The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1900-07-05
PIERS and BIG SHIPS BURN
Victims Were Cut Off From All Possible
Escape'--Property Loss Of Steam.
ship Company Will Aggre'
gate Sle,eee,M.

A New York special says: Almost
$4,000, 900 worth OF property was de-
stroyed, many lives were lost, many
persons were injured and at least 1900
lives were imperiled by fire that
started among cotton bales under pier
8 of the North German Lloyd Steam
ship Company in Hoboken, N. j., at
o'clock Saturday afternoon.
L, In less than fifteen minutes the
flames covered an area quarter of q
mile long, extending outward from the
actual shore line to the bulkheads,
from 600 to 1000 feet away, and lad
ignited four great ocean liners and a
dozen or more smaller harbor craft in
its grasp.
Stories in regard to the loss of life
Immediately after the fire were con.
fcting, the number being variously
estimated from fifty to two hundred.
Up to midnight Saturday night ten
bodies bad been recovered, but they
were so badly burned that Identification
was impossible.
The hospitals in New York, Hobo
ken and Jersey City are crowded with
the injured.
From what can be learned the flames
started among large pile of cotton
bales on pier of the North German
Lloyd Steamship company and spread
with such rapidity that in fifteen min
utes the entire property Of the COM
pany, covering over a mile of water
trout and consisting of three great
piers, was completely enveloped in
flames.
The people on the piers and on the
numerous vessels docked were unable
to reach the street. There were great
gengs of workmen on the piers and
these, together with number of peo-
pie who were at the docks on business
and visiting the ships, scattered in all
directions. As all means of exit were
cut off by the flames, they were forced
to jump overheard, and it is believed
. great number were drowned.
At the docks of the North German
Lloyd were the Saale, single screw
passenger ship of 1865 gross tons;
the Bremen, twin screw freight and
passenger ship of 10, 526 tons, and the
Msin, twin screw freight and passen-
ger ship of 10,200 gross tons. They
ell caught fire and were burned to the
waters edge. The Kaiser Wilhelm
der Crosse, which had just come in,
was the only one of the four big YES
sells at the docks that escaped.
The loss of the crews of these yes
sells is said to reach one hundred.
The steamship Ssale had been towed
down the river until it was just off
Fort Liberty, where she had gathered
about her ring of fireboats and tugs,
all fighting to save at least her hull.
Atvarying distances about the burn
ing ship lay coal and cotton barges, all
ablaze, each with one or more tugs
playing water upon it. Some of these
barges and lighters were loaded with
very infammable stuff, and the flames
leaped high in the air, while the heat
was SO terrific that it WAS not possible
to use the small hose of the tugs.
Along the Jersey shore small fires
were blazing, started by the wreckage
from the great ships.
On the New York side of the river
the fire caused the greatest excitement
as the drifting steamships foated,
all aflame, to the shore and brushed
against the piers from Canal to Muir
ray streets. The fire department was
called out at various points, and the
spectacle was presented of the fire.
men on shore trying to fight fires
at every minute changing their situa-
ton.
There were hundreds of men on each
of the destroyed steamships and few
women. Crowds of dock laborers and
also employees of the companies we're
on all the piers. Men, women and
children were on the canal boats, and