New-York tribune., 1900-07-02
THOUSANDS AT FIRE SCENE
POLICE STRICT IN KEEPING PEOPLE
OFF THE BURNED AREA.
A CONFLICT OF AUTHORITY L4iTwEEN
FIRE AND POLICE OFFICIAIs-REIIC
HUNTERS OFT IN FORCE


When daylight broke yesterday morning it
dawned upon scene of utter desolation- What
a comparatively few hours before had been a
splendid system OF wharyes and substantial
buildings covering at least five acres Of space
nothing but devastated area OF
charred timber, fallen brick and masonry and
still smoking ruins. With the rising Of the sun
the full extent Of the disaster. so far as property
loss was concerned, became even more apparent
than when the large expanse of rolling flames
could be literally termed field of fire.
Save for the blackened piles which thrust their
heads few feet above the surface OF the river.
not so much as a plank remained of the spacious
and splendidly equipped piers, one of which-the
Thingvalla pier-was reputed 10 be the largest
in the country. CampbelTs stores. a massive
building several stories in height. and occupying
almost a full block of ground. a vast mound
Of red hot brick and smodering beams. Half
dozen stationary hoses were still playing upon
the ruins but for all that there was left of an
iniammabe character they might we'll have
been idle
Palmer Campbell. of the owners of the
stores. computed the value of the building TO
be $4,000, and the contents and stores. much
Of which in bond, at $130Oo10
Tons of fire eaten logs and huge wooden sup
ports floating between the piles testified TO the
course of the wind directed the flames out over
the river, the houses along River-st facing the
wharves, were scorched. window frames and
doorways were warped, and windows either
broken or cracked by the intensity of the heat
PEOPLE KEPT AWAY.
No one was allowed to approach the destroyed
piers. Orders were given to the police to keep
all persons no matter what plea they gave.
froD
in the region of the fire. Nev-York newspaper
men were not admitted. and were told that their
fire badges didn't go in Hoboken" ." The strict
ness with which the police carried out their
orders led to many wordy encounters between
the officers and people whose business made it
imperative that they should be allowed within
the fire lines
In the afternoon the newspaper men. who had
been barred out in common with the thousands
of stghtseers who thronged to Hoboken through
out the day, waited upon Chief Donovan of the
Hoboken police. When the situation was ex-
planned to him he sent word to his captains that
the reporters should be allowed 70 have as many
facilities as possible for the gathering of news.
But. like the fire badges, this verbal instruction.
in the words of the Hoboken policeman. didn't
60 Finally Chief Donovan, whose courtesy
and consideration for every one throughout the
trying times of Saturday night was unfailing
through the lines.
The attitude taken by the police led to clash
between Captain Hayes who was in charge of
the force on duty, and Chief Applegate. Of the
Hoboken Fire Department. high official of
the Newark Fire Department journeyed in to
view the scene of the fire He applied for ad-
mission within the lines, and was refused. His
badge was pronounced to be no good in Ho-
boken. The Newark official sent his card in to
Chief ApPlegate by fireman. The Chief went
out to the street and invited the Newarker in
side. The police refused 20 let him pass.
a CLASH OF AUTHORITY
Captain Hayes backed up his men. Chief Ap-
plegate insisted that the official pass through
and go where ne pleased and that any one else
he wished TO admit should pass. The police
obdurate. Chief Appegate claimed abso-
lutte jurisdiction over the burned area. and
where it was needful that his men should work
or carry their hose. The police captain con-
tended that the police were paramount. Neither
officer in a state of mind calculated to
make him diplomatic, and the exchange of views
was highly interesting Threats of preferment
of charges were exchanged. Finally the per
sistence of the FireChief prevailed. and the
Newark official passed inside the lines.
The relic hunters. abounded in Hoboken yes
terday. Watchmen and gatekeepeTs at the
piers received offers of money for any kind OF
a grewsome souvenir. Near the ferries many
fakirs made money in selling relics which
were specially made to meet the demand
Scores of searching parties in small boats
were in the neighborhood of the docks through
out the day The graphing irons which were
used brought to the surface large quantity of
sunken goods and baggage. But, far as
could be ascertained. bodies were recovered
nv these searchers. AS the tide on the turn
when the victims of the catastrophe jumped into
the water to escape the more horrible fate Of
being burned to death, it is believed that their
hodfes were carried upstream, and that when
they rise they will come to the surface above
Twenty-third-st. unless they drifted into the
central current and caught the flood tide run
ming out.
RELATIVES JOIN THE SEARCH.
Relatives and friends of the missing employed
boatmen to row them to the part of the river
near the docks. in hope OF finding bodies whIe
large numbers of other boatmen searched for
the dead speculation
From early morning until darkness set in the
neighhorhood Of the fire visited by steam
Yachts. Picking their way slowly through the
masses of floating wreckage. the yachts were
steered as close TO the pier line as was consist
ent with safety, and the occupants surveyor
the ruins with glasses
The mon of the Bremen Saale and Main who
escaped injury were provided with accommoda-
ton at the numerous hotels and taverns
for which Hoboken is famed, BY the pursers
of the three ships money was advanced to the
men to supply themselves with food until their
disposition is determined on. As the crews
were signed in Germany, the North German
IIovd Company will he obliged to carry the