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1900 Hoboken Docks fire

May 02, 2024

40°44′19″N 74°01′36″W / 40.7387°N 74.0268°W / 40.7387; -74.0268

Hoboken Pier Fire

The 1900 Hoboken Docks fire occurred on June 30, 1900, and killed at least 326 people in and around the Hoboken, New Jersey, piers of the Norddeutscher Lloyd (NDL) shipping company.[1] The piers were in New York Harbor, at the foot of 3rd and 4th Streets in Hoboken, across the North River (Hudson River) from Manhattan in New York City. The area, a few blocks north of Hoboken Terminal, is now mostly part of the Hudson River, without docks: a waterfront bicycle path lines it.[2]

The fire began when cotton bales stored on NDL's southernmost wharf caught fire, and winds carried the flames to nearby barrels of volatile liquids, such as turpentine and oil, which exploded in rapid succession. It burned NDL's Hoboken piers to the waterline, consumed or gutted nearby warehouses, gutted three of NDL's major transatlantic liners, and damaged or destroyed nearly two dozen smaller craft. Most of the victims were seamen and other workers but included women visiting one of the ships.[1]

Ocean liner losses edit

 
Tracks of the North German Lloyd ships during the Hoboken Pier Fire 1900[1]

Saale was gutted, with the highest death toll. After she became engulfed in flames, her mooring lines were cut, leaving her to drift as fire reached those further below deck. Finally towed after she drifted toward New York piers, she settled in the Jersey flats near Liberty Island.[1] Her death toll included her captain (August Johann Mirow), and members (primarily women) of a group known as Christian Endeavor, who were visiting the ship before the fire started.[3]

Main was furthest from the fire's starting point, but was soon engulfed with fire. She was unable to get loose from her moorings for more than seven hours, until the fire was nearly over. Damaged nearly beyond repair, Main was ultimately towed to Weehawken, New Jersey, where she was beached. Amazingly, 16 coal trimmers who had survived the fire hiding in a coal bunker then crawled out of the hulk.[1] Two days after the fire began, the red-hot ship continued to smolder and smoke, which further delayed rescue and recovery efforts.[4]

Bremen also burned intensely. After her crew threw off her mooring lines, she drifted until she was towed to mid-stream by tugs. She eventually ran aground upriver near Weehawken. More than 200 people were on board when the fire began, including visitors. Initial reports indicated that all managed to leave the ship, but many jumped and may not have reached shore.[1]

 
Fire aboard the SS Saale during the Hoboken Docks Fire. Photo by S.H. Horgan.

Many who died in the fires were interred at the Flower Hill Cemetery, North Bergen.[5][6]

The holder of the Blue Riband at the time of the fire,[7] NDL's Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse, was also docked in the company's Hoboken piers, but fared better than its sister ships. She was the first of the steamers that tugs tried to pull away from the pier (15 minutes after the fire began).[1]

The fire erupted on a Saturday that was considered a “half-holiday” when no departures were scheduled. Had any of the ships been ready to sail, the loss of life and property would have been much greater.[3]

Other losses edit

The fire also destroyed several Campbell Stores warehouses, built by the Hoboken Land & Improvement Company, the nearby piers of the Scandinavian America Line and a railroad shed. According to The New York Times, the railroad shed belonged to West Shore Railroad, although it was more likely a shed of Hoboken Shore Railroad (which connected the West Shore Railroad's lines at the Weehawken Terminal to the Hoboken docks). A shed of Hamburg America Line was partly chopped down during the fire by the fire service to avoid spreading of the fire to the Hamburg America Line piers. The total value of property losses due to the fire was estimated (the morning after the fire) at $6.175 million,[1] and (the following year) at $5.35 million.[8]

Aftermath edit

 
NDL's piers in 1909, after reconstruction

The NDL replaced its Hoboken piers with larger, stronger and more fireproof structures.[9] The new steel piers were known as Hoboken Pier Nos. 1, 2, and 3. All of the damaged ocean liners returned to maritime service, Saale under a different name (the SS J. L. Luckenbach).[citation needed]

On the first anniversary of the fire, a large granite monument was dedicated in Flower Hill Cemetery in North Bergen, New Jersey above a mass grave containing unidentifiable bodies of the victims, listing the names of the dead and missing.[10]

News stories of the fire had described below-deck crew “trying in vain to force their way through the small portholes, while the flames pressed relentlessly upon them.”[1] The fire prompted arguments that portholes on all ships should be at least 11 in × 13 in (28 cm × 33 cm) in size, to make it easier for them to serve as a means of escape.[11] Others responded that making portholes larger would be cost-prohibitive,[12] or come at the expense of structural strength.[13] In the end, regulations required portholes to be big enough for a person of reasonable size to escape.[14]

Later fires in Hoboken edit

In 1905, a fire consumed the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad's Hoboken ferry piers.[15]

