Virginian-pilot. (Norfolk, Va.) 1898-1911, 1900-07-01
MANY BURNED AND DROWNED
warehouses, Piers and Merchandise Food
for Flames Steamships saaIe, Bromen
and Maine Burned Tho Kaiser VIII
holm der Crosse saved-Escape to tho
Street Cut oT--Horrible Scenes us Men
and Women Leaped Into the Flames
Part Pier Blown Up to Stop Flames.
CRY Telegraph to Yirglnlan-Pilot.l

New York, June 30.-Almost ten mil
lion dollars worth OF property was
destroyed, many lives were lost, many
persons were injured, and at least $500
lives were imperilled by fire that start
ed among cotton bales stored on Pier
No. Of the North German Lloyd
Steamship Company, in Hoboken. N.
j., at o'clock this afternoon.
In less than fifteen minutes the
flames covered an area n quarter of Il
mile long, extending outward from the
actual shore line to the bullSheads
from 600 TO LOCO feet away, and had
caught four great liners and Il dozen
or more smaller harbor craft in its
grasp.
Stories in regard to the loss of life
are conflicting, the number being va
riously estimated ut from fifty to 200.
Up to midnight ten bodies had been
recovered. but they We're all so burn
ed and blackened that identification
was impossible.
From VIII a can be learned to- night
the flames started among u large pile
OF cotton bales on Pier No. 2 of the
North German Lloyd Steamship Com
pany, and spread with such remark
able rapidity that in fifteen minutes
the entire property of the company,
taking In over a third of n mile of
water 'front.' and consisting of three
great piers, was completely enVcloped
in Il huge blaze that sent great clouds
of smoke high up into the air. The
flames started so suddenly and gain
ed such headway tlhnt the people on
the piers and on the numerous yes
sells locked were unable to reach the
street. There were great gangs of
workmen on the piers. and these, to-
gether with a number OF people who
nt ho on h,IctnaSC a nd Wis
ting the ships scattered in all dircc-
lions. AS all means of exit were cut
off by the flames, they were forced to
jump overheard. and no doubt a great
number of people were drowned.
AT the docks for the North German
Lloyd were the Saale, a single screw
passenger steamship of 1906 gross
tons; the Bremen. n twin screw pas
senger and freight steamer of 1o,526
tons and the Maine, Il twin screw
freight and passenger steamship of 49,
200 gross tons. They all caught fire
and were burned to the waters edge.
The Kaiser Wilhelm Der Crosse, which
had just come In, was the only one of
the four big vessels at the dock that
escaped.
The fire was first discovered by
watchman on the pier ut o'clock. He
saw u small streak of flame shoot from
n hale of cotton on Pier No. 2. at
which WAS docked the steamer Saale.
He Immediately sent in an alarm.
The officials ef-tiic-t 8 rTrert-
can Line decided that the only way to
prevent q total destruction of their
great pier was TO blow up the side
Of the dock Mt which the Ehoenicia lay,
and this was done. A number of
barges locked at the pier also took fire.
but in the effort to save the other pro-
perty no attention was paid to them,
and they were allowed to burn.
ts fn1rpd TINT the loss nf life in
the hold of the vessels was frightful,
and II. is said that many OF the crews
who were asleep at the time were i'm
prisoned there. The worst tale will
come from the steamship Maine. which
was unable to be towed from the pier.
The vessel had only arrived this
morning and some passengers were
still on board. and when the cry OF
fire was raised number OF them We're
seen to run to the burning decks. Most
of them jumped overheard, and, save
for the few who were picked up by
the tugs. not one has been heard from,
although every hotel and hospital in
the city of Hoboken IS crowded with
injured.
Some of the passengers of the Maine
escaped to the pier and it was almost
certain that they would perish in the
flames. There was a panic on each Of
the steamships Many persons jumped
overheard, and the water for some dis
tance along the docks was lined with
people. They were clinging to the
piers and even to the rudders of the
burning vessels. Some were picked
up; many were drowned.
BY o'clock the three piers of the
North German Lloyd Steamship Com
pany had been burned to the ground.
The southern end of the Campbell Sto-
rage Company building, consisting of
five ive-story structures. caught fire
and flames shot from every window
from the two floors in but few min
5'Ttes The building. being filled mainly
with iute and whisky, burned rapidly.
The firemen were unable to go within
fighting distance, and the fire had
pretty much its own way there.
In these buildings great loss will be
Sustained.
The steamships Saale and Bremen,
-t.rior bling pulled free from the docks.
ucre towed ablaZe down the bay and
rsached off Liberty Island
On the Bremen, as she blaZed out in
z Upstream. six men could be seen with
tfNr heads out of port holes waving
Is ilstkerchiefs for assistance. Tug
N boas and small boats darted around
B theSig steamships making every eff
for1p save the men, but the terrible
Il henAom the flame kept them away.
f4f flSninutcs after the fire broke out
!. W @ WON jumped FROM one of the ships
IN effort to reaAh the water. The
S ,S,nn Seediessiy. IN se direction in
Wh'or Seemed tina tfety lay. She
!. &A