The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1900-07-01
Three Great Ocean Steam
ships DESTROYED.
LOSS WAS ENORMOUS.
The Piers Of the North German
L|oyds Entirely Consumed.
THE FIRE SPREAD RAPIDLY.
within Fifteen Minutes After Its Dis
coyery. Over Third of a Mile of
Water Front Was One Mass
Of fFiamcs-Kaiser Wilhelm
der Crosse Escaped,
Clearing Docks.
LOSS WAS ENORMOUS.
THE FIRE SPREAD RAPIDLY.

Clearing Docks.
NEW YORK. June Ss.-Almoss ten mi
lion dollars, worth of property was de-
stroyed, many. lives were lost, many per-
sons yers injured, and at least Low nses
were imperiled by fire that started among
cotton bales stored on Pier mo. OIL the
r1or.b German Lloyd Steamship Company,
in Hobokon, N. j., at 4 o'clock this alter
noon.
Il, ,ess than fifteen minutes the flames
covered an area quarter of mile long,
and had caught four great ocean hneEs
and a dozen or more smaller harbor craft.
Stories in regard TO the loss of life are
conflicting, ths number being variousiy es-
tirnated at from fifty to two hundred. Up
to midnight bodies had been recovered
bu: they were all so burned and blackened
that Identification was impossible. Inc nos
pitals in New York. HObOken and jersey
CITY are crowded with the injured, ana
men ara being brought in by scores.
The spectacle was witnessed by thou-
sands and thousands from both shores,
and by other thousands who crowded every
variety of river craft that could be Sc
cured
Along the Jersey shore small fires were
blazing. started. by the wreckage of the
fire from the big steamships Over on TINS
side of the river the fire caused the great.
est excitement, and drifting steamers and
barges all afame fioatea to this shore
and brushed against the piers at Canal
and Murray Streets. The fire department
was called out along the various sections.
There were hundreds of men on each OF
the destroyed steamships and few wo-
men Crowds of dock laborers and also
employees Of the companies We're all on
the 5iers Men, women and children were
pn the canal boats and men on the barges
and lighters, anc when the fire made its
ouick descent upon them escape was cut
nff before they realized their awful posi-
tion. The people on the piers jumped
into the water to save themselves, and
scores of men hnddled under the piers,
clinsing to the supports, only to oe sui
focated by the flames or to drop nack INTO
the water from exhaustion
Men working in-the holds of the tour
steamships were shut in by walls OF flames
and it was impossible to reach them 1t
probably never viii be known now many
per;shed in the ships, as the flames would
leave few, if any. remnants OF the human
bodies.
The greatest loss of life appears to have
| been on the Saale7 She carried 45o people,
~
Z and was to have sailed for Boston TINS
xeyening When the police boat captain
went out with his rescuing party ne sa"
Noodles lying all around the deck Ins ne
steamship Bremen carried crew oA 'oo
Men. and the Main 80. and If as many
1iySes were lost as on the Saaie, the num-
belN of dead will be very great.
Tthe loss TO the North German DOCKS
alone is placed at 100000 The value
of Me great quantities Of cotton, oil and
yariSus other merchandise on the docks
has Not been estimated. The loss to the
Mnrt 4, German LLOYD Steamship Company
alone\ will probably come close to s1o,oeo'-
foN Arhe five storehouses of the Camp
hell CAmpany Were greatly damaged. the
loss on 4,ne building alone being placed at
81, 800. .0oo.t
The ThAnsvala pier was burned and J, the n
dock of I the Har1burg-AInerican Line
suffered Areatly. A number OF small
buildings in Hoboken ere,destroyed at
one of the lwharves, with their contents,
but no ideai of the value of these can De
obtained the amount of insurance car
ried cannot bAe learned.
Up 10 9 O'Clock twenty-five bodies tad
been recovsreo4
From what dan be learned tonight the
flames started tamong a large pile of cot
ton bales in PiAr 2 of the North German
Lloyd steamship Company and spread
with such remarkable rapioity that with
in fifteen minuhes the entire proDerty,
.akin- in over a hhird of a mile of water
front, and consisting of three great Piers,
was completely enNISloped in huge blaze
that sent great CLOUDS of smoke up into
the air The flames started SO suddeniy
and gained such heatiway that tbs people
on the piers and on the numerous YES
sells docked Were urAahie TO reach the
street. There were gr}sat gangs of work
men on The piers and these, together
with a number OF peopis who were at the
docks on business and Nisiting the ships.
scattered IN all directions. AS all means
of exit were cut off by Athe flames they
were forced to jump ovegboard. and no
doubt great number people were
drowned.
At the docks of the North herman Lloyd
were the saaie. a single screw passenger
ship of 1856 gross tons: THE Bremen. a
twin screw passenger and fnetght steam
err of Io.536 tons. and the Main. twin
screw freight and passenger s;steamer of
1850 gross tons They all Taught fire
ard were burned TO the watersf edge The
Kaiser Wilhelm Der Crosse. N.hseh had
lust come in was the only ofle of the
four big vessels at the dock thai leseaped,
The fire was first discovered by 3wafch-
man on the pier at 4 O'clock. He aY
a small streak of flame shoot fronh a bale
OF cotton on Pier No. at whtsal was
docked the steamer Saaie. He Aimme-
diateiy sent in an alarm
WIND SHIFTED.
In few minutes the flames had ea-5
tended TO the steamship and were apna-
rnnicated 10 the adjoining pier. Here
were docked tbs Kaiser Wilhelm sler
Crosse and the Main. Tugs were imnAe-
aiately made fast 10 the big Kaiser VT "
helm der Crosse. and She was gotten ouf
into ,niastream wit safety. although,
bad,s scorefned at the bows The siean-s
shin Main. however. was doomed. as the
aannes had already become so fierce on
.t,e3 nortt, side OF the pier that no tug
could approach the vessel. Then by a
shift IN the wind the flames we're sent
In The direction of Pier 30. l. which was
n Tim south end of Pier 3 o. q TO the
norih al Pier No. q was the dock Of the
Han1burE Line, ut which the steamship
phnenIcia. q twin-scrsw passenger steam