The piers immediately south of the NDL piers, owned before World War I by Hamburg America Line, were later also destroyed by fire. In 1921, two of the three piers (Hoboken Pier Nos. 5 and 6) were consumed in a fire that also scorched the SS Leviathan.[16] In August 1944, Pier No. 4 burned, killing three and briefly setting afire the SS Nathaniel Alexander, a Liberty ship.[17]

References edit

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i "Over 200 Perish in Burning Liners". The New York Times, 1900-07-01.
  2. ^ http://g.co/maps/8wuru[permanent dead link] Google Maps
  3. ^ a b The Great Hoboken Fire,” Insurance Register, Vol VII, No. 26, 1900-07-03, p.401-404.
  4. ^ "Fire Still Holds the Liner Main". The New York Times, 1900-07-03.
  5. ^ "STONE QUAYS IS HOBOKEN; The North German Lloyd Company to Rebuild at Once. THE SAALE IS PUMPED DRY Tons of Decomposed Provisions Removed from Hold -- Search for Bodies Awaits Removal of Debris" (PDF). The New York Times. 1900-07-14.
  6. ^ "STOP FIRE VICTIMS BURIAL.; North Bergen Officials Will Prosecute The Managers of the Flower Hill Cemetery" (PDF). The New York Times. 1900-07-20.
  7. ^ "Broke Another Record," New York Times, 1898-04-06 (speed record set by the Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse) and "Liners' Records Beaten," New York Times, 1900-07-13 (its speed record broken by the Deutschland 12 days after the fire),
  8. ^ "A Year’s Fire Waste", Carpentry and Building, Vol. 23, March 1901, p. 58.
  9. ^ “Stone Quays in Hoboken,” New York Times, 1900-07-14; “North German Lloyd to Rebuild Their Hoboken Property” The New York Times, 1900-11-27.
  10. ^ "Hoboken Fire Anniversary," New York Times, 1901-07-01.
  11. ^ "Admiral Melville Saw Fire," New York Times, 1900-07-02.
  12. ^ "Editorial Comment, Engineering Magazine, Vol. 19, 1900, p. 742.
  13. ^ "Enlarged Portholes for Ocean Steamers," Literary Digest, Vol. 21, No. 12, 1900-09-22, p. 343.
  14. ^ Eastlake, Keith (1998). Sea Disasters. London: Greenwich Editions. p. 30. ISBN 0-86288-149-8.
  15. ^ "Flames Sweep Hoboken Piers," New York Times, 1905-08-08.
  16. ^ "Leviathan Singed, Army Piers Burned, Soldier Dead Saved," New York Times, 1921-08-25.
  17. ^ Malcolm Francis Willoughby, "The U.S. Coast Guard in World War II, p. 68 (1980).

