The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1893-11-03
PRICE TWO CENTS.
STEAMER BURNED
THE "CITY or ALEXANDRIA,
WRECKED BY An EXPLOSION,
About Thlrty-nve People Believed 10 Hav.
Been Drowned-A List OF
Those Rescued.

HAVANA, Nov. 2-The steamship CITY
OF Alexandria, belonging 10 the New Yors
and Cuba Mall Steamship Company, from
Havana and Matarzas for New York. was
burned Off Cojimar. The news was brough,
TO the city early this morning, when a
small boat in which were the second officer
and eleaki other persons from the city OF
Alexandria, entered the harbor. and re-
ported the loss Of the steamer. They say
that an explosion occurred yesterday af-
ternoon on board the steamer, and that
shortly afterwards she was burning nerce-
ly. 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 on board when II
caught fire, which caused immense masses
OF f'tHnes 10 ascend from the hatchways.
the matches having been blown of. There
was great excitement on board. but the
officers soon succeeded I'm restoring order
| As soon as the fire alarm was sounded
the crew went 70 their fire stations. and
the stewards began to carry provisions 10
| the boats.
| There was comparatively little sea run
nlng, and but slight difficulty was ex-
| perlenced IN lowering away the boats when
the bell forward tolled the signal "Aban-
| don the ship" The scene OF the burning Of
| the steamer was only twenty-five miles
| from Havana, and the officers IN command
| OF the boats had little fear OF not reach
| ing that port or some other place along
the coast. In the first moment OF terror
several men are said to have iumped into
the sea.
Several Of those who arrived IN the
small boat this morning said that sixtv
had been drowned, many Of them through
the upsetting Of a boat. Later reports
however, show that none OF the small
ooats upset. and that many Of those at
first reported as lost reached Bacuranao
In safety. The number Of persons drown
ed i5 now believed TO be thirty or thirty
nye Among them were Herr Lelbinger
cabin passenger. whose home IS In
Germany, and several Cuban stevedores.
When the news OF the disaster reached
here number OF tugs were sent 10 the
burning steamer TO render what assist
ance they could. Two OF these tugs re-
turned this afternoon, bringing nineteen
survivors from the vessel
The names Of those known 10 have been
saved from the city Of Alexandra are
Captain Hoffman, owen McGeorge Sc
cond assistant engineer; y. j. Jennings,
third assistant engineer; John Donahue,
A. Williams, Edward j. Kirk. Emenchn
Drumstan, j. Poland. J. w. Reid. j.
Ramona William Field (second onicer).
Andrew Nelson, Charles Anderson, Nlcho-
las Clarkson Chief cook. Michael Haven.
Francis Mcnamara, Michael Ryder. VIII
liam Dettlebark, w. Harvey, r. Peterson.
w. Wallace and y. G. Erlccsen (carpen-
| teri.
The City OF Alexandria was one OF the
fastest and largest OF the American
| ships employed in the West India traffic.
| She was an iron screw steamer OF 2.iS0
| tons burden. She was 307 feet long, thir-
| ty-eight feet beam and thirty-six feet
| IN depth OF hold. She was built I'm 1879
| by John Roach q Sons. at Chester. Her
engines were Of the compound type the
| cylinders measuring forty-two by seventy
eight and forty-two by fifty-four.