Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1858-10-06
Heart rending Calamity.
Burning Of the 4xstria. Nearly -Four
Hundred Lires Lost

Hundred Lires Lost
Halifax, Sept 27.-The bark Lotus,
from Liverpool, arrived in Halifax har-
Dor on Saturday afternoon, with twelve
of the slxty-seven surviving passengers
Of the steamship 4ustria, burnt at sea
September 18th, in lat. 1881, long.
1920, taken from the bark Maurice.
Capt. Ernest Remand, on the 18th. At
little after O'clock, on the 18th,
dense volumes Of smoke burst from the
after entrance of the steemge. The
ship was instantly put at half speed. at
which she continued until the magazine
exploded. The engineers, it is inferred.
were instantly suifocated.
Fire was next seen breaking through
the lights amidships, and travelled with
fearful rapidity. Some persons let
down boat from the port side of the
quarter deck, which was thought to be
crushed under the screw. An attempt
was made to launch a boat on the star
board side, but it was swamped from
the number who rushed into it. and all
were lost. All the first cabin passen
gers were on the poop, save 4 few gen
tlemen who must have been smothercd
in the smoking room.
Many second cabin passengers were
also on the poop, but number of them
got shut into their cabin by fire: some
OF them were pulled up through the
ventilator, but the greatest number
could not be extricated The last wo-
man drawn up said there we're six al
ready suifocated. The ladies and gen
tlelnen on the poop jumped into the sea
by twos and threes, some oft the ladies
hesitated, but were driven to it at the
last moment. In half an hour not a
soul was to be seen on the poop.
The French bark Maurice, Capt.
Remand, came along side the steamer
at about 5, P. NJ, and received 20 pass
engers, chiefly taken off the bowsprit.
A few were picked up floating around.
At about s o'clock ore of the metallic
life boats came up with about % per-
sons on it, including the first and third
officers. Afterwards three Or four men
We're picked up floating on a piece Of
broken boat
The I'd officer was taken up, having
been swimming for six hours. He and
the Sd officer were severely burned.
One male passenger was burned
frlghttUlly, aud some others SLIGHTLY
There were but six women saved. three
OF whom were burned. A Norwegian
bark came up with the steamer next
morning, and boat was observed 90
ing around the burning ship.
They may have picked up few per
sons, but only a few. The Maurice had
no communication with the Norwe gian.
LATER.
At I o'clock the Maurice sailed for
Fayal, to deposit the rescued passan-
gers. At about two o'clock the same
T. II. she fell in with the bark LDtshs,
Capt. Trefy, Of armonth, Nova Scotia.
from Liverpool for Halifax. The fire
is known to have arisen from the very
culpable negligence Of some ofthe crew.
The Captain and surgeon considered it
cxpedient to fumigate the stccrage with
burning tar. The operation was to be
performed by the hoatswain, under the
superintendent Of the 4th officer.
The boatswain heated the end Of i
cham to dip IN tar, to produce smoke.
The end became too hot to hold, and
he let it drop upon the deck, to which
it set fire. The tar upset, and runniDo
all about was soon in flames. A feeble
attempt was made to cxtingaish it, but
with out effect There was n0thinu ~
hand to meet such all emergency. The
rescued passengers saved nothing but
the clothes they had on their backs, and
even the greater part Of these were torn
off and otherwise lost.
600 souls were supposed to be on
board, including many women and
children. Mr.. Brew is the only British
subject saved. He is in the British
cruiser on his way to British Columbia.