The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-11-03
MANY LOST WITH THE SHIP.
THE STEAMER CITY or ALEXANDRIA
BURNED NEAR HIThNk.

TO ne Drowned-Some Jumped 1nto the
Sen In Their Terror-Cubnn Stevedores
Among Those Lost-The Ship Was on
Her Way from MntapEn, to Havana BE
fore Sailing for New Tork-There was
nm Explosion. and Four Hundred
Horsheads OF Hum Fed the Flames.
HAVANA. Nov Tho steamship City OF Alex
andr!a. belonging to the New York and Cuba
Mail Steamship Company. and running be-
tween MatapZas and Havana and New YORK.
has been burned Off Coiimar. 1t was reported
at first that sixty persons were drowned. but
later news reduced the estimates OF the loss OF
life The steamer was commanded by Capt.
Holman.
Early this morning a small boat. In which
were the second officer and eleven other per-
sons from the City OF Alexandria. entered the
harbor here. and reported the loss OF the
steamer. They say that an explosion occurred
yesterday afternoon on board the steamer. and
that shortly aftcrward she was burning
f1ercely. The cause OF the explosion Is un-
known. Tho IRE gained such Roadway that
Capt. Holman saw it would DO impossible to
save tho vessel and orders were given to
abandon tho ship The steame r had 400 hogs-
heads OF rum abonrl. and this. when 1t caught
fire. caused immense masses OF flames to
ascend from tho hatchways the matches hav-
ing been blown off.
There was great excitement aboard. but the
officers soon succeeded in restoring order. AS
soon as the fire alarm was sounded the crew
went to their fire stations and the stewards
began to carry provisions to the boats. There
was comparatively little sea running. and little
difficulty was experienced in lowering away
the boats when the bell forward tolled the
signal. abandon the ship"
- thah ,,r oft hn afao m mr. W q
only twenty 1--WE miles from Havana. and the
officers In command OF the boats-the Captain.
First O1lcer Purscr and Chief Engineer-had
little fear OF failing to reach that port or some
other place along the coast.
In the first moment OF terror several men
are said to have jumped into the sea. Those
who arrived in the small boat this morning
said that sixty had been drowned. many OF
them through the upsetting OF boat. Later
reports show that none Of the small boats up
set and that many OF those at first reported
lost reached Bacuranao in safety. The num-
her OF persons drowned is now believed to be
thirty-fou ur thirty-flve. Among them were
Herr I"ibnger. a cabin passenger. whose
homo IL in Germany. and several Cuban steve
dores.
When the news OF the disaster reached here
tugs were sent to the burning steamer to rem
der whatever assistance they could. Two OF
these tugs returned this afternoon. bringing
nineteen survivors from the vessel
The names Of those known to have been
saved from the City OF Alexandria are:
Capt. Holman. Owen McGee. second assistant ensi.
nser; B. j. Jennings third assistant engineer: John
Donahue. A wiliams o. Ward. J. Ward. l. Kirk. NJ.
okoy. z. Enasco Emenohil Drumstan. Z. Anton!. J.
Poland. J. W Reid J. Ramona. william Field second
onicer; Andrew Nelson. Charles Anderson. Nicholas
Clarkson. chief cook: Michael Haven Francis Mona
mara Michael Ryder william Dettelbark, W. Harvey.
F. Peterson ". Wallace and G. Ericsson. carpenter.
The City OF Alexandria left New York for
Havana on tho afternoon Of Oct. Is. She
reached Havana on Oct 20. and discharged
her passengers and cargo. Then she sailed to
Matanzas. where she took on q cargo that In
cuded 400 puncheons OF rum. When she was
burned she was returning to Havana from Ma
tanzas previous to sailing for New York.
At the Office OF 1.-THE agents OF the line. James
E. Ward & Co.. 113 Wall street. It was said that
the City Of Alexandria was valued at 100000
and was insured. She was single screw iron
steamship OF 2914 tons register. 3O7 feet long.
3S feet in beam. and 20 feet deep. She was d.
yided into compartments by six water-tight
bulkheads. Her engines were compound.
She was built In 1879 by John Roach & Son. at
Chester. for F. Alexandra & Son. and was pur-
chased by her present owners In 1885. Her
officers were:
K.A HOFFMAN. Captain; Z. p. Buck. nrst onicer Will
liam Field. second ofncer; r. Bowen. purser; @. A.
Poole assistant purser; Linden. senior Quartermas
ter: william Rosenguns. assistant Quartermasterl j.
W. Reid. boatswain; c. Ericsson. oarpentsrt J. A.
Godine. cadet: A. Porter. cadets j. Lynch, chief en-
Eineer r. A Murray. hrst assistant engineer; O. Nc
Geo second assistant engineer; B. j. Jenning. third
assistant engineer W. srohmeyer steward; H. Hence
second steward N Carkson. chief cook; McCullen
second cook n. Hsrsn, baker; Mrs Carter sewardss