Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1858-10-01
THE BURNING OF THEAUsrR1A.

The loss OF life by this awful event is great'
er than by any other of the great steamship
disasters which have shocked the community
of late years
There were six hundred persons on
board, including the crew, and only sirty-
seren are yet known to be saved According
to the statements of Mr. Brews, and Prof.
Thco Glaubenzklee, the fire arose from care
lcssness of some of the crew who were fum-
eating the steerage with burning tar.
The following condensed account from the
statements of Mr.. Brews, the only British
subject saved and of Prof Gaubenzkec of the
Free Academy n. Y, which we take from
the n. Y. Tribune gives the essentials of this
awful calamity.
The terrible reality foreshadowed for some
days of the burning of the steamship Austria,
was fully confirmed yesterday. The leading
facts are briefly as follows: The Austria
sailed from Hamburg on the Cd, and from
Southampton on the 4th, with about 500
passengers. Including officers and crew,
there were eco persons on board. She had
! bad weather until the 18th, when it became
more favorable, and all were expecting to
reach New York by the 18th. Ate p. M,
of the 18th, fire broke out in the forward
steerage occasoned by the upsettng of some
burning tar, used in fumigating the ship. A
panic arose instantly, and scarcely any at
temp was made to extinguish the flames. She
was running head to wind, and the fire ran
aft rapidly, bursting out amidships soon
after, when the magazine exploded, whereby
it is supposed the engineers were sufocated.
| The helmsman for a few minutes put the
ship aback, but was probably soon driven
from the wheel by heat and smoke, when
the ship became unmanagcable. Two boats
were let down, and Immediately swamped.
The mass of the passengers crowded on the
poop, and the vessel heading up to the wind
the flames and smoke enveloped them on every
side. Here the scene was terrible all hopes
vanished, husbands and wives, parents and
children, leaped into the sea locked in each
others arms, many of the women with their
clothes on fire, to escape more frightful
death. Two men succeeded in reaching q
swamped boat, but were soon left far behind
the steamer. In half an hour the only per-
sons remaining alive on the Austria were
some 80 or 40 who had crowded out upon
the bowsprt. Fortunately the French
bark Maurice, Capt. Earnest Remand,
discovered the burning ship and has
tened to the succor of the survivors. Before
dark she succeeded in rescuing 40 persons,
mainly from the bowsprit, few being pick
ed up in the water. At 8 o'clock boat ans
up with % more, making altogether 67 per-
sons taken on board the Maurice, of whom
81 were passengers. These are all positively
known to have been saved, and some of them
were very badly burned. The next morning
the Maurice saw Norwegian cruising about
the burning ship; but it is hardly probable
that any more were found alive. The Maui
rice sailed for Fayal on the l4th, and the
same day fell in with the bark Lotus, Capt.
Irefy, bound for Halifax. Twelve of those
saved from the Austria, were put on board
the Lotus, arriving at Halifax on Sunday af.
ternoon 1t is from these that we get our
accounts.