The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1900-07-04
GREAT FIRE AT
NEW YORK CITY.
Piers and Steamships Of North
German LLOYD Line Were
Destroyed.

New York, June 3o.-Almost ten
million dollars worth of property
was destroyed, mary lives were lost,
many persons were injured and at
least l 500 lives were imperliled by
q fire that started among cotton bales
stored on Pier No 8. of the North
German Lloyd Steamship Company,
in Hoboken, n j at O'Clock this
afternoon In less than fifteen min-
ntes the fame covered an area a
quarter of q mile long, extending
outward from the actual shore line TO
the bulkhesds from six hundred to
one thousand feet away and had
caught four great ocean liners and a
dozen or more small harbor craft IN
it's grasp.
Stories in regard to the loss Of life
are conflicting, the number being
variously estimated from fifty to two
hundred Up to midnight ten bodies
had been recovered, but they were
all so burned and blackened that
Identification was impossible The
hospitals in New York, Hoboken and
Jersey City are crowded with the in
iured and men are being brought IN
by scores
Those whato ghered along the
shores of the Hudson river to witness
the great confagrstion saw specta-
Gle they can never forget and one
that will always have conspicuous
place in the history of New York
city.
A FEARFUL SPECTACLE.
The river and bay were enveloped
in q pail of black smoke, through
which angry flames, bursting as
from volcanoes, on the jersey shore
and IN the water itself, leaped like
red spears Into the sky The surface
of the water was covered with hoat.
ing and blazing masses of freight,
thrown in haste from the doomed
vessels all unno:iced III the mad race
TO rescue more precious life. threat
ened or beng sacrificed in the great
ships. And through the pail of smoke
a greater crimson SUD, enlarged to
thrice It's size By the haze, glared like
an enormous eye as it slowly eunk ID
the west.
Such was the tremendous spectacle
presented on the surface Of the Hud.
river, as if it had been some holiday
pagent 1t was made tragic by the
realization that somewhere beneath
the turbid waters scores of human
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 on every ferry boat. every
variety of craft tha: could be secured
for the purpose. Tie crowd upon
the banks Of the river was almost as
great as that which was formed to
witness the triumphant return OF
Admiral Dewey.
Mea working in the holds os the
four steamships were shut ln by
walls of flames and it was impossible
to reach them It probably never
will be known how many lives perish.
ed in the ships, as the flames would
leave but few if any remnants OF
the human body The greatest loss
of life appears to have been on the
Sasle. She carried $50 people and
was to have sailed for Boston this
afternoon When the police boat
captain went out with his rescuing
party, be saw bodies lying all
around the deck The steamship
Bremen carried crew of 500 men,
aud the Main $50 and if as many
lives were lost as on the Saale, the
number of dead will be very great.
STEAMSHIPS BURNED.
The flames started so suddenly and
gained such headway that the people
on the piers and on the numerous
vessels locked were unable 70 reach
the street. There we're great gangs
of workmen Oh the piers and these,
together with number Of people
who were at the docks on business
and visiting the ships. scattered II.