The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1900-07-05
HOBOKEN'S HORROR.
Fire Wipes Out North Ger
man Lloyd Piers.
APPALLING LOSS OF HUMAN LIFE.
Property Damage May Reach s1O.-
Oo0.ooo-Threc ocean Liners Burn-
ed. One Badly Damnged-Other
Valuable Property Destroyed.


NEW YORK. July 2.-The losses sus-
tanned In the horrible confiagration at
the docks of the North German Lloyd
Steamship company in Hoboken Satur-
day night are conservatively placed at
between $1,000. 600 and S10.O000OO. The
| loss of life, while merely guesSwork at
even this late hour. will reach probably
as high as $50. and there are over 800
men in the hospitals in this city. Ho-
boken and Jersey City badly burned.
Seventy-eight bodies have already been
recovered from the North river. They
were scared and manned beyond recOg-
milton.
The scene Of the great fire presents a
spectacular but horrible sight Over in
Hoboken. where two days ago piers
reaching hundreds of feet out into the
river and rising in the air like great hills
stood. alive with outgoing and incoming
commerce, mammoth waste OF burning
and smoldering beams, with here and
there an occasional remnant Of a high
brick wall, are all that remains Of the
hundreds OF thousands of dollars worth
Of property. The three immense piers Of
the North German Lloyd line are burned
to the waters ripple The Thingvalla
pier also llts sllOlUtIluE ITOUl inc same
fate. and a part OF the Hamburg Ameri-
can pier, which had just been added to
their great pier city, was In ruins.
-Four large Storehouses of the Palmer
Campbell company are wrecked, and
they. with the piers. go to make up the
appalling mass of debris that lies smok-
ing. sizzling and Steaming over across
the North river. IL covers over four city
"a irf . 81 fpr
over 900 feet.
The property loss can simply be ap-
proximated at this time. None Of the
officials around the docks could give any
thing like a precise estimate of their
losses and none was prepared TO make a
statement on this point. \ conservative
estimate, made by a prominent fire un-
derwriter, places the entire damage at
below SlOO00,OOO.
The warehouses of Palmer Campbell
which We're across the street from the
North German Lloyd docks. suffered
greatly. and n number OF houses along
the street were scorched badly. The num-
ber of smaller buildings along the water
front not directly under the control Of
the steamship companies cannot be learn
ed. but il is said that there were num-
Der of express offices for smaller COM
panies. One of those is reported to have
lost over $4,000 worth of horses and
wagons.
The loss on the steamship properties
and TO other companies IL estimated ap-
proximately as follows:
The steamship Main Of the North Ger
man Lloyd line cost 81 ,500.0 900 outside Of
the cargo, fitting and stores. The loss is
placed at Sl.200.OO0 for the vessel and
about 100000 for the fitting and stores
and cargo that were aboard her.
The steamship Bremen OF the North
German Lloyd line cost 81 go. 900. and
her fitting and cargo were valued at
S3OO,OOO. The cargo and stores were en-
tirely consumed. and the loss TO the YES
sci proper will amount TO at least $780,
600. She is beached off Weehawken and
still smoldering, apparently destroyed
save her machinery.
The Saale. the steamship which will
have the most horrible story OF death 70
unfold when the divers go down in her.
cost the North German Lloyd company
Sl,250,O00, and the fitting and cargo were
valued a 100000. The Saale is beach.
ed at Ellis island and still burning. The
damage to the vessel proper is placed at
about SS00,OO0.
The damage done to the Kaiser Will
helm der Crosse is estimated at S25 900.
The three docks Of the North German
Lloyd line which were burned TO the
waters edge are estimated to have cost
S3oO,OOO The docks were well filed with
merchandise just received from abroad
and valued at S35000O.
The Thingvalla pier, which was entire
ly consumed, was valued at $4,000.
counting the stores which We're on il.
The Hamburg American line dock,
which had just been completed as an ex-
tension 10 their great pier and which was
destroyed in order 10 prevent the spread
Of the flames, was damaged TO the ex-
tent Of $4,000. This was the only loss
they sustained. as the steamer Phpnicia.
contrary 10 reports, was not even scorch-
ed
Eight bargcs and IL canalboats were
either burned or sunk. with their cargoes,
total valuation $4,000.
The Hoboken Shore railroad had a
number of cars burned and other proper
~ damaged, total loss $1,000
Minor losses on floating property burn
ed M the fire proper or set on, fire by
burning driftwood will amount to about
$4,000.
The personal losses sustained by those
aboard the steamships can simply be sur
missed, as there is no way Of ascertaiuing
this al the present time.