The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1905-08-11

fIoboken, N j.. Aug So a. M
The worst fire which has swept the
Hoboken dock front since the North
German Lloyd holocaust of several
years ago broke out late tonight in
the Barclay street ferry house of the
New York & Hoboken Ferry Co., and
Jefore il was under control had de-
stroyed property to the value of more
than Sl,500,000. So far as can be
learned at this hour, mere mas been no
loss of life. but the fire department Of
ficials are not certain of this. as the
flames spread so rapidly that some
jersons who we're in the ferry house
at the time may have been cut off by
the flames. 1t was feared that the
flames would ex,end to the Hamburg
American dock and shipping to the
north, and fireboats and tugs from all
the steamship and towing lines in the
harbor were hurriedy called to the
scene and poured torrents of water
into the flames to prevent their spread
ing.
The list of destroyed property in
cludes the Delaware, Lackawanna 4
Western railroad depot. with its great
train sheds; the ferry house, with it's
accompanying sheds; the buildings of
the Public Service Corporation, in
which scores of street cars were stored,
and all of the private property facing
the ferry shed at the ferry entrance.
The train shed was one of the largest
along the water front, being 500 feet
long, 200 feet wide and containing nine
tracks Two ferryboats, the Hopat
cong and the Binghamton, caught Are
and we're burned to the waters edge,
drifting for more than a mile along
the river front and threatening ship
ping and dock property.
No one knows how the fire started.
In less than two minutes the ferry
house. depot and train shed were all
ablaze and people were running in all
directions in an effort to escape the
rapidly flying fire.
There we're 200 people in the ferry
house when the fire started. awaiting
in and shouted: Run for your lives!"
Almost at the same instant the
flames broke through the front of the
building, and there was mad rush for
the doors 1t is hoped that all got out
in safety, but this cannot positively be
determined until the ruins cool sufii-
ciently to permit their being searched.
Six hundred people who were in the
train shed rushed out in a panic, and
here all escaped.
General fire alarms were turned in.
and from all over Hoboken and Jersey
City engines were rushed to the scene,
while the fireboats from the New York
side raced for the blazing docks. With
in five minutes an enormous fire fight
ing force was on the scene, and the
work of trying to check the contiagra-
ton was under way. For hours 1t
seemed that the efforts of the firemen
would prove fruitless The strong wind
carried the fire through the vast struc-
lures. and the flames leaped hundred
feet in the air, while flying embers
were carried toward the New York
shore, setting structures on fire there.
BY midnight the entire yards of the
railway were in ruins. More than 200
passenger coaches that were shifted
into the yards during the day gone up
in smoke The railway station and big
ferry house were level to the ground,
and several buildings nearby were
gone.
Officials of the D., l.. & w. admitted
that the entire system would be almost
completely tied up for week at least.
The fiamss were utterly beyond con
troll during the first two hours, spread
ing from the station to the new sheds
of the street car company and to the
long line of offices used by the execu-
tive heads of the road to the south.
The flames leaped across the street in
front of the ferry house and caught in
the Duke House. one of the biggest
hotels; Cahilrs coffee warehouse and
many other buildings. Police ordered
all tenants to the street
The tugs swarmed about the two
burning ferry boats, and making fast
hawsers in the face of the blast fur
mace heat, the tugs drew the boats
from the slips into midstream. The
Hopatchong was towed up the North
river and the Binghamton to the south.
and fireboats poured water into the
hulls of both until they were nothing
but a mass of charred wood and Gin
ders Both were burned to the water
line, the iron and steel framework
alone standing above water
One hundred feet north Of the tre-
mendous blaze was the great Ham
burg American lines new pier, and
north of them the piers Of three other
big transatlantic lines. In these great
docks were ten ocean steamships.
With the great disaster of June 30
1900, still fresh in mind the officials
OF the four lines, the North German
y IlOvd Hamburg- A merican Holland