New-York tribune., 1905-08-08
FIRE SWEEPS HOBOKEN PIERS
Spreads from Lackawanna Ferryhouse to Boats and
Hamburg American Docks
VESSELS FLOAT UP RIVER
Blaze Originated Hold Of Febo Hpacon and Spread Like Despite
Tucks and Freboats-Busness Section Threatened

Within nine minutes, an hour before midnight,
a fire which threatened to devastate the entire
waterfront and business district of Hoboken had
done damage estimated at S75O,OO0 and an hour
later, when the fire was under control, the dam
age amounted. according to conservative esti-
mates. to more than $1,500000.
The fire vividly recalled the big fire at the
piers of the North German Lloyd Steamship
lost.
The fire started by explosion on the ferry
boat Hopatcong, which had been moored in the
lay up slip at the extreme northern end of the
property. 1t was within fifty feet of Pier No.
Of the Hamburg American Line. one of the two
fire. The of the explosion on board the
ferryboat may never be known. as- the boat is
entirely destroyed, after being towed up the
river and beached at Spuyten Duyvil
The ferryboat Hopatcong in a moment was
afre from water line to signal pole. Great
sheets of flame shot upward from her tunnels
and from every orifce in her upper works An
other ferryboat in the slip alongside was a roar
ing furnace
AS the Hopatcong was towed out toward
midstream the roar of flames in her could be
heard above the tumultuous screaming of sirens
and engine whistles. Following close behind
the Binghamton and the Bremen. in tow
of powerful tugs. The Bremen not burning.
but the Binghamton, boat and the fastest
ferry on the river, ablaze astem and astern.
The four slips where the boats were when the
explosion occurred are used by the Barclay-st.
and Christopher-st. ferries They are total
loss
Hundreds of lives were in danger for some
moments from fire and panic. Great credit is
due the employees of the railroad station and
ferry houses, who emptied both places without
an accident; for had there been the slightest
panic scores would probably have been trampled
or burned TO death, as exactly nine minutes
elapsed from the time of the explosion until the
flames had swept from the extreme northern
end of the property TO the furthermost part of
the Lackawanna station.
PASSENGERS DRIVEN FROM TRAIN
The ferryhouses were jammed with passen-
gers waiting to cross to Manhattan In the sta
ton was the Buffalo and Chicago express. due
to leave at 80 made up of several sleepers
and day coaches. The sleepers were filled with
passengers who had just turned in. These
We're routed out of their berths in such haste
that some had to finish their dressing some dis
ton the roof burning over their heads
The Morristown local had pulled in and dis
charged its passengers only a moment before
the fire started. The Montcair local. due to
leave at 11:15. pulled out ahead of time with
only few passengers. She had only few
seconds to spare.
The trains after that were all held up at New
ark and the passengers transferred at Newark
to the Pennsylvania, and sent to New-York by
way of Jersey City
Hoboken has no fireboat but the wild shrek
ng of the railroad companies sirens brought
scores of tugs to the fire as rapidly as their
shippers could send them through the water
Tons of water were thrown on the blaze within
i've minutes of its discovery. but it had scarcely
more effect than so much oil
Less than ten minutes after the first stream
vas turned on the heat had become so intense
hat the tugs had TO back out into the
stream. the streams from their rifles" and |
being dissipated into spray long be-
ore they reached the flames
20 unllRs TO CHICAGO OVER ROCK |