Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1900-07-07

Ten MiIBOns-Inhum of Tug
boat Men. Who Wanted salvage.
Hoboken, N. J., July 3.-tFire which
swept the river front Saturday night
caused the loss Of probably 800 lives
and the destruction of five ocean
steamers and a third of a mile of
wharves, piers and warehouses. The
money loss will foot up close to $10,-
100000. The terrible loss of life was
accompanied by scenes of horror. Many
seeking to escape the more terrible
death were drowned in the river.
Scores persisted miserably below the
decks OF the doomed vessels, where
they were trapped without means of
escape. At the portfolios of the burn
Ing S2ale appeared white faces, with
death creeping slowly on as the craft
settled and the water blotted them out
while fire ragged about them.
So swiftly and awful was the sweep
OF the flames that hundreds were pen.
ned upon the piers and had to leap
Tor life into the river and take
chances OF being picked I'D.
The burned steamships were the
Saale, the Bremen and the Main, of
the North German Lloyd line, and the
pennsylvania and Phoenicia. of the
The flames we're discovered by n
Waterman among a large pile of cot
ton bales on Pier 2, of the North Ger
man Lloyds Steamship company, where
the Saale was locked. They spread
with such remarkably rapidity that in
10 minutes the entire property OF the
company, taking in over a third of a
mile OF water front, and consisting of
three great piers, was completely en-
Veloped In huge blaze.
The freboat Robert A. Van WICK.
which arrived on the scene first among
the river fire fighters, presented a
picture or horror and ghastliness as
she lay at her dock in the East river
yesterday. The decks were covered
with cotton, saturated with the blood
OF the victims rescued by the brave
men aboard. The firemen were at
work cleaning the boat and picking
up the stained remnants OF clothing
which were torn from the burning
bodies as they were pulled aboard the
nreboat from the pit OF the fire. Pieces
or human skin chung TO the scarlet
rags, and the dreadful experience of
the hremen OF the day previous was
brought again to eyes and memories
which sought to forget the horrible
spectacle. Lieut.. McGinnis said:
should say there were passen-
gers aboard the Saale. They looked
like passengers, and surely were not
members of the crew. They were
locked down in the hold Of the vessel
as securely as ever a convict was i'm
prisoned in cell. There was no es-
cape for them after the vessel began
to take water. We got about 30 ont
or there while we were allowed to
work from the decks. 1t was then we
witnessed the awful sights OF human
agony
hundred arms, with the flesh
torn from them, and blackened with.
Durns, protruded from the small port
holes, which were but a foot or less
IN diameter. II those port holes had
been larger, sufficient to admit the
passage of a human body, the rescues
would have been many more in num-
Der than they were. The so men we
rescued were raving maniacs when
We got them aboard. They could not
reallze they had escaped the horrible
death that threatened them but few
minutes before. In their delirium
tney fought each other after they were
rescued. They were as black az coal
ana snelr burnt and charred flesh peel
ed on with their clothing.
The most agonizing sight I Witness
ed was that of a woman who was
burned. We could see her face and
arms as she reached out and got a
hahotul or water, with which she
Washep her face, seeking to cool it
anu gam relief from the terrible heat
one never once uttered a scream. We
passed her a cup OF water. She grab
pea 1t eagerly and drank it. She could
not speak English, but murmured in
a foreign tongue and in a tone which
apparently denoted she was pravinp
we spoke words of cheer to her. The
boat gave lurch, water filled the
compartment which she was in. and
sne sank from our sight and we saw
her no more"
Through the port holes of the saale
wy Ioot In diameter, people on other
rendering assistance talked with MANY
OF the imprisoned ones until thew sank
back in the flames.
Christian Guenther, one OF sixteen
men who passed almost unframed
through eight hours of torture in the
MAIN, says that the first he and the
Coal passers IN the lower hold knew of
the trouble was when coal failed to
come down the chute. 1t had heen
pouring down from a canal boat. Az
ter waiting for some time for more
coal 10 come one OF them crawled into
the chute to see what the trouble was.
ana dropped back to report that there
was lame all about the outside of tba
snip. Then the rush for the exits
took place.
Ihere was no way Of getting out.
and they retreated as the fire de-
scenoed toward them, back to the
lowest tier Of coal bunkers. Their
refuge proved good one. Here thew
renamed Tor almost eight hours, while
ne. ne nre RACED over them, plates above
their heads being so hot the men could
not touch them with their hands
When the men were taken out one man
mao his eyes burned out by the in
tense heat, and two were temporarily
made insane.
SeVenty-seyen bodies of victims of
sne awful fre have been recovered.
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