The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-07-01

NEW YORK, June so.-Almost ten mil
hon dollars worth of property was de-
stroyed. many lives were lost, many per-
sons were injured and at least 1.5O0 lives
were imperiled by fire that started among
cotton bales under Pier of the North Ger
man Lloyd Steamship Company in Hobo
less than fifteen minutes the flames COW
cred an area a quarter OF mile long, ex-
tending outward from the shore line to the
bulkheads. from GOO to 1000 feet away. and
had caught three great ocean liners and
dozen or more smaller harbor craft in its
grasp The steamships were the Saale.
Main and Bremen.
Stories in regard TO the loss of life are
conflicting. the number being variously es-
timated at from fifty to 600. Up to mid
night ten bodies had been recovered. but
they were all so burned and blackened that
identification was impossible. The hos
pitals in New York, Hoboken and Jersey
City are crowded with the injured. and
men are being brought in by scores.
Those who gathered along the shores of
the Hudson rive. to witness the confagra-
tion saw a spectacle they will never forget,
and that viii have conspicuous place in
the history of New York. The river and
bay were enveloped in pail of black
smoke through which angry flames, burst
ing as from volcanoes on the Jersey shore
and in the water itself, leaped like red
spheres into the sky. The surface Of the
water was covered with floating and blaz-
ing masses of freight, thrown in haste from
the doomed vessels-aE unnoticed in the
mad race to rescue more precious human
life threatened or being sacrificed in the
great ships. And through the pail of smoke
a great crimson sun. enlarged to thrice its
size by the haze. glared like an enormous
eye as 1t slowly sank in the West.
PYRoTEcHNIc. BUT TRAGIC.
Such was the tremendous spectacle pre-
sented on the surface OF the Hudson river
as IL it had been some holiday pageant. 1t
was made tragic by the realization that
somewhere in that smoke. somewhere be-
meath the turbid waters, scores of lives
had been lost. or were then in their last
desperate struggle against death. This
spectacle was witnessed by thousands and
thousands from both shores and by other
thousands. who crowded upon every ferry
boat. every excursion boat, upon every
variety or river craft that could be Sc
cured for the purpose. The crowd upon
the banks of the river was almost as great
as that which formed TO witness the tri-
umphant return of Admiral Dewey
Looking up the river toward the burning
ships and piers the scene was wonderful.
yet tragic in its grandeur. The steamship
saale had been towed down the river until
it was just or Fort Liberty. where she had
gathered about her ring OF fire boats and
tugs. all fighting 10 save at least the hull
OF the doomed steamer. Flames still were
teaping from her portfolios and rushing
out of her cabins and holds. At varying
distances about the burning ship lay coal
and cotton barges, all ablaze. each with
one or more tugs playing streams of water
upon Il. Some of these barges and lighters
were loaded with very inhammable stuff
and from them the flames Ieaped high in
the air. while the heat was so terrific that
Il was not possible TO use effectively the
small hose of the tugs. So one by one these
affairs OF FIRE slowly consumed. most OF
them burning down TO the waters edge
Along the Jersey shore small fires were
blazing. started by the wreckage from the
great steamships.
SCENES ON THE RIVER
Over on this side OF the river the fire
caused the greatest excitement. as the
drifting steamships and barges Hoated all
afame to the New York shore and brushed
against the piers from Canal to Murray