Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1900-07-02
SATURDAY NIGHTS. STORY.
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doomed as the flames had already be-
come so fierce on the north side of
the pier that no tug could approach
the vessel.
Then, by a shift of the wind. the
flames were sent in the direction of
pier ]. which was to the south end of
pier >.
To the north of pier ] was the dock
of the Hamburg American Line. at
which the steamship Phoenicia, twin
screw passenger steamer of 6I6l gross
tons, was locked. The flames got a
good head on the Phoenicia. and she
was towed into mid stream ablaze.
The fire had by this time become sol
fierce that the officials of the Hamburg
American Line decided that the only
way to prevent a total destruction of
their great pier was to blow up the side
of the dock at which the Phoenicia lay
and this was done.
A number of barges locked at the
pier also took fire, but in the effort to
save other property no attention was
paid to them and they We're allowed to
burn.
In less than a half hour after the ire
was discovered the river WIS dotted
with burning craft and presented a
grand spectacle.
1t is feared the loss of life in the lr.ds
of the vessels was frightful as it is said
that many of the crews who Were asleep
at the time were imprisoned there.
The worst tale will come from tts
steamship Main, which was unable to be
| lowed from the pier. This vessel had
only arrived in the morning, and some Of
/ the passengers were still on board. and
when the cry of Fire was raised. a
| number of them We're seen 10 run to the
| burning decks. Most of tnem jumped
| overheard, and, save for the few who
We're picked up by the tugs, not one has
been heard from. although every. hotel
! ana hospital in the city of Hobollen IS
| crowded with injured. Some OF the pas
sengers on the Main tried to escape to
the pier. and il was almost certain that
| they persisted in the flames.
| There was a general panic on each of
the ships. Many persons jumped over
| board, and the water for some distance
! along the docks was lined with people.
| They Were clinging TO the piers and even
| TO the rudderS Of the burning vessels.
Some were picked up. Many We're
! drowned.
| Peter quinn. a justice of the peace in
Hoboken, tells a story of having seen at
least 80 people perish. He said:
Il was standing on the end of one Of
| the Hamburg American Line piers, and
saw about 80 people crowded under pier
No of the North German Lloyd. They
! were calling to some of the passing tugs.
but their appeals were III vain. and when
the flames got near them they dived into
the water. There was assistance near
them al the time ana | believe every one
| was either drowned or persisted i'll the
names"
About 200 people were rescued at the
Hamburg American Line pier They
| were much overcome from exhaustion.
but soon revived with stimulants.
The saving of the great Kaiser Wilhelm
der Crosse was attended with exciting
Incidents. 1t seemed as if it would never
| be-, able to get her clear. and the fire was
spreading so rapidly that it threatened
at almost any moment to break out on
the big ships. The great hawSers. in the
confusion could not be handled well, and
axes were brought into use to chop them.
releasing the vessel. She was towed out
into lnidstream and then TAR up the river
Her bows We're slightly burned.
Five minutes after the fire broke out
a women jumped from one of the ships
in a vain effort to reach the water. The
flames drove her from the ship and she
plunged heedlessly in the direction IN
which it seemed that safety lay she
leaped into a burning lighter alongside
the ship who still stood by the doomed
vessel saw her and realized what would
be her fate. he plunged down after her,
hoping TO drag her out OF me nufn ing
within a couple of seconds and both
went down into the flames in the lighter
and persisted.
counted for by the shifting of the wind:
| When the fire first broke out the wind
was blowing strongly from the south.
| This drove the flames across to the pier
above Che one on which it started. WITH
in a few moments the wind shifted al
most directly 10 the opposite point. II,
der the great pavilion on the land entl
the flames were soon IN apsolute control i
Had not the recourse to dynamite been
| taken to destroy the Hamburg Line pier
the flames might have gone on. All me
tireboats and tugs in the haroor Wouiu
not have stopped it then.
The flames in the cotton kept the hre
! AT an intense heat and the nremen sur
fered greatly Again and again II seemed me-
as if they must abandon the tsht. me 1,
| vantage points from which they could
attack the flames were few ana thelr Ell
| forts We're necessarily hampered.
| An idea of the intensity OF the neat
was given by the fact that steamship
| tirenen men who are used to WORKING
in the tireroom OF a vessel. supp1 ,s,,,, ~
be the hottest place. where any human
being works. fell back from the work OF
| lighting the flames, overcome by III"
| heat .
| and were rescued and but slightly in
| jurcd say that when others who We're
| caught between the fire ana the water
| saw death coming they went insane.
Men babbed of home and friends during
the few brief moments that they and the
others faced death. The fear of the fur
| mace which IaE between lnefi ana the
Hand bereft them of their senses.
! There were acts of cowardice as well
as heroism. Men chung to others and re-
| fused to let go. even though the act
meant death to both. one of the sur
yivors was seized by another man who
chung to him frantically and refused to
| let go The man who was later saved
had to beat his companion into insensi-
hilitv before he could loosen his hold ana
plunge into the water
| The loss of their hose crippled the Ho-
boken firemen. When they reached the
the pier on which il started. They got
their lines out on the two adjoining ana
even ran their apparatus out TO pump
from the river. When the Hames spread
the hose on the piers was lost. Some. OF
the apparatus narrowly escaped being
consumed and as 1t was one hose cart
anGits horse were burned.
Later Jersey city stripped itself OF an
the hose possible and sent it TO the to-
bolxens bremen in wagon for use. WITH
this streams We're later gotten on the fre..
but it was then under control, having
burned itself out.
Some of the firenien of hook ana ladder
truck of Jersey City. had a narrow es-
cape They had gotten. out as far as
they could on the pier to the south OF
the blazing docks and were endeaVorinS
to recover bodies OF persons who might
have gotten under it. N'TheKe was burst