The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1858-10-05

loWed. Onc hungarian gentleman, with seven
fine children, four of them girls, made his wife
jump In, then blessing his six eldest children, made
them jump in, one after the other, and followed
them with an infant in his own arms I, about this
time, was standing outside the bulwarks, holding
on by the davlts, leaning out to avoid the flames
which were leaping towards me. | saw swamp
ed boat under ME, spinning by rope still attached
to the ship; as the were tied in her. thought
if could get to her, l would be enabled to save
myself and seine others.
let myself down by a rope, passing over man
who was clinging to it, but who refused to come
with me. | took out penknife to cut the tackle,
the large blade broke, and then severed it with
the small blade. The ship passed ahead AS the
screw approached, | found the boat drawn towards
it. / tried to keep the boat off, but the screw
caught and capsized her over me. | diyed away
from tho ship and came to the surface near boat
which was keel upwards. / got upon her, and by
pressing side, with the assistance of a
wave, she righted, but was still swamped The
oars had been knocked out by the screw The
only thing l could find in her to paddle with was
some laths nailed together as a shcathing for the
sides. When [ looked around, the ship was quar-
ter of mile away from me. [ could see the la
dies and gentlemen jumping off the poop into the
water in two's and threes some of the ladies in
flames. Several hesitated to leap from the burn
ing ship until the last moment as the height was
% feet, and were only at length compelled to throw
themselves off to avoid more painful death.
In half an hour not a soul was to be seen on the
poop. I pulled after the ship and picked up Ger
man, who was swimming strongly. l got him be-
side me on the boat and padded after the ship,
with the laths. 1 now vessel under sail APP
preaching. She reached the steamer at about 5,
p. NJ. We continued pulling towards them, and
about half-past seven o'clock, after being five
hours in the water, got within hail of the sailing
vessel which put off boat and took us en- board.
She proved to be the French bark Maurice Capt.
Ernest Renaud, Of Nantes, bound from Newtound-
land to the Isle of Bourbon, with fish She had,
up to that time, rescued forty passengers of the
burning steamer, chiefly taken off the bow6prit,
though few were picked up floating around
At about o'clock one of the metallic boats came
up with about twenty-three persons including
the first and third officers, afterwards three four
men were picked up floating upon piece of the
broken boat. The second officer was taken up,
having been swimming with nothing to float him,
for six hours. The second and third officers were
severely burnt one male passenger burnt
frghtfully, and other male passengers slight
ly. There were but six women saved, three OF
whom were burnt, one in shocking manner.
Capt. Renaud acted with the utmost kindness
He gave clothes as far as he could turnis them to
the suffering passengers, and acted nurse, doe
tor and surgeon to the burnt people, dressing the
wounds of the females with delacacy and tender
ness that cvnced 4 benevolent and amiablc dspo
stion ] did not see az officer of the ship during
| the fire; and certain there not one Of then
or the crew on the poop, except man at the vince
! for a short time | understood that when the
captain heard of the fire, he rushed on deck with
out a cap, and when he saw the flames, exclaimed
1--WE are all lost!' He tried to get boat, which,
when let down. was swamped, and whether acct
dentally or not I do not know he fell into the Sc:
! i Il I l. L.
was in this boat He cut her loose from the dayits
she was carried under the screw and smashed, and
several in her drowned. Three or four men escaped
on fragment and were picked up by the Maurice
| as before stated. About the same time metal
| lie life boat was let down from the port bow and
swamped, but got cleared away with about thirty
three persons in her, including the first and thrC
officers and seven women. The men in the boat
carsized her two or three times in trying to clear
| her of water
Ten persons were thus drowned including som,
women. They afterwards bailed her out with life
preserves cut in two, and pulled to the Maurice
having picked up two three passengers before
reaching the barque. Altogether there were sixty
seven souls taken into the Maurice during tn,
night.
The fire is known to have arisen from very cul
pable negligence ofsome of the crew. The Captain
and Surgeon deemed it cXpcdient to fumi gate tho
Storage, with burning tar. The operation was t.
be performed by the boatswain, under the super
| intendence of the 18th officer The boatswail
heated the end of chain to dip in tar to produc
smoke. The end got too hot to hold, and he let
drop upon the deck, to which it set fire. The ia
upset, and Immediately all about was in famcs-
A feeble attempt was made to extinguish i, bu
without efect-there was nothing at hand to nee
such an emergency
The rescued passengers saved nothing but tn
clothes on their backs, and even the greater par
of these were torn off and otherwise lost ST
hundred souls were supposed to be on board, in
Guiding many women and children.