, 1900-07-02
IAN APPALLING FIRE
DOCKS, PIERS, STEAMBOATS, AND
BUILDINGS AT HOBOKEN
BURNED.
Hundreds of People Perish in the
Flames and by Drowning and Mil
lions of Dollars Worth of Proper
ty Destroyed-Fire Started Among
Cotton Bales on Dock.

New York, June 3O.-Above $10,-
100000 worth of property was destroy
ed, many lives lost, many persons in
jured and at least 1,5OO lives imperilled
by a fire that started among the cotton
bales under pier Nc. 3 of the North
German Lloyd Steamship ompany in
Hoboken, N. j., at 4 O'Clock this after
noon. In less than Is minutes the
flames covered an area a quarter of a
mile long, extending outward from the
actual shore line TO the Bulkheads,
from 600 to 1000 feet away, and had
caught four great ocean liners and a
dozen or more smaller harb0r craft in
its grasp.
From what can be learned the flames
started among a large pile of cotton
bales on pier 2 of the North German
Lloyd Steamship company and spread
with such rapidity that in Is minutes
the entire property Of the company.
taking in over a third of a mile of wa
ter front and consisting of three great
piers, was completely enveloped in
fire.
The flames started so suddenly and
gained such Roadway that the people
on the piers and on the numerous yes
sells docked were unable to reach the
street. There were great gangs of
workmen on the piers, and these, to-
gether with the number of people 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 foced to jump over
board, and it is believed a great num-
Der Of people were drowned.
At the docks of the North German
Lloyd were the Saale, a single screw
passenger steamship of 1895 gross
tons; the Bremen, a twin screw pas
senger and freight steamer of 10, 526
tons, and the Maine, a twin screw pas
senger and freight steamship of TO-
500 gross tons. All caught fire and
burned to the waters edge. The Kali
ser Wilhelm der Crosse, which had just
come in, was the only one Of four big
vessels at the dock that escaped.
The loss of the crews of these vessels
is said to reach 100.
The fire was first discovered by a
Waterman on the pier at 4 o'clock. He
saw a small streak Of fame shoot from
a bale of cotton on pier No. 2, at which
was locked the steamer Saale. He i'm
mediately sent in an alarm. In a few
minutes the flames extended to a ship
and communicated to the adjoining
pier north. Here were locked the Kali
ser Wilhelm der Crosse and the Maine.
Tugs Immediately made fast to the big
Kaiser Wilhelm der Crosse and she was
gotten out into midstream with safety,
although badly scorched at the bows.
The ship Maine was doomed. By a
shift in the wind, the flames were sent
in the direction Of pier No. 1, at the
south end of pier No. 2. To the north
of pier No. l was the dock of the Ham
burg-American line. at which the
steamship Phoenicia, a twin screw pas
senger steamer of 6,761 gross tons, was
locked. The flames got a good hold
Of the Phoenicia and she was towed to
midstream ablaze. The fire by this
time had become so serious that the
officials Of the Hamburg-American line
decided that the only way to prevent
the total destruction of the great pier
was to blow up the side 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 10 attention was paid
to them, and they were allowed to
burn.
It's feared the loss OF life in the
holds Of the vessels was frightful, a s it
is said many crews were asleep at the
time and imprisoned there.
The vessels only arrived this nor
ing, and some passengers were still on
board and a number were seen to run
to the burning decks. Most of them
jumped overheard, and, save for a few
picked up by tugs, not one has been
heard from, although every hotel and
hospital in the city Of Hoboken was
crowded with the Injured. Some of the
passengers Of the Maine tried to escape
to the pier and it is almost certain
persisted in the flames. There was a
panic on each Of the ships. Many per-
sons jumped overheard, and the water
for some distance along the docks was
lined with people. They were cllnging
to the piers and ever to the rudders Of
the burning vessels. Some were picked
up, but many we're drowned.