nd Alarm companies got on scene they had a decent knock on this fire. Command Tac, Rescue Batt wasn’t much fire when they got there and they are responding in Pick Ups so imagine Super Pumper east 30-45min ride with rush hour traffic…
Back when they were in service, the Superpumper was assigned on 2-2s in the Rockaways.
 
What was the original use of the building? Anyone know?
The base had been in the control of the US Army until it closed
What was the original use of the building? Anyone know?
The building in question was a warehouse for the site which was used by the Army from WW1 up until the late 60's - early 70's. In later years it was the home to a Nike Missile complex & prior its 6" & 16" cannons were aimed toward Ft Hancock located on Sandy Hook, NJ. Between these two Army forts their mission was to stop any unauthorized vessel from entering the Port of NY & NJ. The guns were set up that their shells would fall short of the other fort. Over the years ammo & supplies were delivered by boat to a facility on the bay side of the Rockaways & traveled by their own train across the road & into the base. The national park service never maintained any of the remaining building except their office building & had let the Gateway Park property fall apart. There are separate ammunition bunkers located near the old batteries all connected by their train.
 
What was the original use of the building?
The building in question was a warehouse for the site which was used by the Army from WW1 up until the late 60's - early 70's.
I was wondering the same thing and was looking into it on a quiet Friday at work but then the afternoon got busy.

Best I could come up with is that the building has been there since the early WW1 era and given the ceiling layout and dimensions was likely a foundry and machine shop that was both ground and rail fed. All of the guns and mounts at Ft Tilden came from the Watervliet Arsenal, but once onsite all the maintenance and repairs would have required a good size foundry and works to keep all the batteries up and running, not to mention other duties on the Fort itself.

After the shore battery mission ended in 46 its likely most of the likely coal fired forges and steamworks (as indicated by the tall smokestack for such sandy ground) got decommed and scrapped and what remained got electrified. Clearly the building is pretty robustly built and has the structure to support internal cranes so undoubtedly when the Nike mission stood up it served as a warehouse supporting that and other post activities.

All of that could be totally wrong and is based on assumption of my own research, but thats my nickle less three pennies for what its worth.
 
I was wondering the same thing and was looking into it on a quiet Friday at work but then the afternoon got busy.

Best I could come up with is that the building has been there since the early WW1 era and given the ceiling layout and dimensions was likely a foundry and machine shop that was both ground and rail fed. All of the guns and mounts at Ft Tilden came from the Watervliet Arsenal, but once onsite all the maintenance and repairs would have required a good size foundry and works to keep all the batteries up and running, not to mention other duties on the Fort itself.

After the shore battery mission ended in 46 its likely most of the likely coal fired forges and steamworks (as indicated by the tall smokestack for such sandy ground) got decommed and scrapped and what remained got electrified. Clearly the building is pretty robustly built and has the structure to support internal cranes so undoubtedly when the Nike mission stood up it served as a warehouse supporting that and other post activities.

All of that could be totally wrong and is based on assumption of my own research, but thats my nickle less three pennies for what its worth.
I think you are on target with your info. I had a brother stationed there when the fort was active. There was a new building constructed for the Army Reserve that today is in use by NYPD.

The Nike system required two separate sites for its radar, their second site was on an island in Jamacia Bay requiring a boat to transport the crews. The USCG had a station on the bay side of the fort that is used today by the US Park Police for their marine operations.
 
I think you are on target with your info. I had a brother stationed there when the fort was active. There was a new building constructed for the Army Reserve that today is in use by NYPD.

The Nike system required two separate sites for its radar, their second site was on an island in Jamacia Bay requiring a boat to transport the crews. The USCG had a station on the bay side of the fort that is used today by the US Park Police for their marine operations.
Never realized that the CG station was part of the park. Always thought it was separate.
 
The two gun batteries are still there. One has an observation deck on top with great 360 views. They were covered with sand for camouflage. They look just like small hills.
The beach along the fort has no lifeguards. Tends to attract "naturalists".
 
I thought the satellite operated as a manifold itself. In the video I saw them deploy the portable manifold. is that standard operating procedure?
 
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