External links edit

May 02, 2024
1900, hoboken, docks, fire, this, article, needs, additional, citations, verification, please, help, improve, this, article, adding, citations, reliable, sources, unsourced, material, challenged, removed, find, sources, news, newspapers, books, scholar, jstor,. This article needs additional citations for verification Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed Find sources 1900 Hoboken Docks fire news newspapers books scholar JSTOR May 2022 Learn how and when to remove this message 40 44 19 N 74 01 36 W 40 7387 N 74 0268 W 40 7387 74 0268 Hoboken Pier Fire The 1900 Hoboken Docks fire occurred on June 30 1900 and killed at least 326 people in and around the Hoboken New Jersey piers of the Norddeutscher Lloyd NDL shipping company 1 The piers were in New York Harbor at the foot of 3rd and 4th Streets in Hoboken across the North River Hudson River from Manhattan in New York City The area a few blocks north of Hoboken Terminal is now mostly part of the Hudson River without docks a waterfront bicycle path lines it 2 The fire began when cotton bales stored on NDL s southernmost wharf caught fire and winds carried the flames to nearby barrels of volatile liquids such as turpentine and oil which exploded in rapid succession It burned NDL s Hoboken piers to the waterline consumed or gutted nearby warehouses gutted three of NDL s major transatlantic liners and damaged or destroyed nearly two dozen smaller craft Most of the victims were seamen and other workers but included women visiting one of the ships 1 Contents 1 Ocean liner losses 2 Other losses 3 Aftermath 3 1 Later fires in Hoboken 4 References 5 External linksOcean liner losses edit nbsp Tracks of the North German Lloyd ships during the Hoboken Pier Fire 1900 1 Saale was gutted with the highest death toll After she became engulfed in flames her mooring lines were cut leaving her to drift as fire reached those further below deck Finally towed after she drifted toward New York piers she settled in the Jersey flats near Liberty Island 1 Her death toll included her captain August Johann Mirow and members primarily women of a group known as Christian Endeavor who were visiting the ship before the fire started 3 Main was furthest from the fire s starting point but was soon engulfed with fire She was unable to get loose from her moorings for more than seven hours until the fire was nearly over Damaged nearly beyond repair Main was ultimately towed to Weehawken New Jersey where she was beached Amazingly 16 coal trimmers who had survived the fire hiding in a coal bunker then crawled out of the hulk 1 Two days after the fire began the red hot ship continued to smolder and smoke which further delayed rescue and recovery efforts 4 Bremen also burned intensely After her crew threw off her mooring lines she drifted until she was towed to mid stream by tugs She eventually ran aground upriver near Weehawken More than 200 people were on board when the fire began including visitors Initial reports indicated that all managed to leave the ship but many jumped and may not have reached shore 1 nbsp Fire aboard the SS Saale during the Hoboken Docks Fire Photo by S H Horgan Many who died in the fires were interred at the Flower Hill Cemetery North Bergen 5 6 The holder of the Blue Riband at the time of the fire 7 NDL s Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse was also docked in the company s Hoboken piers but fared better than its sister ships She was the first of the steamers that tugs tried to pull away from the pier 15 minutes after the fire began 1 The fire erupted on a Saturday that was considered a half holiday when no departures were scheduled Had any of the ships been ready to sail the loss of life and property would have been much greater 3 Other losses editThe fire also destroyed several Campbell Stores warehouses built by the Hoboken Land amp Improvement Company the nearby piers of the Scandinavian America Line and a railroad shed According to The New York Times the railroad shed belonged to West Shore Railroad although it was more likely a shed of Hoboken Shore Railroad which connected the West Shore Railroad s lines at the Weehawken Terminal to the Hoboken docks A shed of Hamburg America Line was partly chopped down during the fire by the fire service to avoid spreading of the fire to the Hamburg America Line piers The total value of property losses due to the fire was estimated the morning after the fire at 6 175 million 1 and the following year at 5 35 million 8 Aftermath edit nbsp NDL s piers in 1909 after reconstruction The NDL replaced its Hoboken piers with larger stronger and more fireproof structures 9 The new steel piers were known as Hoboken Pier Nos 1 2 and 3 All of the damaged ocean liners returned to maritime service Saale under a different name the SS J L Luckenbach citation needed On the first anniversary of the fire a large granite monument was dedicated in Flower Hill Cemetery in North Bergen New Jersey above a mass grave containing unidentifiable bodies of the victims listing the names of the dead and missing 10 News stories of the fire had described below deck crew trying in vain to force their way through the small portholes while the flames pressed relentlessly upon them 1 The fire prompted arguments that portholes on all ships should be at least 11 in 13 in 28 cm 33 cm in size to make it easier for them to serve as a means of escape 11 Others responded that making portholes larger would be cost prohibitive 12 or come at the expense of structural strength 13 In the end regulations required portholes to be big enough for a person of reasonable size to escape 14 Later fires in Hoboken edit In 1905 a fire consumed the Delaware Lackawanna and Western Railroad s Hoboken ferry piers 15 The piers immediately south of the NDL piers owned before World War I by Hamburg America Line were later also destroyed by fire In 1921 two of the three piers Hoboken Pier Nos 5 and 6 were consumed in a fire that also scorched the SS Leviathan 16 In August 1944 Pier No 4 burned killing three and briefly setting afire the SS Nathaniel Alexander a Liberty ship 17 References edit a b c d e f g h i Over 200 Perish in Burning Liners The New York Times 1900 07 01 http g co maps 8wuru permanent dead link Google Maps a b The Great Hoboken Fire Insurance Register Vol VII No 26 1900 07 03 p 401 404 Fire Still Holds the Liner Main The New York Times 1900 07 03 STONE QUAYS IS HOBOKEN The North German Lloyd Company to Rebuild at Once THE SAALE IS PUMPED DRY Tons of Decomposed Provisions Removed from Hold Search for Bodies Awaits Removal of Debris PDF The New York Times 1900 07 14 STOP FIRE VICTIMS BURIAL North Bergen Officials Will Prosecute The Managers of the Flower Hill Cemetery PDF The New York Times 1900 07 20 Broke Another Record New York Times 1898 04 06 speed record set by the Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse and Liners Records Beaten New York Times 1900 07 13 its speed record broken by the Deutschland 12 days after the fire A Year s Fire Waste Carpentry and Building Vol 23 March 1901 p 58 Stone Quays in Hoboken New York Times 1900 07 14 North German Lloyd to Rebuild Their Hoboken Property The New York Times 1900 11 27 Hoboken Fire Anniversary New York Times 1901 07 01 Admiral Melville Saw Fire New York Times 1900 07 02 Editorial Comment Engineering Magazine Vol 19 1900 p 742 Enlarged Portholes for Ocean Steamers Literary Digest Vol 21 No 12 1900 09 22 p 343 Eastlake Keith 1998 Sea Disasters London Greenwich Editions p 30 ISBN 0 86288 149 8 Flames Sweep Hoboken Piers New York Times 1905 08 08 Leviathan Singed Army Piers Burned Soldier Dead Saved New York Times 1921 08 25 Malcolm Francis Willoughby The U S Coast Guard in World War II p 68 1980 External links editHistoric American Engineering Record HAER No NJ 63 Hoboken Piers Headhouse Hoboken NJ Dock Fire 1900 GenDisasters com Archived from the original on April 16 2015 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title 1900 Hoboken Docks fire amp oldid 1205509769, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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