Show The West Point Disaster Richmond 27The cargo wan made up of miscellaneous freightaraojp which were several hundred barrels of oil sixty of whicli gasoline oil becoming ignited the flames spread with such rapidity that there were no chances ef siving the vessel nor any one un board even if there was no one killed by the explosion The forward portion of the deck and a great part of the leaboard side was thrown out nnd there is no doubt all fin the hold or near the forward for-ward half were instantly killed Four men were drowned Part of the gang were stowing cotton in the aft bold and HS soon us this gang heard the explosion and saw the rapid spread of the fire they igether with a boy assisting them made for the starboard port and plunged into tho river Jut then a large hatch slid off the deck and falling upon them diabled four bo that they sank at mIce The fifth suyed himself The passengers on the Richmond Rich-mond and Danville Railroad which runs into the West Point line in connection with the Baltimore which arrived today from the west part of the state say thAY were utterly unable tll account for the disaster They say the only fi e on board wa under the boiler which runs the hoisting engine and tae engineer running run-ning it remained at his pt and was unhurt un-hurt The bend had beon opened nearly tw hours when the explosion occurred Sn theories of a confined g + R explosion are done away with John J + rvis the colored fireman WRP in the main boiler cleaning it out Be of curse bad alight a-light and this was the only light known to be on board the steamer The West Point was built in Baltimore at H cost of 70000 This was her second trip This is the third time the venal OCR portion thereof has undprgonA the ord ai of fire There IS probably a full insurance but no particulars are known Baltimore 27 Tho in uunceon the steamer West Point was 40000 |