The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1893-11-22
STEAMER BURNED At Sea
THE CITY OF ALEXANDRIA
LOST NEAR HAVANA.

The Ship Was on Her Way From Mat
anzas to Havana-There was an
Explosion, and Four Hundred
Barrels of Rum Fed the Flames
Many Lives Reported Lost.
The steamship City Of Alexandria, be-
longing to the New York and Cuba Mail
Steamship Company, and running between
Matanzas and Havana, Cuba, and New York,
has been burned off Cojimar. 1t was reported
ut first that sixty persons were drowned, but
later news reduced the estimates Of the loss
of life. The steamer was commanded by
Captain Hoffman.
A cablegram from Havana, says: A small
boat, in which were the second officer and
eleven other persons from the steamship City
OF Alexandria, entered the harbor here and
reported the loss OF the steamer. They say
that an explosion occurred during the after.
noon on board the vessel, and shortly after
ward she was burning flercely. The cause
OF the explosion is unknown.
The fire gained such headway that Cap
tain Hoffman saw it would be impossible to
save the vessel, and orders were given to
abandon the ship. The steamer had 400
hogsheads OF rum aboard, and this, when
it caught fire, caused immense masses OF
flames to ascend from the hatchWays, the
matches having been blown of.
There was great excitement aboard, but
the officers soon succeeded in restoring or
der. As soon as the fire alarm was sounded
Che crew went to their fire stations and the
stewards began to carry provisions to the
boats.
There was comparatively little sea rum
ming, and but little difficulty was ex-
perienced in lowering away the boats, when
the bell forward tolled the signal "Abandon
the ship" The steamer was only twenty
five miles from Havana when the explosion
occurred, and the officers in command OF
the several boats-the Captain, first officer,
purser and chief engineer-had little fear OF
not reaching that port or soma other place
along the coast.
In the first moment OF terror several men
are said to have jumped into the ses. Those
who arrived in the small boat said that sixty
had been drowned, many OF them through the
upsetting Of boat. Later reports. however,
show that none Of the small boats upset, and
that many of those at first reported as lost
reached Bacuranao in safety.
The number OF persons drowned is now
believed to be thirty-four or thirty-ave.
Among them were Herr Leibinger, a cabin
passenger, whose home is in Germany, and
several Cuban stevedores.
When the news of the disaster reached
here q number OF tugs were sent to the burn
ing steamer to render whatever assistance
they could. Two OF these tugs returned
bringing nineteen survivors from the vessel.
The City Of Alexandria was built in 1879 at
Chester, Penn, by John Roach Il Sons She
was const ructed for the Alexandria Steam
ship Company, which was at that time en-
gagged in the West Indian trade. The
vessel and her sister ship, the City OF
Washington, were subsequently purchased
by the Ward Line The Alexan-
dria had a gross tonnage Of 2911
tons. The hull was built Of iron. The deck
houses we're Of the same material, ,as was also
the spar deck. which, however, was sheathed
with wood. The vessel had accommodations
for $50 first-class passengers. She was reput-
ed to be the fastest vessel in the West Indian
servica-