New-York tribune., 1900-07-01
WILD EFFORTS TO ESCAPE.
TRAGIC SCENES WHEN THE FLAMES
BROKE OUT
HoBOKEN CHIEF OF POLICE THINKS TIE
EXACT NUMBER OF DEAD WILL
NEVER BE KNOWN
escaped.

EXACT NUMBER OF DEAD WILL
NEVER BE KNOWN
Chief Donovan Of the Hoboken Police was In
defatigable in his efforts in caring for the in
jured and experimenting their removal TO the
hospitals To-day at daybreak he viii have a
force Of men out looking for bodies Of thu
drowned. To a Tribune reporter he said last
night,
The total loss will never be known. Not even
the ashes win be found OF many who were
caught in the flames on the piers have talked
with some Of the officials Of the company but
neither they nor can give even approkimats
opinion Of the number Of lives lost"
Henry Klemke Of No 314 Clinton-st, Ho-
boken. said he was near the spot where the frs
broke out. and was one Of the first 70 see ths
flames. He raised an alarm on board the steam
ers moored TO Pier No. 5. but quick as he was
the flames were quicker. and he saw az least
hundred men jump from the Saale into the
water.
\ man who escaped from the Main said there
were fourteen men working in the forward hold
who could not possibly have escaped
William Deitzen. a steward on the Bremen.
started We were so quickly enveloped that
We had to jump into the water I saw at least
sixty Jump. I don't see how a single fireman
could have reached the deck.
The captain OF the lighter Texas said there
we're four men aboard when the lighter was
tcwed out Of the dock. but the four men were
not afterward seen
Frank Henry OF Clinton-st.. Hoooken. SAID
he was working on the Saale az one OF the
hatchways In the holds below there were sixty
two men at work As it would take them
about two minutes to reach the decks he thinks
that most Of them must have perished-
TWO BOYS RESCUED.
Herman Iaschncan. sailor on the steamer
Bremen told a thrilling story OF the rapid spreao
~ the fire and the frantic efforts made by doz-
ems Of men TO escape from IL he was oaoS
burned but managed 70 save Two sInaH oOyS
who were employed on the steamer as caoin
boys
Laschman was IN the forernaSt paln'ln9 NV
tbs 6ra broke edt. The Bremen was moored 10
Pier No 3 Locking down. the saiIor Sa" th7
flames Spreading with great rapidity IN al az
rectiors Before he had time to lower himself
there were many explosions and the Hre seemed
10 iupp from n dozen places following each re-
rort Taschunan started TO descend 70 the deck
inst as the flames touched the Bremen
y-bsr he reached the ton Of the cabin dozens
of sailors and longshoremen were rushing 1rom
end to end and side 10 side OF the snip seeking
a pIace to escape. on the pier SIDE WAS CERTAIN
death So they turned 10 the river SIDE ana
Jumped into the water
Ca.l Disrner. second assistant baker ana
JuIius Holzseldt, assistant engineer o. the MAIN
repor,ed at the Central police station al Il
o'clock last night that they had escaped rom
the Main by jumping from the DECK IheS e.
,ir,ats5 that there were about three hundred
,,soD1s on board when the Main took IRE. ana
80 far as thev knew only forty or fifty escaped
1,hs,. said thar a woman and her baby were on
| to.rd the woman being on visit TO fTleao
/ ,vbap the TWO men Jumped. the women jumped
\ u-i,h hsr babv in her arms. Diemer says tha'
| r,o,bar and child disappeared beneath the sur
face instantly - +hs
/ Ca,,atn Nierich. of the Bremen. one OF 'he
steamers destroyed. is a man who seiuo''' A''o'
himself a day on Yesterday, however. 'ne uAS
J beinr fine he went 20 Coney Island he Snsw
,othjrs- about the destruction of his ship uh''l
after dark when the news reached ConeN ls.S''''-
/ thar several steamers had been burned
/ he hurried 10 Hoboken only 20 nnd tna' "'S S'''p
/ was destroyed.
| svpsrRTPTIoN FOR WIDOWS AND On
/ PHANS
The sympathy Of the crowds which sa'nelsS a's,e,,
.,a vrsi,ed iuring the evening to see the worn
of resculng the unfortuna'es showed ''se'' - "
practical way at NaegArs Hotel last night va
! -ubscrtption was started for the WIDOWS an an
! orpbans In less than half an hour more ',e-
$500 was paid in and the fund was 'nVr7SS'''7
rapidly at midnight, 10.
Peter Quinn. Justice of the Peace In Ho-
! Continued on page eight