Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1858-09-28
Burning of the Ocean steamship Austria nj
Gea-Ereaf Isoss of Life

via Southampton to New York, sailed on the /
4th inst, and was burned at Sea, Sept. 18th, |
when about fifteen hundred miles from Sandy |
Hook She had on board about $50 Passen-
gers, the great majority of whom were steerage. |
The cabin passengers numbered something over
sixty. Among them was Wilhelm Staehel,
merchant of Cincinnati. There were also some
fifteen or twenty others in the second cabin.
who were on their way from Hamburg to join
their friends in Cincinnati, and amongst them
Geo Kuhlman, whose family reside in the lat
ter city, and Miss Emma Schramm, who has rel
atives in Cincinnati. The accounts by telegraph
are imperfect, but there is no doubt that large
proportion Of the six hundred persons on board
found burning or watery graves
The bark Lotus from Liverpool, arrived at
Halifax Sundly afternoon, with twelve of the
sixty-seven surviving passengers of the Austria,
taken from the bark Maurice, on the l4th of
September. The telegraph account Of the bum
ing of the Austria is as follows
At little after O'Clock on the 18th dense
volumes of smoke burst from the after entrance
of the steerage. The ship was instantly put at
half speed, at which she continued until the
magazine exploded. The engineers it is inferred
were instantly suffocated. Fire was next seen
/ breaking through the lights amidships and trav-
eleI aft with fearful raPidity. Some persons let
down boat from the port side of tie quarter
deck and they were thought to be crushed un
de. the screw.
! An attempt was made to launch boat on the
| starboard side, but it was swamped from the
numbers who rushed into it, and all were lost
| All the first cabin passengers were on the
poop except a few gentlemen who must have
/ been smolhered in the smoking room.
| All the secand cabin passengers were also on
/ the poop, but a number Of them got shut into
/ their cabin by fire. Some Of them were pulled
/ up through the veniilatOr, but the greater num-
/ ber of them could not be extricatsd.
The last woman drawn up said there were
already suffocated.
The ladies and gentlemen on the pOcP jumped
into the sea BY twOs and threes, SON. OF the Ia
/ dies in flames. Several hesitated, kIt were driv
/ en- to il at the last moment. 10 . half an hour
/ not a soul was to be seen on tn poop.
| The French bark Maurice, Capt. Earnest Re-
/ maud, came alongside the steamer at about P.
NJ, and received 40 passengers, chiefly taken of
the bowsprit. a few were picked up floating
around.
AT about 8 o'clock one of the metallic boats
came up with about % persons in it, including
the Ist and 81 officers. Afterwards three or
four men were picked up hJating on piece OF
broken boat.
| The % officer was taken up, having been
swimming for six hours. He and the 80 officer
were seve rely burned. One male passenger was
severely burnt and others slightly. There
were but six women saved, three Of whom were
burnt.
| 4 Norwegian bark came up with the steamer
next morning, and boat was observed going
round the burning ship. They may have pick
ed up a few persons, but only few.
The Maurice had no communication with the
Norwegian bark.
LATER At about o'clock the Maurice sail
ed for Fayal, to deposit the rescued passengers.
At about o'clock the same P. N. she fell in
with the bark Lotus, of Yarmouth, Nova SEQ
TIA, from Liverpool Tor Halifax.
The fire Is known to have arisen from the very
culpable negligence OF some OF the crew. The
| Captain and Surgeon considered it expedient to
fumigate the steerage with burning tar. The
operation was TO be performed by the boatswain
under the sOperitendence Of the 4th officer. The
boaiswain heated the end of chain to dip in
tar TO produce a smoke. The end became too
hot TO hold and he Jet 1t drop upon the deck to
which IL SCI uEG. 1uE III psf anu
ately all about was in flames. A feeble attempt
was made TO extinguish it but without effect =
There was nothing at hand to meet such an
emergency.
The rescued passengers saved nothing but the
clothes on their backs, and even the greater part
/ Of these were torn off and otherwise lost.
Six hundred souls were supposed to have been
on board, including many women and children.
Mr. Brew is the on.y British subject saved. He
is in the British civil service, on his way to
British Columbia. He will proceed to Boston
In the steamer Eastern State on Tuesday, en-
route to New York.
The following are the names of the survivors
on board the Maurice. L Kuhn, lst officer, B.
Hertman, ID DO, ). Burnett, 81 do, c. Meth
arlis, boatswain's mate, c. Place, quarter mast
eT, n Sungeugen, sailor, II. Richter, boy, ).
Sreibald, fireman, Edward Ayindolph, steward,
C. Poll. engineers assistant Passengers
Maria FriedeIich, from Prague, Resalia Stzig,
from Lobsen, Betty Ergen, from Linberg, Cath
arine Tinkel, from n I E. RObedamOn, from
Charnutbeck, Irina HOsehen, from Basmeforde,
Stanz Mesmer, n. Y, Chas. Fraz, Nicaragua,
G. lsield, Y Y, Burrefeld, Of Dresden, D.
Cohen, Cologne, F. Reinlanmer, do, Jacob
Rill. from Baierek, Franz Tritz, from MainZ,
Emil Tasse, from Ingan, DR.. Seheck from Co
logne, Vim. Becker, from SOrligne, I. WIPER,
of Ellenyille, n. Y, c. LemPk, of Chicago,
Leo. old Thiller, from Pochiowitz, G. L knann,
of Cincinnati, T. HOhertOn, from Leugen, Reu-
bens Wellness, do, F. P. Rethe, do. G. Vallen-
sen, from Cappeln, Fred Stabuer, from Sarin-
ford Ferdinand Stabner, do, d. Osbar, from
Brederbeck c. Brecker from Blomberg, A Lars
from Cappeln, n S Yecks, from Halgren, A.
Wendell. do, c. BuckOls, do, f Reudenburg,
do, s Hess, do, II. Halves, from Berlin, Peter
I. Yagnea, Worms Wifi, MilslOw, do, Levi
Book. from Tudorf, S. Pollock, from Rutsdem,
Phillip Muller, frcm Auran, Ernst Witle, from
Weden. A Bionstief, MOnheim, E. Weunsoh-
mann, from Siggen, Lyon WOlfk- OF n. Y,
Triedhold Wagner, from Castle, Jas. Smith
Murray, of Alexandra
The following are the passengers transferred
to the Lotus and arrived at Halifax Charles
Brew, England; Jean POlinkeruiska, of n. Y;
Philip Berry, Hackensack; II. Randers, Swed-
en-; c. Hogguirt, do; C. Y. P. ROsin, Rich
mond, Ga; Henry Augustus Smith, Chelsea,
Mass; John L. Cox, Boston; A. Vegir, Phila
Theo. C. Glaudinsklen, n. Y.
When Capt Waters Of the Prince Albert as
certained that twelve Of the Austria's survivors
had arrived, be kindly offered all tree passage
and detained the steamer for the purpose of al
lowing them to embark. Ten Of them avaied
themselves Of his generosity and sailed for New
York on Friday at P. NJ.
DRowsED.-The body Of drowned man,
much decayed, has washed ashore at Putin
Bay Island It is supposed to be that of Mr..
McCurrOn, of Toledo, who is thought to have
been lost from the Bay City on her Ietun from
the 10th of September celebration. The San
dusky Register learns that Mr.. Daniel Davis, of
Clyde, sandusky county, who was on the Queen