The Oskaloosa herald., 1900-07-05
Three Big Vessels, Other Craft
and the Piers Are Rapid
ly Destroyed.
Upwards of 400 Men and Women
Perish, While Property Loss Is
Placed at $40, 900, 900.
Flames Attack Steamships Saale, Brem-
en- and Main-Escspe for Those
on Board Cut OF.
Many Are Roasted Alive, While Hun
dreds Leap Into the water and
Many Are Drowned.

New York, July 2.-Probably 200
lives, perhaps more-some estimates
put the number as high as 500-were
lost Saturday afternoon in fire horror
that in many respects is unprecedented.
Many of the unfortunates were
burned to death, more were drowned.
Over a thousand people were strug-
Cling in the water at one time, and how
many of these were lost is only con-
lecture.
The same fire destroyed three great
ocean steamships, the immense wharves
of the North German Lloyd Steamship
company, the NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
Steamship company and the Thing
valla Steamship company, a vast stor-
age warehouse in Hoboken, ~ canal
boats and six barges.
The disaster, the most terrible that
has ever happened here, and perhaps
the most shocking of its kind on rec
ord, was accompanied by heroic res
cues, miraculous escapes and agonizing
deaths.
The ocean liners destroyed were the
Saale, the Bremen and the Main. All
three of these ships belong to the North
German Lloyd company.
The Kaiser Wilhelm der Crosse, the
fastest and one of the largest passen-
ger ships in the world, was damaged
and had a narrow escape from total de-
struction.
There were hundreds of men on each
of the destroyed steamships and few
women. There were crowds of dock
laborersa and employees on all of the
piers. There were men, women and
children in the canal boats and men on
the barges and lighters.
Escape QaiekIy Cut on.
So quickly did the fire spread that
escape for all of these hundreds was cut
off almost before they knew the fire
had started.
Men working in the holds of the
three steamships were shut in by walls
of flame. 1t was impossible to reach
them in any way. Men on the pier
jumped into the water to save them
selves. Many were saved; others sank
before help could reach them.
Loss of Life Estimated at 200.
The North German Lloyd Steamship
company estimates the loss of life by
the fire at 200. The company took the
crew lists, checked off those members
who are in hospitals or reported safe,
and believes the others to be lost.
Among the dead are a number of Off
GERS. The body of Capt. Morrow, of
the Saale, has been found, burned so
as to be unacceptable. Fortunate
ly the number Of visitors on the pier
and boats was unusually small, be-
cause no steamer was due to sail ex-
cept the Saale, and she only for Bos-
ton, where she was to have taken on
a load of Christian Endeavorers. bound
for the convention in London. No pas
senger was lost on any of the boats. A
of Christian Endeavorers were
visiting the Saale, drawn by the in
terest taken in the boat, because of
her charter by the Boston Endeayorers.
Some of these visitors were reported
ost. The German consul general
eabled to Berlin placing the death list
1T 200.
1t is estimated that from 300 to 400
persons were injured and taken to the |
lifferent hospitals in this city, Jersey
lily and Hoboken. Many Of them were
ound to be not seriously hurt and were
discharged Sunday. Many others are |
'elieved to be so seriously injured that
hey cannot recover.
As "a persons were rescued from the
liver by six boat crews from the
teamer Phoeuicia, of the Hamburg
american line, it is just possible that
here was not soul lost from the
Iremen.
From a very reliable source it was
Earned that the officers of the steamer
aale had accounted for Ill persons
ut of total of 252 who were on board
t the outbreak of the fire.
May BE Larger.
One Of the officers Of the steamship
remen said that there were fully 200
sitors on board that vessel when the
re touched there, the majority of
lem being women. A boat was lowered
'om the Bremen shortly after the
arm had been given, but the craft
lpsized as il touched the water and
i hands were precipitated into the
alter, and none Of them was saved by
nose remaining on the vessel. This
! itself would indicate that the list of
lad may be larger than it was first
lought TO be.
Eighteen Bodies Found.
Up to II o'clock Sunday night IS
odies had been recovered. Eleven of
,ese were placed in a row at the
lqrgue, in this city and numbered, this
,lng the only means the authorities
ave OF maintaining any sort of iden-
ty over the eorpses, as they are SO !
IDLY charred and dismembered that u
entifcation win be made only by ,,
inkets or pieces Of clothing that were
und about the bodies.
1ay Have Perishea. II
1t Is feared that some Of the Chris. Q