The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1900-07-06
A FEARFUL
HOLOCAUST.
200 Men and Women Roasted Alive in Hoboken
Fire.

In tow of tugs the Saale and the Bre
men were dragged into the stream, one
a fierce mass of flames, which went lick
ing up masts and tunnels; the other with
tire bursting from every part of the
overhead structure.
In the engine and fire room of the
Bremen about thirty persons were i'm
prisoned. Some of these managed TO
escape, but nineteen men were imprison-
ed IN this compartment while working
the bllge pumps. All afternoon and un-
til late tonight fire-boats were pouring
streams of water into the hold of the
Bremen, which these unfortunates were
compelled to pump out in order to pre-
vent death from drowning. Tonight
rescurers are at work with cold chisels
IN an effort to penetrate the steel bulk
head which confines the gallant nine
teen.
The Bremen was beached tonight on
the Jersey fats.
The Saale, accompanied by fleet of
blazing barges and lighters, drifted
down the stream with the ebbing tide,
her escort of fire blisted tugs hotly at
work with such hose as they could bring
to bear on the burning ship.
Tonight the Saale is a total wreck.
How many of her crew perished cannot
now be determined. but only thirty
seven men were rescued out of a total
force of about 125 or $50.
The steamship Main was burned at
her pier in Hoboken. the tugs being un-
able to haul her from the scene of the
original fire.
Meanw hile, the flames had spread
from the North German Lloyd piers in
Hoboken to adjoining warehouses, fac
tories and wharves.
The local firemen were overwhelmed
by the magnitude of the fire, and but
for the assistance rendered by the fire.
boats from New York the property dam
age would have been much greater.
Dynamite was freely used to check the
progr ess of the flames, and this expedi-
ent probably saved the city of Hoboken.
At dusk the whole water front was
still ablaze, but at this hour (midnight)
the fire is under control.
The steamships Main and Saale had
been chartered by the Christian Endeav-
or Society to carry 300 of its members tt
London.
The Losses.
New YORK, July 1.-The fearful havoc
to life and property caused by the fire
which broke out at the docks of the
North German Lloyd Company in Ho
boke1 yesterday cannot be approxima
ted with any degree of certainty Con
servative people who have had expert
ence along the docks think that moi
more than 200 lives were lost
One of the officers of the steamship
Bremen said to day that there were fully
200 visitors on board that vessel when the
fire touched there, the majority of then
being women. A boat was lowered
from the Bremen shortly after the alarm
had been given, but the craft capsizeC
as it touched the water and all hands
were precipitated into the water ant
none Of them were saved by those re
naming on the vessel. This in itsel
would indicate that the list of the deaC
may be larger than it was at frs
thought to be.
The property loss can simply be ap
proximated at this time. None of the
officials around the docks could Civ
anything like precise estimate of thei
losses.
A conservative estimate made by
prominent fire underwater places tn,
entire damage at less than S10,0O0,0O0.
tits feared that some of the Christian
Endeavorers who were to have sailet
from Boston Tuesday for Southampton
on the Saale may have lost their lives
1t was said to day that some of thes
people had come to this city to inspec
the ship, which had been chartered T.
take 300 of them to England, that the
were on board her when the flames brok
out on the pier.
Many people are believed to hav
jumped overheard and were drowned t
escape being roasted to death on tn
three steamers and on the docks.
A Horrible Sight.
The scene of the great fire to-day pre-
: sented spectacular but horrible sight
Over in Hoboken. where two days ag
piers reached hundreds of feet out int
the river, alive with outgoing and il
I coming commerce, lies great waste G
burning and smoldering beams, wit
here and there remnant of hig
brick wall, all that remains of the hnI
dreds of thousands of dollars worth {
property.
. Faced Death For Twelve Hours.
: At 4 o'clock this morning ninetee
3 men. machinists and firemen, we're take
off the steamship Bremen, after havin
I been held very close bound, with deaf
r staring them in the face, for near
/. twelve hours. They we're brougf
y ashore on tugs and taken care of
: hotels near to the company's charre
property.
Forty Roasted Together.
E When the burned and scuttled Saa
!. is pumped out it is believed that II
e bodies of many people who perishe
;. below her main deck will be recovere,
!, Some Of those penned in by the fam,
). we're alive when the steamship ";
e towed to the Jersey fats, north OF Ell
4 Island. Through the open deai
:, lights or port holes the poor creatur,
appealed for help several times befor
e the vessel was scuttled in the upp
e works. The port holes being less tia
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