Show Shocking Catastrophe Richmond 2iNews was received here this morning from West Point on York River of a terrible disaster to the steamer West Point on the Clyde Hue plying between that point and Baltimore The West Point arrived at West Point early yesterday and the gang began to discharge her cargo They cleared out all the freight between decks And had gone below into the hold to take out a quantity of kerosine oil when at 1210 midday nn explosion occurred which blew off the vessel into the river and set fire to the ship Nineteen persons including includ-ing four of the crew and nearly all the stewards hands perished The first and I second officers escaped one of them being injured The captain being on shore was saved The crew mostly from Baltimore and the laborers wore from Richmond and West Point Tbe West Point was a new ship having only made a new few trips She was valued at 60 000 Insured The West Point explosion is unaccounted unac-counted for It occurred near the forward for-ward hatch and the vessel was instantly in flames The twelve colored men in tne hold were killed or burned to death Five others jumped overboard and four were drowned The steamer was cut loose when it was found impossible to save her and she drifted two miles up Damunky River where everything burned except her iron hull which broke amidships Her chief stevedore L S Bradford is among the killed Peter Gcoghehan of Baltimore her first officer offi-cer and Wm Bohannan were badly burned Eighteen of the nineteen dead are colored Three others were injured |