Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1900-07-02


| pr1truded from the small portfolios,
which We're but q foot or less In dla-
meter II those portfolios had been
larger sufficient 70 admit the passage
of a human body. the rescues would
have been many more IN number than
thew were. The thirty men we res
cued We're raging maniacs when we
got them aboard. They could not
realize that they had escaped the hor-
rible death that Threatened them but
a few minutes before. In their de-
lirlum they fought each other after
they We're rescued. They were as
black as coal and their burnt and
charred flesh peeled or with their
clothing,
AID COMES TOO LATE.
"The most agonizng sight I wit
messed was that OF a woman who was
burned We could see her face and
arms as she reached out and got a
handful of water with which she
washed her face, seeking to cool it,
and gain relief from the terrible heat.
She never once uttered "a scream. We
passed her a cup Of water. She
grabbed It eagerly and drank t.. She
could not speak English. but muir
INJURED in a foreign tongue and IN a
tone which apparently denoted she
was praying We spoke words Of
cheer 10 her The boat gave a lurch,
water filled the compartment which
she was n, and she sank from our
sight and we saw her no more"
When the burned and scuttled
Saale Is pumped out It Is believed
that the bodies Of many people who
persisted below her main deck will be
recovered Some Of those penned in
by the flames were alive when the
steamship was towed TO the Jersey
flats just north Of Ellis island.
Through the open headlights or port
holes the poor creatures appealed for
help several times before the vessel
was scuttled in the hope Of putting out
the fire which was raging in her upper
works.
WHERE THE FIRE BEGAN.
New York, June 3O-Almost &c. 900 600
worth Of property was destroyed, many
lives were lost, many persons were
injured and at least 800 lives were i'm
perilled by a fire that started among
cotton bales under pier No. 3 Of the
North German Lloyd Steamship COM
pany IN Hoboken. N. j., at o'clock
this afternoon. In less than fifteen
the flames covered an area a
quarter Of a mile long, extending OUT
ward from the actual shore lire 10 the
bulkheads. from 600 TO LOCO feet away,
and had caught four great ocean liners
and a dozen or more smaller harbOr
craft In its grasp,
Those who gathered along the shores
~ Flan IIMnaar VfFrar a tho
great cOnhagration. saw a spectacle
that they can never forget and one
that always viii have a conspicuous
place in the history Of New York.
AN APPALLING SIGHT.
River and bay were enveloped in a
pail Of black smoke through which
angry flames, bursting as from vol
canoes, on the Jersey shore and In the
water itself, leaped ike red sprites into |
the sky. The surface Of the water was |
covered with floating and blazing |
masses Of freight thrown IN haste from |
he doomed vessels. all unnoticed In the |
mad race 20 rescue more precious hui |
nan life threatened or being sacrificed |
n the great ships And through the |
pail of smoke a great crimson sun, en- |
larged 60 thrice It's size by the haze, /
,lared like an enormous eye as II
lowly sunk In the west.
The spectacle was witnessed by |
thousands and thousands from both
hores and by other thousands who
rowded upon every ferry boat, every
EXCURSION boat upon every river craft
hat could be secured for the purpose.
'he crowd upon the banks OF the river
vas almost as great as that which
0rmed 10 witness the triumphant re-
urn OF Admiral Dewey.
Looking IN the river toward the
turning ship and piers the scene was
wonderful and tragic one OF grand
ur The shin Saale had been towed
own the river until she was just of
Tort Liberty, where she had gathered
bout her ring Of fire boats and tugs,
II fighting 20 save at least the hull OF
he doomed steamer. Flames stlll were
,aping from her portfolios and rushing
NJ of her cabins.
At varying distances about the burn
~ ship lay coal and cotton barges, all
blaze. each with one or more tugs
laying streams Of water upon t. Some |
{ these barges and lighters were
,aded with very inhammable stun, and
he flames leaned high In the air while
lt NEAT MNF ~ NfIl lliA Al0A TT us llNA
ossIble 90 use only the small hose OF
ne tug. Soon one by one. these al
IRIS OF fire slowly consumed. most OF
lem burning down TO the water line.
long the Jersey shore small fires were
azlng, started by the wreckage from
lie great steamships.
SHUT IN BY WALLS OF FLAME.
There were hundreds OF men on each
the destroyed steamships and a few
omen. Crowds OF dock laborers and
so employees Of the companies were
. all the piers. Men, women and
lildren We're on the canal boats, and
en- on the barges and lighters. and
hen the fire made its quick descent
pom them escape was cut of before
ey realized their awful position.
The people on tie piers jumped into !
e water 10 save themselves and ,
ores Of men huddled under the piers. ! :
inglng 20 the supports only 10 be ,
Iffocated by the flames or 10 drop :
lex into the water from exhaustion
Men working In the holds OF the fire
eamshigs We're shut I'm by walls OF
me. and Il was impossible TO reach
en-. II probably never will be known =
Nv many mon persisted IN the ships, !
the flames were so fierce they would !
ave but few, II any, remnants Of the ,
man body. :
The greatest loss Of life appears to
on the Saale She carried $50 /
onle. and was TO have sailed for
lston this afternoon. When the police
at captain went aboard OF her with
J rescue party he saw bodies lying
about the deck The ship Bremen
rried a crew Of 800. the Main $50,
d II as many lives were lost on the
emen and Main as on the j.
ale. the number OF lives lost will K
verN Great. Then also. many per- B,
ed ON the piers, the canal boats and "
hters. se
The burnin. or smodering remains
canal boats, l-hters and barges
scattered all the way down the 4
er and bay 20 staten Island and Il
Island Each OF these craft
] add somethins. 10 the list OF the l.
ID \