The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1858-10-06
Only Sixty Seven Lives known to be
.I00W ia SavedlI0T TIA p.

Der s4ths with AIS passepgersp 81 of
whom were children. Of these we're in
the first cabin 90, second cabin Ill,
steerage 241. The crew consisted of
I03 persons; making in all 53S souls. OF
whom only 67 are known to be saved -
10 Of the crew and 81 passengers-ieav-
ing a balance of All to perish by fire,
s~uffocatiou or drowning.
Only I3 of the saved arc American
residents, asd they appear to have Ger
man names. One only is from Ohio,
Mr. G. LUKMANN, of Cincinnati.
ME-. CHARITIES BREws' NARRATIVE.
II took assage at Southampton on the
4th inst in the steamship Austria, Capt.
Heydtmau, which left Hamburger on the
I'd. We sailed at5-P. NJ, the evening
being a little misty igwei in, consequence
anchored between the Isle of Wight and
the main lond sailed again at d o'clock
on the following morning. In weighing
anchor an unfortunate accident occurred,
by which orc of the crew lost his life.
Owing to some Encouragement the a
Choir ran out, whirliDg the capstan around
With terrific force, and hurlipg the men
in all directions. Two were severely in
iured, and one thrown overboardj he is
supposed to have been instantly killed,
as be never rose to the SUFFICE.
From the time the ship was laid on
her course we experienced strong west
erly winds. On the 18th the weather
was more favorable, and on the 18th a
speed of eleven knots had been attained,
and all were in high hopes of reaching
New York by the 18th. at a little af-
ter 2 o'clock P. NJ. I was on the quarter
deck. 7 saw a dense volume of smoke
burst from the after entrance Of the
steersgc. Some women ran aft, ex-
claiming, "The ship is on 6reI what will
become of us?'' The ship was instantly
put at half speed, at which she continued
until the magazine exploded, from which
l infer the engineers were instantly suf-
located. 1 only walked from where 1
was on the quarterback to the waist of
the ship, when ] saw the flames breaking
through the lights amidships. AS the
ship was head to the wind, the fire trav-
eled with fearful rapidity.
/ then went to the man at the wheel,
and told him to put the vessel with her
side to the wind. HG hesitated-prob-
ably did not understand me, as he was a
native of Hamburg. I then got a Ger.
man gentleman to speak to him. At
this tine [ saw some persons letting down
the boat on the port side of the quarter
deck. What became of the boatI don't
know, but think she vas crushed under
the screw. / then went to let a boat
over from the starboard side of the
Quarter deck, but the moment We laid
our hands on the ropes, there was so
many people who crowded into it that
We could not lift it off the blocks. We
therefore left it for a few minutes until
the people got out, when we returned
and launched It over the side of the ship,
when, the people all rushing into it again,
descended with great violence into the
water ard was instantly swamped, all
the people being washed out except three,
who held on to the sides. We then let
down a'rupe and pulled up one person,
who proved to be the stewart. Another,
in the act of being hauled up, was stran-
gled by the rope.
The fire came on too ~iercely to at
tempt to get up any o from the
swamped boat. All the first cabin pass
engers were on the poop, with the ex-
cep ion of q few gentlemen, who must
have been smothered IN the smoking
room. Many of the second cabin pass
eDgers were also on the poop, but a Ium-
Der of them got shut into their cabin by
the fire. Some of them were pulled up
through the ventilator, but. the greater
number could not be extricated. The
last Woman who was drawn up said there
were six already suEocated. We now
percsiyed that the ship had got her head
to the wind again, SO that the flames
came over the quarter deck.
In consequence of the crowd, l could
not get to the wheel house to ascertain
the reason, but l was informed the
helmsman had deserted his post, and
that the vessel, being left to herself,
headed to the wind of her own accord.
At this time the scene on the quarter
deck was Undesirable and truly heart
reuding. Passengers were rushing fraat-
ically to and from-husbands looking af-
ter wives, relatiyeslo looking after relatives,
mothers lamenting the loss of their chill
dreD, some wholly paralysed with fear, 9TH
ers madly crying to be saved; but a few
perfectly calm and collected. The flames
pressed SO closely upon them that many
jumped into the sea relatives, clasped
in each others arms, lesped over and
met q watery grave; two girls, supposed
to be sisters, jumped over and sank kiss
ing each other. A missionary and wife
leaped into the sea together, and the
stewardess and assistant steward, arm in
arm, followed. One Hungarian gentle
man, with seven 6ne children, four of
them girls, made his wife jump in, then
blessed 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 out
side the bulwarks, holding on by the
dayits3 leaning out to avoid tho flames,
which were leaping towards me. 1 saw
a swamped boat under me, spinning by a
rope still attached to the ship; as the
cars were tied in her, I thought if 1
could get to her / would be enabled to
ave myself aud others. I let myself
down by a rope, passing over a man who
was clinging to it, but who refused to
como with me. / took out a penknife to
cut the tackle the large blade broke, I
then severed it with the small blade
The ship passed ahead. AS the screw
approached / found the boat drawn to-
wards il. 1 tried to keep the boat off,
but the screw caught and capsized her
over me. i dived away from the ship
and came to the surface rear a boat
which was keel nnwards. 7 mt on her