Kenosha tribune & telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1856-1859, 1858-10-07
BURNING OF THE AUSTRIA !
StutemeHf of Charles Brews.


The vessel was making good progress
on 18th ult. At little after 2 O'Clock
p. H., | was on the quarter deck. / saw
dense volume of smoke burst from the
after entrance to the Storage. Some
women ran aft exclaiming, "The ship is
on fire what will become Of us % The
ship was. instantly put at half speed, at
which she continued until the magazine
exploded, from which l infer the engin-
GERS were instantly sufocated.
| only walked from where | was on
the quarter deck, to the waist of the
ship, when saw the flames breaking
through the lights amidship. AS the
ship was head to the wind the fire trav-
elled aft with fearful rapidity. then
went to the man at the wheel and told
him to put the vessel with her side to
the wind. He hesitated, probably not
understanding me, as he was a native of
Hamburg. l then got a German gen
tleman to speak to him. At this time |
saw some persons letting down boat
on the port side of the quarter deck
What became of the boat I don't know
but thing she was crushed under the
screw. | then went to let boat over
the starboard side Of the quarter deck,
but the moment we laid our hands on
the ropes there were so many people
crowded into it that we could not lift it
off the blocks. We, therefore, left it
for few minutes until the people got
out, when we returned and launched it
over the side of the ship. When the
people all rushing into it again descen
ded with great violence into the water
and instantly swamped, all who were in
it being washed out, except three, who
held on to the sides. We then let down
a rope and pulled up one person who
proved to be the steward. Another in
the act of being hauled up was strang-
led by the rope. The fire now came on
too fiercely to attempt to get up any
more of those who were struggling to
keep above water.
All the first cabin passengers were on
the poop, with the exception of a few
gentlemen who must have been smoth-
cred in the smoking room. Many of the
second cabin passengers were also on
the poop, but many of them got shut in
to the cabin by the fire. Some of them
were pulled through the ventilator, but
the greater number could not be extri-
Gated. The last woman who was drawn
up said there were six already suffoca-
ted. t'-
We now perceived that the ship had
got her head to the wind again, so that
the flames came over the quarter deck
In consequence Of the crowd; / could
not get t. he. wheel house to ascertain
the reason, but was informed that the
helmsman had deserted his post, and
that the vessel, being left to herself,
headed to the wind of her own accord.
AT this time the scene on the quarter
deck was indescribable, and truly heart
rending. Passengers were rushing
frantically to and fro, husbands seeking
their wives, wives in search of their hus-
bands, relatives looking for relatives,
mothers lamenting the loss of their chill
dren some wholly paralyzed by fear !;
others madly crying to be saved, and
but few calm and collected.
The flames pressed so closely upon
them that many jumped into the sea /;
relatives, clasped in each others arms,
leaped over and met a watery grave
Two girls, supposed to be sisters, jump
ed over, and sank kissing each other
A missionary and wife leaped into the
sea together, and the stewardess and
assistant steward, arm in arm, followed.
One Hungarian gentleman, with I fine
children, of them girls, made his wife
jump in, then blessed his six eldest chill
dren-made them jump in one after the
other, and followed them with an infant
in his own arms. |, about this time,
was standing outside the bulwarks, hol-
ding on the davits, and leaning out to
avoid the flames, which were leaping
towards me. | saw a swamped boat
under me, swinging by rope still at
tached to the ship. AS the oars were
tied In her, / thought if 1 could get to
her L would be enabled to save myself
and some others. l let myself down
by rope, passing over man that was
clinging to it, but who refused to come
with me. | took out penknife to cut
the line. The large blade broke, and /
then severed is with the small blade
The ship passed ahead.
AS the screw of the steamer approach
ed, | found the boat drawn towards it
| tried to keep the boat off, but the screw
caught and capsized her over me; I div
ed away from the ship and came to the
surface near a boat which was keel up
wards; l got on her, and by pressing on
one side, with the assistance of a wave
she righted, but was still swamped
The only thing could find in her to
paddle with was some laths nailed to.
gether as sheathing for the sides
When | looked around, the ship was a
quarter of mile away from me. I cold
see the ladies and gentlemen jumping of
the poop into the water by twos and
threes, some Of them in flames. Sever.
al hesitated to leap from the burning
ship until the last moment, as the height
was p feet, and were only at length
compelled to throw themselves off to
avoid a more painful death.
In half an hour not a soul was to be
seen on the poop. ! pulled after the
ship and picked up German who was
swimming strongly; L got him beside me
IN the boat, and we padded after the
ship with the laths. now saw vessel
under sail approaching; she reached the
steamer about P. NJ. We continued
pulling towards them, and about I l-2
O'Clock, after being five hours in the
water, We got within hailing of the sail
ing vessel, which put off boat and got
US on board. She proved to be the
French barque Maurice, Capt. Ernes
Renaud, of Natz, bound from Newfound
land for the IsleIof Bourbon, with fish
She had up to that time rescued forty
passengers of the burning steamer, chief
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