New-York tribune., 1900-07-01
HoBoKEN FIREMEN CRIPPLED,

were burned. Later Jersey City stripped itself
of all the hose possible and sent it to Hoboken
in a wagon. With this streams were later got
on the fire. bat 1t was then under control, hav-
ing burned itself out.
The rapid spread of the flames after they
started in the cotton is largely ascribed to the
dust with which the pier sheds and rotunda were
covered. The dust arising from the many diff
ferent articles, such cotton, ascends ordinari-
ly, and settles upon the rafters and beams and
in every crevice. It is said to burn almost as
rapidly as tinder and it is believed it this
which caused that first awful rush Of fire which
engulfed the whole land end of the dock prop
erty 1t carried the flames to every portion of
the buildings in an instant and then the great
heat which developed made the work of destruc-
tion swift
ESPECIALLY HEAVY LOSS.
The destruction of the piers will be es-
pecially heavy loss to the steamship company,
as it had only just finished repairing, enarging
and improving it's terminal facilities
All of the hospitals in Hoboken and this city
are crowded with the victims of the fire. There
are scores of men burned badly that little
hope is entertained for their recovery. Hudson
Street Hospital has every patient that it
possibly take of, have also Bellevue.
ST Vincent's, and many of the hospitals further
uptown.
There were over two hundred taken to the
hospitals up to 10 o'clock last night and they
were still coming in by the scores. All kinds
| of vehicles were brought into requistion as am
balances. Saloons. stores, and any other build
| ing that happened to be open along the river
front were turned intb hospitals temporarily.
The fire practically burned itself out by 11:3O
o'clock. At that time all that remained inside
the burned area proper were the walls of the
Campbell Warehouse Companys building be-
tween the burning piers.
At 10 O'Clock the Main. which had been on
fire for several hours alongside her pier,
towed out into midstream, and the fireboats
and tugs trained additional streams on her. She
was still target for this battery of salt water
at midnight. From the length of time that she
burned the indications that she will be al
most total loss.
The flreboats Van Wyck and New Yorker gave
up the fight at 1880 O'Clock and steamed TO their
piers, The Van wyck went to her pier, at
Grand-st., in the East River. The New-Yorher
had hardly tied up at the Battery when she
was ordered to Thirty fourth-st and the North
River, where three alarm fire had broken out
The harbor police said the officials of the
steamship company feared the loss of the Bre-
| mems chief engineer and six Of his assistants
who were in their quarters forward at the time
the fire broke out, They thought the loss of
life had been greatest on the saale. They placed
the number at from thirty TO fifty. and said the
majority of the victims were employed as fire
men and coal passers
Captain William c. Braisted commanded the
New Yorker, and Captain Thomas F. Conley the
Van wyck
TAKEN OFF BY THE NEW-YORKER.
The New Yorker devoted her attention to the
Bremen and took off more than thirty members
Of her crew. She put into the Fall River Line
pier. New-York, with them. and they were dis
tributed among the downtown hospitals. Cap
tain Braisted then started out with the New
Yorker TO extinguish several smaller fires such
as boats from the Saale wreckage etc that
steamed by the saale there happened on the
doomed ship terrific explosion. Flames shot
upward forty feet, and il seemed as if the whole
upper part of the ship had been torn away.
The Saale was known to have a large quantity
of kerosene and other oils aboard, and this is
probably what exploded
representative Of the North German Lloyd
Company. speaking for General Agent schwab,
said late last night:
we consider the entire dock property and
the steamer Main a total loss, The Bremen and
saale still burning, and we have not yet
been able TO ascertain the extent of their dam
age. We can give no figures regarding the loss
| at this time The Kaiser Wilhelm der Crosse is
! but slightly damaged. and will sail on next
| Tuesday"
! 1t was believed In Hoboken last night that
| Father John o'Brien, a Catholic priest, had
been burned TO death or drowned. He was
board the saale with his mother when the fire
started, and neither has been heard from.
! Two hremen are said TO have perished on Pier
| No. 3. II was also reported that several fire.
men and a number of volunteers had lost their
lives at Campbelrs stores
The officers Of the stea nship Kaiser Wilhelm
der Crosse are:
! Captan-H. ENGELBART
/ First efhesr-G. ROLTE
| Second onneer-F, HAGEMEYER,
| Second ofieer--G, wENDIG.