The Sun.
London, England, 1858-10-04 00:00:00

FIRE AT SEA AND SUPPOSED LOSS
OF LIFE.

SOUTHAMPTON, SUNDAY.

Intelligence was received here last night of the
burning at sea of the screw steamship Austria, while
on her passage from this port to New York, accom-
panied, it is to be feared, with a sad loss of life.
The disastrous tidings were communicated to
Messrs. Croskey and Co., the agents of the company,
to whom the steamer belonged, by Mr. Jas. Leader,
Lloyd's agent at Bristol, in the following telegram :
"P. Pemberton, Virginia, reports destruction by
fire, 13th Sept., steamer Austria, Southampton to
New York. It is feared great loss of life. P. Pem-
berton fell in with Lotus, for Halifax, 18 passen-
gers on board. 50 on board a French barque. Capt.
of steamer jumped overboard, drowned."
The Austria left Hamburg on the Ist, and South-
ampton on the 4th September, so that she must
have been about three-fourths of the way across the
Atlantic when the calamity occurred. She had
nearly 600 souls on board when she left this port,
having about 80 first-class, 100 second, and 280
steerage passengers, and her crew was upwards of
100 in number. If, therefore, those enumerated in the
telegram are all that are saved, the lives lost by this
fearful catastrophe must amount to at least 500. It
is to be hoped, however, that more of the unfortu-
nate people escaped in the steamer's boats (with
which she was well supplied), and have been picked
up by other vessels. The majority of the passengers
were emigrants from Germany, of whom the agents
of the company here have no list. The following
are the names of the passengers who embarked at
this-port, the first division comprising those who
took their tickets at Messrs. Croskey's offices, and
the second those who came over from Havre :
Socond-class—Miss E. Ford, Mr. Bickel, Mr.
Robert Hunt, Mrs. Lydia Hunt.
Steerage—Mr. A. Norris, Nicholas Renouf, Rachel
Renouf, Chartress Brew, Mrs. Frances Neale, Miss
Annie Neale, Master Frank Neale, Mary Neale
(infant), Mr. S. N. Bendenson.
FRENCH PASSENGER LIST.

Second Cabin—Mr. J. Mentos, Mr. L. Neumann
Mr. Le Faivre and wife.

Steerage—Mr. J. Leibel, Mr. J. G. Keller, Mr.
J. Weiptr.
The Austria was an iron screw steamer of 2,500
tons and 600 horse-power, built by Messrs Caird
and Co., of Greenock, about two years ago. She
was commanded by Captain Heydtmann, the oldest
captain in the company's service, and the commo-
dore of their fleet. He was an excellent seaman,
and his gentlemanly bearing caused him to be held
in high respect. The Hamburg American Packet
Company has existed for many years as a sailing-
packet company, with the addition, during the last
three or four years, of a steam line. Their first two
steamers, the Borussia and the Hammonia, have
always been celebrated for the fast passages they
have made to and from New York, and were em-
ployed respectively by the English and French
Governments in the transport service in the Black
Sea during the Russian war. When released from
this service the two steamers resumed the line,
running monthly, each way, and early in the present
year two additional steamers, the Austria and
Saxonia, were placed on the line, since which a
fortnightly communication with New York has
been maintained with the greatest punctuality and
regularity. The people of Hamburg took great
pride in this company and their vessels, and the
news of this alarming disaster will be received
there as a national calamity.
In the autumn of 1857 the Austria was chartered
for the conveyance of troops to India, but was twice
obliged to put back in consequence of accidents to
her machinery, and. the charter was annulled, the
troops being sent out in the screw steamer Calcutta,
belonging to the European and American Company.
After undergoing an effective repair of her machi-
nery, the Austria was placed on the New York line,
for which she was built. During the present sum-
mer she has made two very successful passages out
and home, and was on her third outward voyage
when she encountered the terrible accident which
has had so fatal a result. She would have been the
next ship home of this line, being due here on the
13th inst.
In addition to the largo number of passengers, the
Austria was full laden with a valuable cargo. We
believe that she was insured.
Further particulars of this appalling calamity are
anxiously looked for. The steamship Vanderbilt,
expected here on Tuesday, will probably bringsomo
additional details, as she was to leave New York on
the 25th ult., 12 days after the sad occurrence, by
which time some of the rescued sufferers would, in
all probability, have reached that port.