The Cass County Republican. [volume] (Dowagiac, Mich.) 18??-1880, 1858-10-14

The Buvline u the A Austria1TerrfbIe De
tails Of Personal Suffering.
STATEMENT OF MR.. PHILLIP BERRY.
Mr.. Berry is resident. of Hacken-
sack, New Jersey, and has been for
two years past a student of Theology
in the Union Theological Seminary Of
New York. He went to Europe in
July last, and embarked in the Austria
at Hamburg on his return. He has
furnished a clear and intelligble
statement of the facts of the calamity
with which he was familiar. He states
that after leaving Hamburg the neffic-
iency of the appointments of the
steamer for the safety of passengers,
and incapacity of both officers and
crew, became apparent to him soon af-
ter leaving Hamburg. There was no
discipline and no order manifest in the
working of the vessel, and on inquiring
he learned that most of the crew had
shipped to work their passage to New
York. The contrast between the
Austria and the Saxonia, of the same
line, in which he went to Europe, was
SO great that he determined to leave
her at Southampton, and take passage
by another steamer. A friend, Mr..
Shiebe, who accompanied him, land
who was among the lost,) refused to
acquiesce in the proposition, and Mr..
Berry reluctantly changed his mind
and continued on the Austria.
When the steamer took FIRE, Mr..
Berry was reclining on sofa in the
second cabin, in conversation with Mr..
Shiebe. Hearing an alarm, Mr.. Shiebe
ran rapidly up the hatchway to ascer-
tain the cause of the alarm, followed
by Mr.. Berry. On reaching the cabin
they discovered the smoke driving the
passengers aft, into the cabin. They
ran thence to the skylight in the back
part of the cabin, and climbed through
it to the quarter deck. 1t was through
this skylight that the second cabin pas
sengers made their escape. Word
was sent below to have the ste.:n
pumps set to work, but the engineers
being smothered below, this was i'm
possible. Mr.. Berry, with other pas
sengers, then endeavored to have the
ships course altered, so that the smoke
and heat could be driven from the
quarter deck, which would enable them
to use the pumps employed to wash
the deck. Failing in this, they gave
up all hopes of saving the vessel, and
at once they proceeded to the second
boat on the port side, and with two or
three officers tried to lower it. They
had just got it from the chocks, when
the captain ran to them, caught hold
OF the tackle in the stern of the boat
and let it down, while the boat was
still suspended. The Captain then at
tempted to descend into the boat bv a
rope over the side of the steamer, but
missing his hold he fell into the water.
He caught, however, by another rope
that was dragged from the stern of the
life-boat. He clung to this for some
time, and being drawn through the wa
ter at the rate of eight knots an hour,
he was soon exhausted, and letting 90
his hold, sank Immediately. The
fourth officer then attempted to get
into the boat by the front falls. While
this was proceeding, Mr.. Berry went
to the starboard side, and moment or
two subsequently he observed the boat
floating astern, keel upward, with the
fourth officer and some sailors clingino
to il. These were all picked up by the
Maurice. On the starboard quarter,
MIR. Berry found the passengers and
others trying to lower a boat which
was already filed The stern fall gave
way, and those in the boat were pre-
cipitated into the sea. Over a score
Of others then sprang on the boat, in
their haste to secure a place of safety;
they, too were lost, when the boat was
broken to pieces by being struck by
he screw. Major Brew subsequently
discovered one of the fragments of this
boat which were dragging by a rope
ard floating away upon it
vas providentially saved. lIr. Berry
and hir. Shiehe then sought for life
)reservers, and they each were fortu-
late in securing one of less than a doz-
IN circular canvas life-buoys, filled with
,ork, which we're on the steamer.
In the midst of the terrible ordeal
lnder which they were passing, they
determined to remain on the deck as
ong as possible. When they made
heir egress from the cabin, they could
,ass on the, windward. side of the
steamer, its entire length, but within
wo or three minutes the flames and
moke had closed this passage and all
between the bows and
he quarter was cut off. A moment
more and the flames were bursting out
# the cabin skylights. Mr.. Berry was
orced to take his position aft, and
lardly twenty minutes elapsed before
he flames below, in front and above.
rom portfolios and sky-lights and rig
ing made their position one of intense
'ain. When this became so great as
o render it impossible to endure it
onger, passengers threw themselves
and met with certain
leath. The scene had now become
ne of fearful terror. The passengers
n board were made up of most ali the
European nations. There were En-
lish, Irish, French, Germans. Jews
'oles, Hungarians and Italians and
sw Americans. Abaft of the Wheel
ouse the. Jews were kneeling together
tterlng the prayers of their peculiar
plioionl Tho Cofho1;cc xx,o,-< :r.~1~: