Greene County herald. (Leakesville, Miss.) 1898-current, 1900-07-06
A TERRIBLE DISASTER
HUNDREDS OF LIVES AND yur,,oNs
OF DOLLARS Lost IN FIRE.

Three Big Steamships Destroyed.. .Crews
Passengers aud Lnborers Caught Like
Rats In Trap, Were Either Roasted or
Drowned---s rong Men Driven Insane.
New York. Almost ten million dol
lars worth of property was destroyed,
many lives we're lost, many persons
were imperiled by . FIRE that started
among cotton bales under Pier No. 8
of the North German Lloyd Steamship
company In Hoboken at 4 O'Clock Sat-
urday evening. In less than fifteen
minutes the flames covered an area a
quarter of mile long extending out
ward from the actual shore line to the
bulkheads from 600 TO 1000 feet away
and had ignited four great ocean liners
and dozen or moro smaller harbor
craft In its grasp. Stories In regar d to
the loss of life are conflicting. the num-
Der being variously estimated at from
fifty to two hundred. Up to . q. m.
Sunday twenty-fiv bodies had been re-
covered, they were so badly burned
that Identification was impossible.
The hospitals in New York, Hobok-
en- and Jersey City are crowded with
the injured, men are being brought in
by scores.
MAGNIFICENT AND TERRIFIC.
Those who gathered along the shores
Of the Hudson river to witness the
great conHagration saw spectacle that
cannot be forgotten and one that will
ALWAYS have a conspicuous place in the
history OF New York.
River and bay were enveloped in q
pail OF black smoke through which
flames, bursting ss from volcanoes on
the Jersey shore aud in the water it.
self, lsaped in the sky. The surface of
the water was covered with floating
masses OF freight thrown burning in
haste from the doomed vessels, all un.
noticed in the mad race to rescue
more human life threatened or being
sacridoed in the great ships. And
through the pail Of smoke a great GRIM
SON sun, enlarged to thrice its size by
the haze glared like au enormous eye
as II slowly sunk in the west. Such
was the spectacle presented on the sur
taco Of the Hudson river, as If 1t had
been some holiday pageant. 1t was
made tragic by the realization that
somewhere In that smoke, somewhere
beneath the water. scores Of lives had
teen lost or were then In their last
struggle against death.
This spectacle was Witnessed by
Thousands who crowded every ferry
boat, every excursion boat upon every
variety Of river craft that could be se-
cured for the purpose. The crowd upon
the banks of the river was almost as
large as that which formed to witness
the return of Admiral Dewy. Looking
up the river towards the burning ships
and piers the scene was wonderful, yet
tragic in Its grandeur. The steam
ship Saale had been towed down the
river until it was just of Fort Liberty,
where she had gathered about her a
ring of 6reboats and tugs. and all
lighting to save at least her hull.
At varying distances about the burn
ing ship lay goal and cotton barges
all ablaze, each with one or mole
tugs playing water upon 1t. Some
Of these barges and lighters were
loaded With very inhammable stuff
and the flames leaped high in the air,
while the heat was so terrific that it
was not possible to use the small hose
of the tugs. Along the Jersey shore
small fires were blazing, started by the
wreckags from the great steamships.
On the New YORK side Of the river
the fire caused the greatest excitsment
a. the drifting steamships and barges
floated, all afisme, to the shore and
brushed against the piers from Canal
to Murray street The fire depart.
ment was called out at various points
and the spectacle was presented Of the
firsmen on shore trying to fight fires at
every minute changing their situation.
TREMENDOUS LOSS OF LIFE.
There were hundreds OF men on each
of the destroyed steamships. and
few women. Crowds Of dock laborers
and also employees of the companies
were on all the piers. Men, women