1921 — Jan 30, Fire (cigarette), Colonial Hotel, Newark Street, Hoboken, NJ       —     13

Compiled by Wayne Blanchard; last edit 3-8-2025 for upload to: http://www.usdeadlyevents.com/

— 13  Atlanta Constitution. “Hoboken Fire Deaths Total Thirteen Now.” 2-1-1921, p. 3.

— 13  Hoboken Fire Department. Hoboken Fires: Important Fires in Hoboken History.[1]

— 13  NFPA. “Loss of Life Fires in Hotels.” Quarterly, Vol. 34, No. 3, Jan 1942, pp. 248.

— 12  Bridgeport Telegram, CT. “Twelve Burned to Death in Hoboken Hotel Fire.” 1-31-1921, 1

— 12  North Judson News, IN. “Twelve Die in Hoboken Fire.” 2-3-1921, p. 1.

— 12  The Standard. “Careless Smoking as Fire Cause.” Vol. 90, No. 14, 4-8-1922, p. 509.

— 11  Boynton Index, OK. “Hoboken Fire Takes Eleven….Character of the Hotel…”2-4-1921, 3.

Narrative Information

National Fire Protection Assn. “Loss of Life Fires in Hotels.” Quarterly, 34/3, Jan 1942, 248:

“Colonial Hotel, Hoboken, N.J., January 30, 1921. Thirteen persons lost their lives in an early morning fire when flames shot through an airshaft and guests were hopelessly trapped in their rooms. Some of the victims were found in the corridor or near doors opening into halls where their escape was cut off. Others reached windows only to be driven back by flames. The night clerk discovered fire and notified fire department which responded promptly. Firemen rescued many with ladders.”

Newspapers

Jan 30:  “New York, Jan. 30. – A toll of twelve lives, six men and six women, was taken in a spectacular fire which early today gutted the Colonial hotel in Hoboken, N. J. The list was increased to a round dozen tonight when Miss Mary Schumacher, 42, of Jersey City, died in St. Mary’s hospital. Only five bodies in all have been identified.

“The fatal blaze, which was attended with many mysterious circumstances, raged for only one hour, but all the bodies removed from the building were practically burned to a char.

“Nothing definite was known last night as to where the blaze started in the hotel but the flames went up an airshaft and mushroomed into the third and fourth floors.  It was on these floors that most of the deaths occurred.  Practically all the interior was gutted but the walls remained intact.

“An investigation was authorized last night to determine the real cause of the fire and to solve the unexplained circumstances surrounding the deaths.  Assistant County Prosecutor George T. Vicker authorized Detective W. J. Charlock to investigate for any possible criminal violations that might bear on the fire and County Coroner Joseph Incrocasso called a special jury for an inquest.  However, he held that body over for further inquiry Monday.

“All of the forty-six guest chambers of the Colonial hotel, which is a four story structure, were reported engaged last night and there seemed to have been as many women as men in the building.  The bursting of the flames found many of the guests attired with scanty clothing and it is believed a number of women delayed in leaving the hotel while seeking additional garments.

“At least two of the dead women, it was said, would have been saved had they heeded the requests of firemen to jump into life nets.  Their lack of apparel was believed to have been one reason for the refusal of the women to make the leap.  Others came down aerial ladders or were carried out by firemen and police aided by soldiers from the army base at the Hoboken piers.

“The slowness of the work of identifying the bodies is one of the mysteries of the tragedy.  Only five had been identified last night.  One person, a hotel employe, is a raving maniac….”  (Bridgeport Telegram, CT. “Twelve Burned to Death in Hoboken Hotel Fire.” 1-31-1921, p. 1.)

Jan 31:  “Hoboken, N. J. January 31 – The death list resulting from the fire which destroyed the Hotel Colonial here today totaled thirteen – seven women and six men.  The thirteenth victim. Miss Blanche Kahler,, 38, of Jersey City, died today in a hospital.  Two men, badly burned, are in the institution, where it was said their condition is serious.  The bodies of five of the victims —

three women and two men — remained unidentified this morning. The bodies were badly charred

and hope of identification rested mainly on the few pieces of clothing and jewelry found in the debris.”  (Atlanta Constitution. “Hoboken Fire Deaths Total Thirteen Now.” 2-1-1921, p. 3.)

Feb 1:  “New York, Feb. 1. — Twelve persons, six men and six women, were burned to death and several were burned with but little chance of recovery when fire destroyed the Colonial hotel in Hoboken.  The bodies were horribly charred and mutilated.

“The known dead: Miss Mary Schumacher, Miss Daisy Gray,[2] Miss Hester Constance Peterson of Brooklyn, Elmo Snider [or Snyder], twenty-six, an official of the Brooklyn Rapid Transit company, and Frank Logan, Jersey City.[3]

“One man trapped in n room with the charred remains of two men and two women became a raving maniac.

“Brought to the scene by the shrieks of those who were trapped in the upper floors of the hotel, hundreds of persons mingled their cries of horror with the screams of the dying men and women. Several on the upper floors were overtaken by flames before they could reach the windows.  Many in the hotel made their escape minus clothing, and several have disappeared.  One man. Who the police say was with a girl about eighteen, rushed to his home, secured clothing and was

arrested when he returned.  His companion was burned to a crisp.  On her charred hand was  diamond engagement ring valued at $1,000.

