The Worthington advance., 1900-07-06
AN AWFUL, !, ! DISASTER: '[;,[|:
Fire at the Docks at Hoboken, N. J.
Destroys Three Large At
lantic Steamers,
Passengers and Sailors Caught Un.
aware are Burned to Death
Or Drowned,

~
jured and at least 1850 lives were i'm.
perilied by fire that started among the
cotton bales under pier No. OF the North
German Lloyd Steamship Company. III
N. j.. at 4 o'clock this after.
noon.
In less than Is minutes the flames Gov.
cred an area a quarter of a mile long. ex-
tending outward from the actual shore
line to the bulkheads, from 600 to 1.0W
feet away, and had caught four great
ocean liners and a dozen or more smalle,
harbor craft in it's grasp.
The flames started among a large nile
OF cotton bales on pier No. of the North
German Lloyd Steamship Company, and
spread with such remarkable rapidity
that In Is minutes the entire property OF
the company. taking in over a third of a
mile OF water front, and consisting OF
thSee great piers, was completely envel-
oped in huge blaze that sent great
clouds of smoke high up into the air.
The f1ames started so suddenly and
gained such headway that the people on
the piers and on the numerous vessels
locked were unable to reach the street.
The gangs of workmen on the piers and
these, together with a number of people
who were at the dock on business and
visiting ships, scattered in all directions.
AS all means of exit were cut off by the
flames they were forced to jump over
board, and it is believed great number
of people were drowned.
At the docks of the North German
Lloyd were the Saale, single screw pas
senger steamship of 1856 gross tons; the
Bremen, twin screw passenger and
freight of 1886 tons, and the Main, a
twin screw freight and passenger steam
ship of 10000 gross tons.
They all caught fire and were burned
to the waters edge. The Kaiser Wilhelm
der Crosse, which had come in, was the
only one of the four big vessels at the
dock that escaped.
The loss of the crews Of these vessels
is said to reach zoo.
The fire was first discovered by a
watchman on the pier at o'clock He
saw small streak of flame shoot from
a bale of cotton on pier No. 2, at which
was docked the steamer Saale. He i'm
mediately sent jim an alarm.
In few minutes the flames had ex-
tended to the steamship and were COM
municated to the adjoining pier on the
north.
Here were docked the Kaiser Wilhelm
mediately made fast to the big Kaiser
Wilhelm der Crosse and she was gotten
out into mid-stream with safety, although
badly scorched at the bows.
The steamship Main, however, was
doomed, as the flames had become SC
fierce on the north side of the pier thar
no tug could approach the vessel
crowds OF deck labOrer and also en-
ployes of the companies were on all the
piers. Men. women and children were or
the canal boats and men on the barees
and lighters and when the fire made its
quick descent upon them escape was cut
off before they realized their awful posi-
ton.
The people on the piers jumped into the
water to save themselves. and scores of
men huddled under the piers. clinging tc
the supports. only to be suffocated by
the flames or to drop back into the water
from exhaustion.
Men working in the holds of the four
steamships were shut in by walls of
flame, and it was impossible to reach
them.
1t probably never will be known how
many men perished in the ships. as the
flames were SO fierce they would leave
few If any remnants Of the human. body
The greatest loss of life appears tc
have been on the Saale
She carried $50 people and was to have
sailed for Boston this evening
When the police boat captain went
aboard of her with his rescue party, he
saw bodies lying all about the deck, ?
The steamship Bremen carried a crew
of 300 men. the Main 25). and If as many
lives were lost on the Bremen and Main
as on the Saale the number of lives lost
will be very great. Then. also. many
perished on the piers. the canal boats
and lighters.
The burning or smouldering remains Of
canal boats. lighters and barges are scat
tered all the way down the river and bay
TO Staten island and Governors island.
& Each Of these craft will add something
to the list Of dead.
= This spectacle was witnessed by thous.
ands and thousands. both BY those ashore
and by other thousands who crowded
upon every ferry boat, every excursion
boat. upon every variety Of river craft
that could be secured for the purpose
The crowd upon the banks Of the river
was almost as, great as that which
formed TO witness the triumphal return
Of Admiral Dewey.
g Looking up the river at the burning
ships and piers the scene was a won.
f,,l mi ~{o
8 The steamship Saaie had been towe6
down the river until It was just of Fort
Liberty. where she had gathered around
her ring OF freboats and tugs salt figkts
ing to save at least the huh or lhe
doomed steamer.
Flames were still leaping from her port.
holes and rushing out of her cabins and
holes.
= At varying distances about the burning
ship lay coal. and cotton barges. al
ablaze. each with one Or more tugs play.
ing streams of water upon it.
Some of these barges and lighters were
loa1ed with very inf1am ma bic stuff ane
the hamessleap ped shtghsins the.air. whine
the heat was so terrific that It was no,
possible to use effectively the small hoss
of the tugs
The loss to the North German Lloyd
docks alone is placed at $2.0oo.o0o. The
value Of the great quantities of cotton. oil
and various other merchandise to the
docks has not been estimated at this
time. The loss, to the North German
Lloyd stea mships Company wifi probably
conn. close Sto% $4,000. .000. as the Bremen
the Main and the Saale> were almost to-
tally destroyed. The Kaiser Wilhelm del
Crosse was also damaged.
The value of the Hamburg-America
line steamer Phoenicia is not known. but
this will swell the amount of damage.
ODDS AND ENDS.