The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1858-10-12
FURTHER PARTICULARS OF THE
OF THE STEAMER AUSTRIA

=
BURNING OF THE STEAMER AUSTRIA
The New York and Philadelphia papers continue
to furnish such additional items they have been
enabled to gather from survivors. We find fur
Their and fuller statement from young Rosen, whose
father was so well known In Petersburg. This
statement is interesting to a high degree, and we
therefore transfer 1t to our columns:
| STATEMENT OF YOUNG RosEN.
Nv name is Charles F. V. Rosen. | am ma
tive of Virginia. and 10 years of age. My mother
and two sisters at present reside in Richmond OF
that State where our family has resided tor the
last thirteen or fourteen years. My father, whom
have lost by this dreadful catastrophe, was pro-
| fessor of music in Richmond, and well known
there. Nv father and | left New York on the 10th
of June, for Bremen, by the Ariel, of the Wander
bilt line. Nv father was native of Sweden, and
our visit to Europe to his parents. Having
resolved to return about the commencement OF
September our passage was taken In the Austria
Nothing occurred of Importance from the time OF
our leaving till the vessel was fire. When the
flames were first seen, my father and L were to-
gether on deck. We kept together and ran to the
boat on the port bow the only boat that clear
of the fire that could see, because of the sudden
dense smoke that soon covered the ship. This
| boat was soon filled, as the rush was general to
the port side of the ship. The boat was then sus
PENDED to the davits, when it found impossi-
bic to lower her with the load of passengers that
had crowded into her. The first mate came to the
boat and ordered every person to leap on the deck
to enable him to lower the boat; but few of the
passengers needed his orders. Notwithstanding
the excitement around the mate cool and COL
lected and would have accomplished what he said
had his orders been respected. On their not COM
plying with his orders he leapcd into the boat
among the crowd and took the passengers in any
manner he could and threw them out of the boat
on the deck. In this he was assisted by stout
gentleman, of the passengers, but more rush
ing upon and into the boat than they could throw
out the task was hopeless. The fire rushing up
on them the mate took knife and cut the tackle
from the davits, and let the boat down into the
water, upon reaching which the great weight of
the passengers sunk her some feet On going into
the water there probably forty persons in the
boat all ianmed together "like herrings in bar
rel" The cries Of the passengers were of every
description of fear, consequent from such peril
Gus position, and were terrible to hear. The gen.
eral cry was that all would be lost, while some
were crying to God to save them. The passen-
gers were all washed out of this boat she en-
tered the water. As she righted up again the
passengers rising to the surface and
scrambng as best they could to get hold of her
When | was rising upI came against the keel Of
the boat, and then struck out little and ultimate
" got hold of the bulwarks. At that time there
hanging on to her; but in few minutes after
wards the boat was again filed with her former
occupants, who weighed her down to twelve or
| eighteen inches underneath the surface. In this
position We were upwards of five hours--the cork
around the life boat and air tight box connected
with it prevented her from sinking, though i'll this
position in the water.
| Ny father never got into the boat after it first
filled and we were all swept out. Five or six oars
belonging to the boat had been lashed together,
that on his first coming to the surface he caught
| hold of them. He would undoubtedly have reach
cd the boat but five six persons took hold of the
oars which prevented them from moving only as
the water drifted them. Our boat was in the same
unmanageable position, we could only keep still
and be drifted by the water. Once they were SO
near on the oars that | got hold of the ends, and
with the assistance of gentleman tried to pull
! them to us, but their weight and wet clothes
dered it beyond our strength. During four hours
they drifted alongside of us. At last | was told
that my father had got hold of the stern Of the
boat; | could not get to him; it impossible to
move at last, being exhausted, after hanging
only a few minutes, he sank and l never saw him
more.
! From the movement of some in the boat it
capsized four times With the exception of two
ladies and one child, the passengers of this boat
were all men. The first time that the boat was
capsized, the lady lost her child; the second time
she was nigh lost herself, and after the third
time she died in the boat from exhaustion, while
she lay in her husbands arms. / helped her hus-
band with another man, consign her to the deep,
as | was close by. 1t was trying time for every
body; but the husband who a German,
very much afflicted by the loss of his wife and
child. During three times which The boat
capsized several persons lost and twice
| apprehensive that would give out also.
! As the sun went down, about haf-past seven
o'clock, we took leave of it, fearful that it might
be the last time We should see it. About this time
the mate stood up in the boat and asked us, in Eng
lish and German, if we wanted to be saved, and
if so, should have to carry out his instructions.
He told that we should all have get out of the
:! boat, and hang on to the bulwarks and the oars
that they would place the boat till she got
above the sufacc, and they would bail her out
This was Immediately complied with by the pas
sengers and we went all over into the water except
one woman and the two men who bailed out At
this time seen in the water, with a large
tin life buoy He hailed, aud added to the
number of those who cnging to the boat
while his buoy cut in two by the mate and
used to bail out the water. The boat cleared of
water, the passengers were told to enter again,
taking with them as little water as possible. The
dashed oars were detached and with them we row.
ed to the French bark Maurice soon as we dis
covered her near, on which We were taken about