New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-11-11
HER HOLD A FURNACE.
TIE CITY OF ALEXANDRIA'S RACE WITH
DEATH.
SURVIVORS OF THE BURNED STEAMSHIP
REACH PORT-EXPLoSIoNS FOLLOWED ~
ROARING FLAMEs-sTEvEDoREs
BLOWN INTO TIE Ale.

ROARING FLAMEs-STEVEDOREs
BLOWN INTO TIE AIE
The officers and crew Of the burned steamship
City of Alexandria, Of the Ward Line ARRIVE" Ut
this mort Yesterday from Havana on the steamship
seneca Of the same line From them the first
full account of the loss of their vessel was OBJ
tanned The City of Alexandra lett Matahhas Il.
$50 o'clock on the afternoon OF NoVeihoer l. oo'u
for Havana where she was to complete oau"s
for New-York. The cargo taken on al Ma'a"1as
consisted of 400 puncheons OF rum, ana 10 THESE
tho explosion and the iierceness of the flames
were probably due.
Two hours after leaving port the hre proke OUT.
When Il began every one on board except 'he'
Officer Buck and few Of the crew were at 'iei'
meals. The captain. officers and passengers were
dining in the saloon while the crew and the negro
stevedores were at supper the fore hatch
Suddenly the explosion came The hatches ana
skylights fore and aft, rose into the ar hihs-
ing the men near them in every drectioh FROM
the openings thus made the flames spurted up az
from a volcano. Six Of the stevedores WHO were
sitting on the fore hatch were tossed into the air.
only 70 fall back into the blazing hold. Five OF
them were rescued, but the sixth. Mateo by name,
was caught between some bales OF Durh"s SUN
and slowly roasted to death. The unhappy man
screams could be heard above the roaring Oh inc
flames shoot me, captain. shoot me! ne pesseu'
hut CAPTAIN HOFFMAN, could not heed his request
A line was thrown to him. but before he coud DE
drawn ont another explosion occurred. and he was
lost TO view
BEACuED THE SHIP TO SAVE LIFE.
The first explosion had been followed by man!
others and all the ship was soon In names i "e
engines were stopped TO lessen the draush.' anu a"
the hose on board poured water into the hoid Out
without appreciable effect Fighting the fire was
of no avail As last chance an attempt Wus
made to reach land. Havana was fifteen miles
away three-quarters of an hour distant. 100 lar;
much too far FOR any hSPe nearer no at hand
Juruca Shoal, and on 1t captain iioi,,, necesearv
to beach his MS, snp b 10 enses and before they
could be started some one must tan ~, iormes "a
he esr ,arr sSs
them. returning to deck with MS hanuS ''''''''
burned. but otherwise uninjured canvas was
To hasten the speed OF the snip cn,'n i, away
ike paper the long tongues of fire streaming Ike
pennants far above the mastheads mad race with
death continued and then win ]nrring ss G HIM.
She struck the shoa furious gaze ~" SS
OF reaching land in the boats seemed slight indred
Five of them and 1ne Of n the crew era from e"cns the
sixth boat The purser Ralph " , boT tha s, na.
ardess Mrs Elizabeth Carter one passenger e am9
several of the crew. The low tackle Vi tie Doae
dlnmped into the sea. Instantly the other boats
rowed to the rescue. hut four OF me inmates N.Y.
swept away and drowned. The stewardess cinhs
To- the overturned boat and foated on il to the
shore.
SWEPT FROM THE LIFE RAFT
on the liferaft were Captain Hofmanh anu SIN
others A tremendous struck them ana All were
washed overheard All but one rcganed the raft but
that one William Foster. was never seen again WIN
out oars or sail the raft caught in the sufwas swept
quickly TO the shore, mile distant lhcie' 49,
most of the boats proceeded. The second mat
boat went direct 10 Havana thirteen miles u's'a"
and there gave the first news OF the disaster; 49,
The tug Susie. sent out to the rescue, plcKeu up
thn last of the boats with twenty-iour hioi ~ W
hoard the next morning Those lost were X: ".
Bowen purser: William Foster. oiler George smith
and Louis Block. walters Thomas Linden, quarter
master and six negro stevedores from havana
whose are not known -, e,o..
Neither Captain Hoffman, nor any OF the ohcers
can account for the explosion Inc greatest p ,asc
10 given by all TO Captain Hofmann for his cooiness
and courage under such trying circumstances. IN.
ga wing of the lives OF so many or those on Doaru
is regarded as excellent work. All the crew are
loud in praise of the hospitality shown them IN
havana The hotels Pasaic and Inglaterra threw
omen their doors to them while supplies of clothing
wern freely furnished bv residents.
The men were paid off Yesterday inc oihciais OF
the company will see that they lose nothing by the
cata