The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1900-07-01

~ olA peIoIe they realized their
awful position. The people on the niers
jumped into the water to save themselves.
and scores Of men huddled under the piers
ciinging to the supports only 90 he spffo-
cated by the flames or to drop back in;o
the water from exhaustion.
Men working in the holds of~tbe fonr
steamships We're shut in by walls of flame.
ana 1t was impossible to reach them II
probably never will be known how many
men perished in the ships, as the flames
would leave but few, if any, remnants Of
the human body.
Holocaust on the SaaIe.
The greatest loss of life epnears ia have
been on the Saale. She carried $50 people.
and was to have sailed for Boston this
afternoon When the police boat captain
went out with his resculng party. he
saw bodies lying all around tie deck. The
steamship Bremen carried crew of 200
men, and the Main 80, and If as many
lVes We're lost as or the Saaie. the num-
Der OF dead will be very great.
The burning or smoulderng remains of
canal boats, lighters and barges are scat
tered all the way down the river and bav
to Staten Island and Governors Island.
Each of these craft will add something
to the list of the dead.
Estimate of the Loss.
The loss to the North German LLOYD
docks alone is placed at s2.oOO,CO0.
The value of the great quantities Of cot
ton, oil and various other merchandise on
the docks has not been estimated at This
time The loss to the North German
Lloyd Steamship Company alone will
probably come close to the 10000 o0O mark.
as the Bremen the Main and the saale
were almost totally DESTROYED. The Eai-
ser Wilhelm was somewhat damaged.
TIE five stoGehouses of the Camnlell
Company were greatly damaged, the loss
on one building alone being placed at
$1,500O00. The damage to the Hamburg
American Line steamer Phoenicia is not
known, but this will swell the amount OF
damage.
The Thingvalla nic= was da-~--~~ and
burned ard the dock of the Hamburg.
American Llne suffered greatly. num-
ber of small buildings in Hoboken were
destroyed at one of the wharves, with
their contents, hut no idea of the value of
these can be obtained. The amount Of
insurance carried cannot be Learned.
Up to 2 o'clock twenty-five bodies had
/, been recovered.
Started in Cotton.
From what can be learned tonight the
flames started in large pile of cotton
bales on pier @ of the North German
Lloyd Steamship Company, and spread
with such remarkable rapidity that in fif-
teen minutes the entire property Of the
company, taking in over a third of a mile
Of water front, and consisting of three
great piers, was completely enveloped in
a huge blaze that sent great clouds of
smoke high up into the air.
The flames started so suddenly and gain
ed such headway that the people on the
enormous piers and the numerous vessels
cooked were unable to reach the street.
There were great gangs of workmen on
the piers and these together wi h num-
her of people who were at the docks on
business ana visiting the ships, scattered
in all directions. AS all means of exit were
cut off by the flames they were forced 10
jump overheard, and no doubt a great
number of people were drowned.
At the docks of the North German
Lloyd were the Saale, single screw pas
senger steamship of 1866 gross tons; the
Bremen, twin screw passenger and
freight of ,526 tons, and the Main, twin
screw freight and passenger OF 1000 gross
tons They all caught fire and were
burned 10 the waters edge. The Kaiser
Wilhelm der Crosse, which had just come
in. was the only one of the four big yes
sels at the dock that escaped.
The fire was first discovered by a
watchnan on the pier at o'clock. lie
saw a small streak of flames shoot from
hale of cotton on pier No. 2 at which was
docked the steamer Saale- He imme-
diately sent in an alarm.
Flames Spread Fnst.
In a few minutes the flames had e%-
tended to the steamship and were COM
ynnnicated to the adjoining pier on the
,1orfh Here were docked the Kaiser Will
helm der Crosse and the Main. rugs
we're Immediately made fast to the nig
Kaiser Wilhelm der Crosse, and she was
cor out into midstream with SAFETY ni-
though badly scorched at the bows Inc
steamship Main, however, was doomen' as
the flames had already become so lerce
on the north side Of the pier that no Jug
could approach the vessel. Then oy a
shift in the wind, the flames were sem
in the direction of pier No. l. which was was
n the south end of pier No. 2. 10 m mthe
north of pier No /, was the dock OF the
Hamburg- American Line, at which tne
steamship Pheenicia, a twin screw pas
seneer steamer of 676l gross tons was
docked. The flames got good ho,o on,
the Phoenicia, and she was toweo OUT
into midstream ablaze. ...,.,, ,
The officials Of the Hamburg Amer can ~
Line then decided that the only way 70
prevent a total destruction OF their gres. sra.
1,ier was TO blow up the side OF the COCK
~ which the Phoenicia lay, ana TINS was
Sone A number Of barges. docked AZ tne
nier also took fre but In the euorl 'S
Save save other property, no attention was pa'o
10 then and they we're allowed 10 ourn,
7, is feared that the loss OF Ire IN tne ,e
hold Of vessels was frlghtful ana y !.
said that many Of the crews VINO "e''