Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1921-08-25
FLAMING PIERS MENACE
BODIES OF SOLDIER DEAD
Heroic Work Saves Remains
Of 400 Returned From
French Cemeteries.
$. :. LE,I>rnAN ENDANGERED
Ftrcmrp, Troops. Stcvc,iores and
LrEi"nnnirrs. Side by Side, Fncr
HiistcrinS Flames on IIoIok.n
Front OF Hudson Itiycr
tHy United News ]

iioBok EN- y j.. Aug 24-Two
great steamship piers on the Hobukcn
'front.' of the Hudson River were
burned To the waters edge this even
ing. and iu0 bodies Of American SOL
h!"re. just rcpatriatcd from cem.-
icri"s ia France. were saved only by
heroic work Of nrcmcn. troops. steve
Iores ANA American Legion men.
Th. steamship I.cviathan. the sec
pnd largest aiioat which has been
tied up at pier {, IIobokcn. was badly
scorchcd. but TWO nrcboats ran in
alongside her. pia eiSS themselves he
tween the huge transport and Ham
inE Pier :. and played constant
streams of water 10 keep her cooled.
Piers and were destroyed.
Colonel Robert NJ Watson. vice.
chairman of the New York County
CHAPTER OF the American Legion. sec.
ing tn" flames from his home several
miles away, hurried To Hohpk.n ard
superintendent the removal OF Tho
bodies of his dead soldier comrades
from Pier : To Pier !. which is IRE
proof. The barracks nearby the
burned piers. occupied by large de
,achmcnt NJ the Thirteenth United
states infantry. caught hrc and seem
cd to he doomed. Captain Ed. WILL
bur, az the Thirtcenth infantry. COM
manded n detachment Of $50 men as
sistins New York and IIoboken hrc-
men
The barracks finally were de-
stroycl, sending up a tremendous
shower of burning brands as the roof
distance. and there was grave danger
OF a general contiagration in Hobo
ken. as the wind landed vcritab!c
torches on tarrcd roofs several blocks
from the river front. Civilians Were
or guard. however. and. wherever
small blazcs began. they were quick
ly eXtinguished.
Ammunition liz Exploded.
The garrison OF The post. $50 men.
all responded 10 fire call and. while
one detail participated in the re-
moval Of the soldier dead, the others
established police lines or fought, the
flames. In the basement OF the bar
racks, a magazine containing 100000
rounds of small-arms AMMUNITION
was destroyed. with the crackle OF
the exploding shells So far 40 the
police could ascertain. however. no
orc wis NDUnltb mere, HllnDUen ltn
fircmcn and civilians were taken To
st. Mary's Hospital. suffering from
slight burns or other minor injuries.
The two piers destroyed were the
only two saved in the Hobokcn con-
haeration of 1900. in which 100 per-
sons were killed.
RESCUE bodies of Soldier Dead.
River Street, which bounds the gov
crnmcnt reservation on the land side
was evacuated by recommendation Of
the police. The families living in
crowded tcncmcnts all got out.
River Street was saved. The for
mcr Offices OF the Hamburg Amer
lean line were consumed
All lIobokens fire apparatus was
called out. This brought the Hobo
Ken fire beats To the attack from the
river side, but they were soon rc-cn-
forced ny larger fire-bo from New
York city. Later, apparatus came
from nearby Jersey cities and from
the lower sections of Manhattan, tho
New York apparatus being rushed
across on the ferries.
Army ambulanccs made many trims
through flames into the burning in
terror Of Pier TO rescue the collins
of military dead, which stood in rows
on wooden trestlcs. All were safely
removed and the guard Of honor was
posted rs usual at. nightfall.