The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1893-11-02
TWENTY-FIVE MILES FROM HAVANA.
Sixty Persons Reported Drowned
Exciting Scenes When
the Fire Broke Out.
Passengers and Crew Forced to
Hastily Abandon the Ship in
Small Boats-Causa
of Fire unknown.

HAVANA, Nov. 2, 1s93-Early this
morning small boat. in which Were the
second officer aud eleven other persons
from the City OF Alexandria, entered the
harbor here aud reported the loss Of the
steamer. They say that an explosion
occurred on board the steamer and that
shortly after she was burning
fiercely. The cause of MI, the ex. a.
gained such headway that Captain Hoffs
man saw 1t would be impossible to save
the vessel, and orders were given 10
abandon the ship. Tne steamer had 400
hogsheads of rum on board, and this,
when 1t caught fire. caused immense mass
es of flame to ascend the hatch
ways, the matches being blown off.
There was great excitement among
the passengers ard crew, but
the officers soon succeeded in restoring
semblanoe of order. AS soon as the fire
alarm WAS sounded on the snip the crsw
went to the fire stations. and the stew
ards began to carry provisions 20 tho
boats. The more cool headed among the
passengers remembered the notice
which was in every stateroom
OF the ship calling upon them in case of
fire or collision to report at cArtain lire-
boat designated in the notice. These
passengers at once proceeded to the boats
aud el tered them. There was
comparatively little sea running and
put little difficulty was expert
enced in lowering away the boats.
when the deep toned bell forward tolied
the signal Abandon the ship" The
scene of the burning of the steamer was
only twenty-five miles from Havana, aud
the officers in command of the several
boats-the Captain, First officer aud
Chief Eagtneer-had little lar of not
reaching That port or some other place
along the coast.
MANY REPORTED DROWNED.
In the first moment OF terror some of
the passengers are said to have Jumped
into the sea. preferriug drowning to be-
ing burned TO death. Those VINO arrived
here this morning stated tha5 sixty
persons were drowned, but this is
scarcely credited, as it is known now
that many of the crew and passengers
have reached Bacurauao.
AS soon as the news of the disaster
reached here number of tugs were sent
to the scene of the burning of the
steamer to render whatever assistance
they could. Two of these tugs returned
this afternoon bringing nineteen sur
vivoIs S from the vessel.
The explosion occurred late yesterday
afternoon. aud the ship was left burning
a short time afterward-
The News in New York
NEW YORK. Nov. q 1S93.-At the offices
of The New YORK anu Cuba Mail Steam
ship Company, in this city, cablegrams
were received shortly before poon au-
uouucing the loss of the steamer City of
Alexandria off the Cuban coast between
Matanzas and Havana. The first
dispatches stated that the steamer
was total loss. Later ones said that
the crew and all on board, with possibly
the exception of the purser aud steward
ess, had been saved. No details in re-
CART to the loss of the steamer were re-
ceived, and the agents were unable to con-
firm or deny the report that the vessel mad
been blown up. The steamer had no
passengers aboard, according to the New
York agents. She was to have taken
passengers on at Havana for this city.
Her captain was K. A. Hoffman. an able
aud experienced officer. The purser, who
is supposed to be lost. is r. Bowen.
The Maritime Exchange has received
the following from havana;
Steamer City Of Alexandria, Hoffman.
from MatanZas for Havana and New York
(before reporteo) with four hundred
nogsheads of alcohol, were wrecked by
an explosion at four A NJ. and is total
loss by fire at sea. OF those on board
twelty-eight were saved. Nothing
known as to the fate of the remainder"
THE SHIP AND THE OFFICERS.
The steamship Guy OF Alexandria was
built by John Roach & Sou of Chester,
Pa, in 1879, for y. Alexandra 81 Sons.
She was an iron vessel, with thres decSs,
and 29l4 tons gross register. Sne was
purchased by the New York AMI Cuba
Mail Steamship Company In 1885, was
thoroughly overhauled. and has since
been running on the Mexican and Cuba
route.
The officers of the City of Alexandria
were:-K. A. Hoffman, captain; E. P.
Buck. first officer; William Field,
second officer; r. Bowen. pur
ser; c.. A. Poole, assistant pur+er;
q. Linden, senior quartermaster; Will
lam Rosen9uns. assistant qaarterm ts6er;
J, w. Reed. boatswain; c. Ericsson, car
psnIer: J. A. Godiue, cadet, and j. a.
Porter, cadet.