The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1900-07-05
FIRE AT HOBOKEN.
-Four Ocean Liners Burned TO the Wa
ter's Edge.
THREE GREAT PIERS DESTROYED.
A Fire That Starts il BIleS Of Cotton
Results in Fearful Loss of Life and
Properly.

New York Special.-The four great
piers of ;he North German Lloyd Line
in Hoboken were totally destroyed by
fire Saturday afternoon. The passen-
ger steamship Saale, the freight and
passenger steamship Maine and the
freight and passenger steamship Bre-
men of the North German Lloyd Line.
were burned 10 the waters edge. The
Hamburg Line steamship Phoencia, a
passenger steamship, was also burned
to the waters edge.
Campbell's storage warehouses On
the opposite side Of the street, five big
buildings in all and each FIVE stories
high were also burned. The loss at the
present time is roughly estimated at
so 100000.
From what can be learned the flames
started among large pile of cotton
bales on Pier No. 2, OF the North Ger
man Lloyd Steamship Company and
spread with such remarkable rapidity
that in fifteen minutes the entire prop
erty of the company. taking in over
third of a mile of water front and
consisting of three great piers, was
completely enveloped in huge blaze
that sent great clouds CT smoke high
up into the air. The flames started so
| suddenly and gained such headway
| that the people on the piers and on
| the numerous vessels docked were un-
able 10 reach the street. There were
great gangs of workmen on the piers,
and these together with number Of
| people who were at the docks on bust
ness and visiting the ships scattered
in all directions. AS all means Of exit
were cut off by the flames they were
! forced to Jump overheard and TO doubt
great numncr of people were drown
| ed. At the docks for the North Ger
man Lloyd were the Ssale. single
screw passenger steamship OF 1865
gross tons; the Bremen q twin screw
passenger and freight steamer Of lO,-
| 526 tons and the Main. a twin screw
| freight and passenger steamer OF H.
| 200 gross ;ons. They all caught fl re
and were burned to the waters edge.
The Kaiser Wilhelm der Crosse. which
had just come in. was the only one Of
the four big vessels at the dock thai
escaped.
The fire was discovered by a
watchman on the pier at four o'clock.
He saw a small streak of fame shoot
from a bale of cotton on Pier No. =,
at which was docked the steamer
Saale. He Immediately sent N an
alarm.
In a few minutes the flames had ex-
tended to the steamship and were COM
municatei to he adjoining pier on the
north. Here were dockei the Kaiser
Wilhelm der Crosse and the Main
Tugs were Immediately made fas: 10
the big Kaiser Wilhelm der Crosse
and she was gotten ont into mid
stream with safety, although badly
scorched at the bows. The steamship
Min, however, was doomed. as the
| flames had already become so fierce on
the northside of the pier that no tug
could approach the vessel. Then, by a
shift. in the wind. the flames were sent
in the direction of Pier No. |. which
was to the south end Of Pier No. 2. To
the Hamburg Line. at which
the steamship Phoenicia twin screw
| passenger steamer of 7,161 gross tons
was docked The flames got good
hold on the Phoenicia. and she was
towed out into midstream ablaze.
The officials Of the Hamburg-Amer-
lean Line then decided that the only
way to prevent total destruction OF
their great pier was 20 blow up the
side Of the dock at which the Phoenicia
lay. and this was done. A number OF
barges docked g; the PIER also took
fire, but in the effort to save the cher
property. no attention was paid to
them and they were allowed to burn.
1t is feared hat the loss os life in the
holds of the vessels was frightful. and
it is said that many of the crews who
were asleep a: the time were imprison-
ed there. The worst tale will come
from the steamship Main. which was
unable TO be towed from the pier.
The vessel had only arrived in the
morning and some passengers were
still on board and when the cry Of fire
was raised number Of them wire seen
to run 20 the burning decks. Most OF
them jumped overheard, and, save for
the few who were picked up by the
tugs not one has been heard from, al
though every hotel and hospital in the
city of Hoboken is crowded with in
jured.
Some of the passengers Of The Main