AH-WR-0314

SS Saale

Ocean Liner · Germany · Lost 1900 · New York Harbor

North German Lloyd liner Saale burned at her Hoboken pier in the catastrophic 1900 fire that killed hundreds along the North River waterfront.

Become Captain of Record See Shipwreck on Map

Artistic recreation based on recorded historical documents. See the documented evidence.

Historically Reconstructed. Drawn from partial documentation of this vessel together with her known class and configuration. See the documented evidence.

The Vessel and Her Loss

Saale was a North German Lloyd ocean liner docked at the Hoboken piers on June 30, 1900, when a fire broke out among cotton bales on the pier and spread rapidly to several liners, including Saale, Main, and Bremen. The disaster killed several hundred people, many trapped aboard the burning ships. Saale's hull was severely damaged but was later salvaged, rebuilt, and returned to transatlantic service under a different name.

Vessel

Built: 1886
Builder: Not established
Yard: Not established
Material: Iron
Length: Not established
Beam: Not established
Tonnage: Not established
Propulsion: Steam, single screw
Owners: North German Lloyd

Loss

Date: June 30, 1900
Cause: Fire
Location: Hoboken piers, New York Harbor
Water: New York Harbor
Voyage: Not established
Cargo: Not established
Aboard: Not established
Lives lost: The Hoboken fire killed over 300 people across the affected North German Lloyd ships and piers; the toll specific to Saale is not separately confirmed.
Master: Not established

The Wreck Today

Depth: Not established
Condition: Not established
Orientation: Not established
Discovered: Not established
Protection: Not established

Position

Coordinates: 40.69° N 74.05° W
Accuracy: Approximate position
Nearest: Hoboken, New Jersey
Region: New York Harbor

Wikipedia's account of the 1900 Hoboken Docks fire states the burning Saale drifted from her Hoboken pier and settled in the Jersey flats near Liberty Island; the coordinate approximates that described resting location, not the original Hoboken pier or a surveyed fix.