Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1900-07-03
LINERS BURN.
North German Lloyd Docks
Destroyed by Fire.
MANY PEOPLE PERISH.
The Passengers aud Crews of Steamers
Burned Up Like Rats-Firemen
Lose Their Lives-Property
Loss is Ten Million.

| New York, July -Four hundred
people-perhap many more-lost their
lives in fire that destroyed steam
ships, piers and warehouses to the va,-
ue of S1o,00o,0OO in Hoboken Saturday
afternoon.
The Saale. the Main and the Brem-
en-, of the North German Lloyd line.
were burned to the waters edge. Three
piers of the Lloyd line and the five
great Campbell storage warehouses
were consumed. The Phoenicia, of the
Hamburg-American line, and the Kais-
er Wilhelm der Crosse, pride of the
Lloyd line, barely escaped destruction.
Cut off from shore by walls of fire,
that were being driven towards them
at fearful speed by high wind, the
men and women on the pier and on
the boats-laborers, passengers and
sailors-faced the alternative of death
by fire or by water, all within few
hundred feet of safety.
The heat was so great that rescue
was almost impossible, and even the
firemen We're repeatedly in imminent
danger.
The fire defed the efforts of engine
and hose companies and fire tugs. and
nothing could block its path until the
pier of the Hamburg-American line
was blown up by dynamite.
The vessels attacked by the flames
were one after the other towed away,
but four OF them burned SO furiousiv
that they did mot stop until above the
water line, they being nothing but
charred masses. Sailors asleep in the
holds had no rescue. Passengers on
deck persisted by the score.
The pit of water and fire was one of
the most fearful scenes of the destruc-
tion of human life that New York has
ever witnessed.
The total direct property loss is
roughly estimated at $10,OO0,00O. This
will be vastly increased when the loss
of business consequent upon the stop
page of the great industry represented
by the docks, warehouses and liners
is computed.
From what can be learned the
flames started among a large pile Of
cotton bales on pier of the North
German Lloyd Steamship Company and
spread with such remarkable rapidity
that in fifteen minutes the entire prop
erty of the company, taking in over a
third of mile Of water front, and
consisting of three great piers, was
completely enveloped in a huge blaze
that sent clouds of smoke high up into
the air.
The flames started so suddenly and
gained such headway that the people
on the piers and on the numerous
vessels docked We're unable to reach
the street.
There were great gangs of workmen
on the piers, and these together with
4 number of people 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 a great
number-of people were drowned.
Clearing Up the Wrecks.
New York, July 2.-Divers and
are still hard at work on the
burned North German Lloyd steamers.
L lie 1uJuIcu III Lie HOSplldlS are rel
ted as doing well this morning but sew
eral are not yet out of danger. At po-
lice headquarters in Hoboken, up to 10
o'clock this morning inquiries have
been made for thirty-two persons who
are missing. The Marine underwrit-
ers, the authorities of Hoboken and
the steamship authorities are all MAX
ing an investigation to discover the
origin of the fire. The common report !
is that the bale of cotton which was
first discovered in flames was set on
fire by spontaneous combustion altho
it is possible some one may have care
essly thrown lighted cigar among
the cotton.
Up to 3 o'clock this afternoon forty |
bodies had been recovered from the
waters of the river Bodies are being
picked up almost every half hour and
1t the turn of the tide this afternoon
t is believed there will be many more
bodies brought to the surface. Most
IF the bodies recovered are so blacken-
ID, shrivelled up and distorted that it
nay be seen the dying must have suf-
;ered terrible agony.