Casualties

This is a list of the dead and missing as stated in issues of the New York Times, published from July 1st to July 4th, 1900. It must be remembered that this list will never be accurate due to the record-keeping systems then in use and the chaos that is always present during a disaster. For example, some of the people listed as missing may not necessarily have died, as some were known to have deserted their stations and simply just went somewhere else while the fire ensued. Many of the members of the ship's crews resided in Hoboken or the surrounding area, and unlike those members of the crew that lived in Bremerhaven Germany for example, had no need to stay. They simply went off to find new work or left for whatever reason. So when the surviving officers tried to account for their crews over the next few days, they could not find them all and so they were thus listed as "missing". I read one account that said one of the missing was later seen walking around Brooklyn. Of course, many had indeed died from the fires or were drowned. They would never be accounted for. The New York Times collected these lists from area morgues and also from independent reports made by people that sometimes found the victims floating by the water's edge at Jersey City, further away at Brooklyn, or at other surrounding areas of New York City. I would like to thank those who sent emails to me suggesting doing this; it was a very fitting idea.

Please note that I have typed many of the details verbatim from the reports of the New York Times. Some of the content below contains very graphic descriptions of some of the unknown victims. Out of respect for those victims whose names were known, I would never list any information of that sort about them.

From the steamer "Main"

From the steamer "Bremen"

Bürkner, Max, on Bremen.
Gürke, R., on Bremen.
Heyden, H., on Bremen.
Maka, I., on Bremen.
Müller, Carl, on Bremen.
Pundt, H., on Bremen.
Riehn, Th., on Bremen.
Sonder, Herm., on Bremen.
Vogt, A., on Bremen.

Longshoremen, Painters, and Others

Behr, Johann
Behrs, Dick, about 18, inquired for by August Warnken. Gates and Central avenues, Brooklyn.
Beneke, Henry, age 41, inquiry from S. Boldt.
Bernstein, Argold
Bremmer, Charles, an upholsterer of 506 Lweis St, Union Hill, N.J., lost his life while working on the Saale.
Burkhardt, Ewald
Decker, Franz, age 28, painter on Saale.
Elter, Fritz, age 28, longshoreman.
Harloff, Jacob, a painter.
Hendrickson, Henry, age 46, foreman of the Bremen pier, of 182 Manhattan Ave, Jersey City (believed to be identified).
Holtz, Ernst, age 40, longshoreman.
Holtz, Fritz
Horloff, Jacob
Hunstein, Conrad
Janzen, Frederick E., machinist, of 204 River Street, Hoboken, was working on the Bremen. Body found in river at Pavonia Avenue, Jersey City.
Kardell, Fritz
Karoel, Henry, longshoreman, of Bloomfield Street, between Third and Fourth Streets, Hoboken.
Kopta, Barbara
Krieger, Hans
Kuhn, H.
Lebong, Friedrich
Loemmet, L., identified by money and finger rings.
Ludwigsen, Christian
Müller, Johann
Müller, John, longshoreman, of Fifth and Grand Streets, Hoboken.
Müller, John, longshoreman (listed at a different morgue than the name above, maybe the same person but that name was a more common one).
Reichard, Paul, age 46, a painter of 318 East 90th st. The identification was made by his wife, (was No. 15).
Schmidt, Geo.
Schmidt, W.
Sellmann, Louis
Strade, Jacob, age 50, a longshoreman.
unknown name, man, identified as longshoreman.
unknown name, man, identified as longshoreman.
unknown name, Man, approximately 40 years old, badly burned about the head, face, and hands and afterward drowned, found at Morris Street, Jersey City. Height, 5 feet 8 inches, light complexion, sandy mustache, wearing a blue shirt and blue overalls. Card found in pocket of the overalls with the words "Tall, Steamship Saale". The man was probably a longshoreman with the last name of "Tall" and was most likley employed on the pier at which the Saale was being loaded.
unknown name, Body of a man about 37, badly burned about the face, probably a longshoreman: wore cotton undershirt, jeans jacket, and trousers of rough material, such as is worn by longshoremen, of dark material, laced shoes, tan-colored socks, red bandana handkerchief. In his pockets were found a cent piece and a snuff box filled with chewing tobacco.
unknown name, man.
unknown name, body of a man, burned about face.
unknown name, man, light mustache.
unknown name, man, dark hair, small light mustache.
unknown name, man, about 50 years of age.
unknown name, body of a man, middle aged, figure of a woman tatooed on right arm, light mustache, dark hair.

This is by no means a complete list and due to the nature of the disaster, it never will be. There are currently 245 entries listed. I will try to find more names whenever possible. Contributions and help are always welcome!