'The Russian steamship Alecander, Captain Hummel, left Hankow 4th September at5a.m., in' charge of W. 0. Blanchard og pilot." On the 5th at 2 a.m. a report came from engine-room smoke coming out of tie fore bunker and at the same time light smoke was observed rising from the bunker holes on deck. The Captain and all'hands were called; fire-gearing was at once manned and hose turned into the bunkers, under th ion that the coals were on fire, W! as being done, the smoke was observed to get worse, but after half an hour's work it was 80 far diminished that four men were sent down to trim out the coal, which however was found to be not even heated. The joke again increased, the smell now dicating that it was the cargo and engine stores in the "tween decks that were on fire. All hands were set to work to take out cargo from the main hatch, so as to clear a passage to the place where the fire was supposed to be, but only a few tea chests were taken away' when an immense volume of smoke began to pour up the main hatch, and made further work there impossible. Holes were then cut in the deck, through which the hose might be passed to drench the fire, but as sven as these were made, the flames burst out through them, and it was observed that the whole tween decks was in a blaze right across the beam. All the hose were prompt-turned on the burning mass, and every spare hand kept passing buckets of water to help the effect. This was kept up foe two hours without having any perceptible result, although the vessel had meanwhile
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