The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1900-07-03

AANAh ANh - eNNAfe fhNNAH NNtA NNNAfN W.
OF the victims OF the disaster were em-
ploycd In some capacity by the steam.
ship company, However, the loss OF
life ls appalling, Forty bodies have
been recovered, hundreds are missing,
and no estimate OF the number OF dead
now falls below 900, OF many OF the
dead no trace win ever be found their
hedies having been reduced TO aahes In
the furnace, II Is reasonable TO sup.
pose that the rescued VIII report them.
selves to-day, and tonlghts list OF miss.
ing viii increase the list OF the dead,
Nearly all tho members OF the crews
had their hom,s IN Germany, and news
OF the disaster win carry sorrow to
many hresldes In the tatherland No
missing except those employed aboard
the steamers have been reported TO the
police or to the company,
Most OF the estimates OF loss DO not
fall below slO,OO0OOO, II 10 assumed
that three steamers are almost n total
loss and that the company must pay
round sum for salvage OF the Kaiser
Wilhelm der Crosse, Insurance men are
rejoicing over the Fact that the risks
on the steamers were placed abroad.
The lighters and other small craft
that were lost were insured by their
owners. many OF whom have policies
covering the cargoes, the insurance
being for account Of all parties at IN.
terest. The outward bound merchan-
disc stlll on the piers at the time OF
the are was largely covered by tloat.
ing policies In fire companies, The
goods on the pier which had arrived
from the other side were In large part
protected BY marine policies. The car
goes OF the burned North German
steamers were covered by marine In.
surance.
The warehouses known as Camp
bell's stores. owned by the Hoboken
Land & Improvement Company. are
fully Insured In various fire insurance
companies, The merchandise In stor-
age Is of very diversified ownership. |
and nothing can be ascer,aincd as to
which companies Insured H. The entire
loss on property covered by fire in.
surance is about si,75GoOo, The North |
German Lloyd Steamship Company's
piers and wharves were insured In fire |
insurance companies for $500. 1000. and Il |
had also had 100000 In common car.
riers' liability for merchandise on
piers.
II is expected that the owners and |
crews OF the tugs that pulled the Kal.
ser Wilhelm away from the blazing
piers viii today file llbels for more
than million dollars against her. Sal
wage viii be claimed. too.upon all the
other steamers that were on FIRE. but
what the amount will be In the case
OF the Bremen. the Main and the
saale Is entirely proUlematical. since II
depends upon the success that attends
the efforts Of the workers.
When vessel is abandoned az sea
and steamer tows her to harbor. II
the risk was great. the ralvage may be
as high as 70 per cent Of the value of
the property saved. Within Sandy |
Hook this sort OF salvage is not allowed.
but there is salvage Tor hre. The courts
will pass upon the claims. and as more
than sixty steamers were more or less
concerned In the salvage the litigation
will be interesting.
Along with the stories OF heroic res.
cues coue others OF greed and dlsre.
gard Of human life. Joseph Lupth. |
painter employed In decorating the first |
cabin OF the Saale. was alarmed by the |
cry OF fire AMI rushsd from the cabin 20 |
the deck just in time TO see great |
sheet II flame sweep over the forward |
part Of the vessel and envelop Captain |
Merow, who was staining between the |
bridge and the fore hatch. giving orders
to a panlc-strlken group OF laborers
TO battor the matches down. The FIRE |
wrapped around him. and In an instant
he was crumpled into shapeless mass,
falling where he stood. AT that" says
Lupth, half dozen tugs, blowing
their whistles. steamed up toward the
Kaiser Wilhelm. which was lying on
the opposite side Of the dock. Sixty
men followed me in leap TO n lighter
and We began shouting for help 10 the
tugs that we're coming up to help the
Kaiser Wilhelm. Those tugboat men
were too greedy for money 10 help us.
One OF them came up close and threw
out new Manila line. II fell short
and was hauled aboard again. Cast
that line over yelled. The fire from
the Main was then pouring over our
heads. and the heat was something
frightful. Give us hand here, an
other man shouted after me. For
Gods sake, don't let us die like a lot
of rats.
'Tbe captain OF the tug paid no at
tention to us whatever and made no
answer. Instead Of trying to reach us
with the line a second time he backed
water and got under the prov Of the
big ship We could see him throwing
small hand line to those on board
We could not understand that We had
been deserted and thought that our
cries had not been heard. Another tug
came within hailing distance and we
spoke her. but the only ans ger we got
was no time now, will see you later
There were not less than a dozen tugs
close by us then, but no one would 90
anything for US. The hausers which
held the lighter to the saale burned