“The hotel was crowded when flames ate their way from the basement to the upper floors in a few seconds.  Following the first alarm many of those who later died in flames burst into the hallways.  They found their way blocked by solid walls of flames and dense clouds of thick, pungent smoke.  By the time they had a chance to return to their rooms they found them invaded

by flames. Trapped in both sides, the men and women were powerless.

“While the firemen were pouring tons of water on the blaze more than two hours after the fire started and after many of the charred bodies had been recovered, the rescue squad of the fire department heard faint cries coming from one of the upper rooms. Guided by the calls for help, the firemen picked their way along the charred hallways.

“The calls led them to a room on the third floor. The door had not been burned away. When the firemen tried the door they found it barricaded. Crashing in the heavy wood of the door, the firemen found four crisped bodies piled high against it.  Inside was a man, running about like a caged animal.  He flew at the firemen like an enraged tiger when the first of the rescue squad climbed over the burned bodies and attempted to carry him out.  Above the other noises his voice could be heard shrieking: “I tried to get out! Those bodies piled up and stopped me! I couldn’t crawl over them! I couldn’t touch them!” The man, who later proved to be Richard Dierksen, an employee of the hotel, was rushed to St. Mary’s hospital, where it was announced he had become a raving maniac as the result of being caged up in the room, his way to safety blocked by a human barricade.

“According to a statement by George Groll, the night clerk, the fire started in a guest’s room, but the man was out at the time.” (North Judson News, IN. “Twelve Die in Hoboken Fire. Six Men and Six Women Burned to Death in Colonial Hotel. Bodies Are Charred to Crisp.” 2-3-1921, 1.)

Feb 4 (date of publication): “Hoboken, N.J. — Eleven persons were burned to death in a fire which destroyed the Hotel Colonial here.  Four others were badly burned and taken to a hospital where it was reported that they probably would not recover…. The register was burned to a crisp, and there was no means of learning the names of the victims until they are identified by friends….

“Bernard M. McFeely, director of public safety in Hoboken, has ordered two investigations; one by the police into the manner in which the hotel was being conducted, and the other by the fire department to determine how the fire started.  According to a statement by George Groll, the night clerk, the first started in a guest’s room but he was out at the time.  It is believed the guest had left a lighted cigar or cigarette stub where it later set fire to the drapery.”  (Boynton Index, OK. “Hoboken Fire Takes Eleven….The Character of the Hotel is Severely Questioned as Result of the List of Dead and Dying.” 2-4-1921, p. 3.)

April 8:  “Six men and six women lost their lives in a fire in the Colonial Hotel, Hoboken, New Jersey, because of a discarded cigarette which came in contact with the bed clothing in one of the rooms.”[4]  (The Standard. A Weekly Insurance Newspaper. “Careless Smoking as Fire Cause.” Vol. 90, No. 14, 4-8-1922, p. 509.)

Sources

Atlanta Constitution. “Hoboken Fire Deaths Total Thirteen Now.” 2-1-1921, p. 3. Accessed at: http://newspaperarchive.com/fullpagepdfviewer?img=5396836&sterm=fire+hoboken

Boynton Index, OK. “Hoboken Fire Takes Eleven.” 2-4-1921, p. 3. Accessed at: http://newspaperarchive.com/fullpagepdfviewer?img=159597714&sterm

Bridgeport Telegram, CT. “Twelve Burned to Death in Hoboken Hotel Fire.” 1-31-1921, p. 1. Accessed at: http://newspaperarchive.com/fullpagepdfviewer?img=56091633&sterm=fire

Hoboken Fire Department. Hoboken Fires: Important Fires in Hoboken History. Accessed 3-5-2013 at: http://www.hobokenfire.org/fires.cfm

National Fire Protection Association. “Loss of Life Fires in Hotels.” Quarterly of the National Fire Protection Association, Vol. 34, No. 3, Jan 1942, pp. 247-257.

North Judson News, IN. “Twelve Die in Hoboken Fire.” 2-3-1921, p. 1. Accessed 3-6-2013 at: http://newspaperarchive.com/fullpagepdfviewer?img=189984962&sterm

The Standard. A Weekly Insurance Newspaper. “Careless Smoking as Fire Cause.” Vol. 90, No. 14, 4-8-1922, p. 509. Google digitized at: http://books.google.com/books?id=25HnAAAAMAAJ&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false

[1] Has the name of the hotel as the Palace Hotel, and does not note the date – just the year and the fatalities.

[2] Or Grey, divorcee, 27, Jersey City.  Bridgeport Telegram, CT. “Twelve Burned to Death in Hoboken Hotel Fire.” 1-31-1921, p. 1.

[3] Another identified fatality was reported by his unnamed female companion as William Smith of Jersey City. (Boynton Index, OK. “Hoboken Fire Takes Eleven.” 2-4-1921, p. 3.)

[4] A hospitalized woman died, bringing the total to 13 fatalities.