Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1900-07-02
THE GREAT FIRE
AT HOBOKEN.
Still Guessing as to the Actual
Number of Victims
IT WILL BE AT LEAST 200.
search for the Bodies - Condition of
Vessels 3d. origin Of Fire
a Mystery.

New York, July 2.-Dlvers and wreck
ers are SIN hard at work on the burned
North German Lloyd steamers. It Is
believed that there are yet many bodies
TO be recovered from the wreck and two
large wrecking derricks are alongside
the Saale removing the bent ana twisted
prices Of heavy iron that cover her hold.
The Injured in the Jersey city hospitals
were reported 20 be doing well this
morning, but several are not yet out OF
danger.
The ruins Of the burned piers at
Hoboken are still smouldering today
and the debris was too hot 10 De han
dled. The bulk heads are choked up
with huge masses Of twisted iron and
heavy timbers. It win require several
days to remove this debris.
AT police headquarters in Hoboken up
10 10 o'clock today inquiries had been
made for 60 persons missing At ST.
Mary's hospital Hoboken, this fore
noon It was stated that an Of the As
fire patients In that institution were
doing exceedingly well, with one ex-
ception. Wilhelm Rust "a years old, a
sailor on the Saale. was terribly burned
all over the body and no hope Is enter
tanned for his recovery. The North
German Lloyd Steamship co. notified
Coroner Hoffman, OF Hoboken. a. see
that all Of the unidentified and un-
claimed dead have respectable burial
at the expense Of the company Accord
ingly Coroner Hoffman Is making ar
engagements TO have all the bodies In
the New York morgue taken 20 Hoo
boken. He has not yet arranged the
details for the burial OF the remains
In many cases the victims bodies have
been burned and chaTed I'm such a hor-
rlble manner as to be unTecOgnizable
Those who may be Identified VIII be
kept a reasonable time
Many small boats filed with men
were about the ruins of the burned
piers today searching for bodies. The
marine underwriters, the authorities Of
Hoboken and the steamship authorities
are all making an investigation 10 dis
cover the origin Of the fire IL the
have discovered the real cause they
have not yet made IL public The com
mon report Is that the bale NJ cotton
witch ives frs' aiscOvsr flames.
was set on fire by spontaneous COM
bustion, although Il Is possible that
some one may have carelessly thrown
lighted cigarette or cigar among the
cotton. Smoking however, was strict
ly prohibited among the workmen on
the pier.
AS yet no definite idea Is obtainable
as TO the extent Of the loss 10 the in
surance companies but II may be safe
ly estimated that the marine insurance
alone will not be below S. 00O, 600. Prac-
tlcall. every one Of the score or 40 Of
marine companies Is more or less af-
fected, the fire being almost altogether
Of marine risk character
The search for bodies on the Saale Is
attended with much difficulty. The yes
sells upper deck Is awash aft and her
bow Is seven feet I'm mud II is believed
that there are many bodies In the stoke
holes and 20 reach that part OF the ships
gangs Of men are at work breaking up
and removing cargo and removing iron
gratings which bar the way. As soon
as the cargo and iron work are removed.
the Saale viii be pumped out and float
ed. The fire Is still burning IN the hull
Of the Main. The vessel carried a crew
Of 1877 men, Of whom about rs have been
accounted Tor. The reports as TO the