The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1858-10-02

pencil i'll writing Cor the press.
Appalling Disastrr-'Thc Burning of
the steamer Austria at Sca-Ovcr
so Lives Lost.
The German Steamer Austria. which sailed
from Hamburg on the Ord ult., and from
southampton On the 4th, took fire during the
voyage to this country. on the 18th inst. and
was totally destroyed. Out of about GOO
souls or hoard, passengers and crew, hut
SLriy-SereH are known 10 he saved, and there
Is scarcely hope that any Others have been
rescued. or those saved 81 were passengers:
the others belonged to the steamer. They
were mostly Germans but a considerable
number resided in this country and were re-
turning home fiom visiting Europe. We
make the following extracts from a statement
Of the dreadful calamity by Mr.. Charles
Brew an EngliShman, who escaped.
"From the time the ship wa, laid on her
course we experienced strong westerly
winds On The u h the weather was more
favorable and on the 18th the speed Of eleven
knots had been attained, and all were in high
hopes Of reaching New York by the 18Th.
At little after clock p. NJ, was on the
quarter deck: | saw dense volume Of smoke
burst from the after entrance Of the stceragc
'N'Hlc "blliCii iaii dlt tAElHllhlNS INV SUD
i on fire. what will become Of us ~ The
ship was instantly put at half speed, at which
She continued ulth the magazine exploded,
from which infer the engineers r. instant.
ly Sutincatcl. only walked from where
was on the quarter DICK to the mast Of Tie
ship, when | saw the flames breaking
throughout the mid ships. As the ship was
head 10 the wind. the fire Travelled with fear
ful rapidlty. All the first cabin
passengers were ON the poop, with the cXcep-
ton Ola few gentlemen, who must have been
Smothcrctl in the smoking room. M,ny of
the second cabin passengers were also on the
poop, and a number Of tlicm got shut in their
cabin by the fire. some of them were pulled
up through the ventilator, but the greater
number could not be cXlricated TIE las
woman who was drawn up said there were six
already sulI1catrd." At this time
the scene on the quarter deck was indrScriha-
BILE, and truly hcar-rcnding. Passengers
were fishing frantically 20 and fro III, stands
were seeking their wives wives in search of
their husbands looking after r,la.
tvcs mothers lamcntiug the loss of their
children; some wholly palsliz!d 10y fear
Others madIv crying to he saved, but few
perfectly calm and collected"
The flames pressed so closely upon them.
clasvcl in each others arms lcap,d over and
met watcry gave: two girls. supposed to
he sisters, jumped overheard and sunk kissing
each other. a missionary and wife lcaptd
into the sea together, and the sttwardcss aud
assistant steward arm in arm followed.
One hungarian gentleman with seven fine
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 anus.
at this time was standing outside the bull
warkS holding ON ny the davis, leaning out
TO avoid the flames, which were lrapng TO,
wards me. | saw Il Swamprd boat under me,
spinning by rope still attached to the ship.
As the oars were tied in her | thought if
could get to her. would be enabled to save
myself and some others.
let myself down lay rope, passing over
a man who was clnging to 1t. who refused
to come with me. | took out Il pcrkn(e to
cut the tackle the large blade broke, ard
then severed it with the small blade. The
ship then passed ahead and as The boat APP
preached the screw found the boat drawn
toward it,
tried to keep the boat off, but the screw
caught the boat and capsized it over me
diyed away from the ship-caule to the sur
wards | got on her, and by pressing on one
SIDE with the assistance of a wave. she right
cd, but was still swampcd. The oars he'd
been knocked out by the screw. The only
thing could find in her to paddle with was
some lathcs nailed together as L shetthin5 for
the sides.
When looked around the ship was IA
quarter Ola mile way from me- | could see
the ladies and gentlemen jumping off the
poop INTO the water in twoS and lhlccs
some Of the ladies being in flames. Several
hesitatcd to leap from The burning ship urlll
the last moment as the height was twenty
two feet, and were only at length compelled
to throw themselves off to avoid more pain.
full death.
In half an hour not soul WAS to be seen
ON the poop. | pulled after the ship and
picked up German who was swimming
strongly. | got INN beside ne on the boat,
and we padded after the ship with the laths.
] now saw vessel under sail approaching
She reached the steamer at about s. p NJ.
We continued pulling toward them, and
about half past seven clock, after being five
hours in the water, got within hail o; the
sailing vessel, which pnt of boat aud took
us Oh board. She proved to he the French
bark Maurice, Captain Earnest Rcnnni, Of
Isle OF Bourbon, with fish. She had, up to
that time, rescued forty passengers of the
bowsprit, though few we've picked up float.
ing around.
AT about o'clock one of the metallic
boats came up with about twenty three PEI sons
including the first. second and third officers
afterwards three or four men were picked ul
floating ON piece Of the broken boat. Tn.
second officer was taken up, having been
swimming: with nothing to float him, for 81,
hours Norwegian bark cam,
up with the steamer the next morning, and
boat was observed going around the burn,
ing ship. They may have picked up few
persons, but only very few. The Maurice
had no communication with the Norwegian
bark.
FOREIGN NEws.--The advlces by the Ara
a. H.. Al. 4 -, H.,