The prairie news. [volume] (Okolona, Miss.) 1851-1875, 1858-10-14

s'dr'iiellS 1l the passengers fescuei
rm The steamer Austria. TLese detail
>urpass in lurror all that the in O.. mattel
AN conceive. They agree in declarin,
that the officers were unfit for command
and the crew totally without discipline
The captain was unnerved 1T the begin
ming at the fire-the helmsman abandon
ed the wheel; and all thought of'hothin,
but securing thrirewn safety. No provi
Ion WAS al hand for checking the flames
he hand engines were out vi order, ant
The buckets We're chained fast, and use
less.
From some Of the narratives before u,
We make extracts. The origin Of til,
fire is thus given:
On the 18Th of September, Capt. Hydt
mann and the physician gave orders tl
have the vessel fumi sated. The fourth
officer was charged with the execute OF
the order. He ordered the boai sw ain !,
mate t take a bucket Of tar and piece
ol lloi i'm and go iuto the forward steer.
aye 10 innigatc IL. They heated piece
Ut clI Ii and dipped it into tie tar To
make Il smoke; bat the chain was 80 hul
that II Sci the tar On tire. Al the same
time TIE other end Of The CHAIN became
too not TO hold, aud he boatswaii' $ mate
let II fall, thas Supselting the bucket Of
tar, viii b, being already IN lire, RAPIDLY
spread over the deck in all direciuns.-
Inc flames from the tar Immediately set
fire to the berhs AMI III addresses in th,.
sterage, and spread al,ny the deck with
incredible raIidily. In an instant il ran
through the gangways to the hatchways
at the entrance of the first and second
cabins toward the poop, blazing up
through them like il blast furnace, and
thus cutting off all retreat fur those who
Were below.
Tne following is from the statement of
MIR. Vein Of Philadelphia:
When wcman were screening and in
hysterlces, children cry ing from the .suf
ferilg they endure from the heat, and
passengers rushing about in wild confu>-
ion, not knowing what was 10 be done,
the officers behaved themselves like i'm
beetles or towards. When the fourth
officer ran up from the stee age, after
rarelcssly or otherwise setting the vessel
N fire, he rushed aft, jumped into one of
the boats, followed by several of the pas
sengers. AS the boat Was being let
down The captain made sprng after il,
but did not succeed in reaching it. He
caught rope, however, but The speed al
Which the vessel was r,nning was 81
great that he was drawn under, and h.,
was soon exhausted, LEI go his hold an1
sank. The boat was smashed under the
propeller, and all IN board of her we've
ost. Some of the passengers sought for
buckets, but none were at hand. They
lied to descend to the cabin, but they
We're met by the flames and smoke, viii, b
'ushed up through the hatchway. AT
asst, a rope was passed down the ventiIa
or, and they We're able to secure some
in pals il the sees nj cabin; but these
we're OF no avail in checking the prosrcs,
# the flames, which had already commu
licated to the upper deck, and were
Gaping from point to point with fearful
'ortcnt. In the cabin and Storage tn
lanes and smoke had full sweep, cutting
I'll the escape Of many scores below, who |
we're soon sutfocated or burned between
IeckS. Mr. Vein, with others. succeed
ii in drawlng up several, mostly ladies',
rom the cabin thr ugh the sky light
And while thoSe below s W no hope of |
scape from their tormehlS but IN death,
he spirits Of the few IN deck were aroused |
y the appearance Of two vessels in the
olizon. They were mere specLs, and
Instant mary miles; yet SO lost were
many to all presence OF mini, that mme-
lately On observing them they com
ncnced shouting, +" Sip ahoy."
In the me ntime the sufferings Of those
II the after deck increased. Of the four
7ooden boats aft, one was already lust. by
eing dragged under tie propeller A
econd was burned before they could gel
er tackle loose. In il third large
lumber of passengers, mostly females,
'ere crowded, aud the bisling tackle
eing loosed, the strain on the checks
ecanie too great VIII n the boat fell in
Were lost. Another got off from The
eSsrl with five or six passen GERS on
GARD. The engines Of the steamer ctn
nupd to run about an hour after the ac
i1ent. Lett, as they were, without
oats, the period Of existence Of over
undred persons assembled IN the quar-
n deck became one of physical endu
ancc of the heat. The flames lcapel
y the shrouds. and licked along The
ards, ill the sails Were wrapped in
ames, and burning fragments of them
'rre continually falling on the persons of
hose below, and setting The dresses Of
re ladies on fire. One garment attrran
ther was in this way destroyed, and tia,
,ss of each only exposed them more and
lore 10 the intense heat. When they
Juld no longer bear up under this tor
le, they would jump overheard. some,
,weyer, ret ,Ined lii ir position for long
me, determined to endnre every posi-
u suffering before jmping overheard