Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1893-11-03
DISASTER AT SEA,
THE STEAMSHIP CRY OF ALEXANDRIA
BURNED NEAR HAVANA.
Thirty-Four or rTbirty-Five Persons Though
TO Have Been Drowned-List
OF Survivors.
By telegraph to the Dispatch.)

HAVANA, November 2-The steamship
City OF Alexandria. belonging TO the New
York and Cuba Mail Steamship Company
from Havana TO Matanzas. for New York.
has been burned of Cojimar. The news
was brought to the city early this morn
Ing, when a small boat, I'm which were the
second officer and eleven other persons
from the City of Alexandria, entered the
harbor and reported the loss OF the
steamer.
They say that an explosion occurred
Yesterday afternoon on board the steamer
and that shortly afterward she was burn
ing nercely. The cause Of the explosion ~
unknown. The fire gained such headway
that Captain Hoffman saw II would Ds
impossible to save the vessel. and orders
were given 10 abandon the ship.
The steamer had one hundred hogsheahs
OF tobacco on board when II caught nre'
and this caused immense masses OF names
to ascend from the hatchways. the hatches
having been blown OF There was great
excitement on board 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 run
ming. and but slight difficulty was experi-
enced I'm lowering away the boats.
When the bell forward tolled the sig
nal. Abandon the ship" the steamer was
only twenty-five miles from Havana, and
tho officers in command OF the boats had
little fear of not reaching\ that port o1
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 morn
ing said that sixty had been drowned
many Of them through the upsetting OF a
boat. Later reports. however show that
none of the small boats upset and tha'
many Of those at first reported as ios'
reached Bacuranao IN safety.
THIRTY ODD DROWNED.
The number OF persons drowned is now
believed to be thirty-four or thirty-hve
Among them were Herr Leibinger. cabir
passenger. whose home is In Germany
and several Cuban stevedores.
When the news Of the disaster reached
here a number Of tugs were sent 10 th'
burning steamer to render what ASSIST
auce they could. Two of these tugs re-
turned this afternoon, bringing nlneteei
survivors from the vessel. The names o.
those known to have been saved are Cap
tain Hoffman. owen McGce, second as
sistapt engineer: i. J. Jennings, third as
slstant engineer; John Donahue, A. VII
llams. Edward j. Kirk. F.. Il. Nascu
Emenchia Drumstaff, }. Poland. D. ="
Reid. J. W. Ramona, J. w. Field secon'
officer: Andrew Nelson, Charles Ander
son. Nicholas Clarkson. chief COOK III
Haven. Francis Mcnamara, Michael Ry
der william Dettlebark, W. Harvey, r
Peterson, w. Wallace, and \. {. Aeri
son. ,
The City Of Alexandria was one OF I'M
fastest and largest Of the American snip
employed in the West India trade. Sh'
was an iron-screw steamer or 24Sl ION
burden. She was 3O7 feet long. 80 lee
beam and SG feet In depth Of hold. Sh
was built in 1879 by John Roach q sons u
| Chester. Pa. Her engines were OF the col'- ,ol-
Mound tvpe the cylinders measuring 42X'
| and 42X5i.