The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1858-09-28
the BURNING STEAMSHIP.
Destruction Of the Austria
BY Fire.
TERRIBLE LOSS OF HUMAN LIFE.
~o~~>o~~~>oo>>~ooOo,r~~
Nearly Five Hundred Persons Burned
to Death, Drowned or SufTocated.
Only SKg-Seven Lives Known to
be Saved.
Thrilling Narratives Of the Catas-
trophe by Rescued Passengers.
Pightful Suffcrinss Of those on Board the
lll-Fated Ship.
n(N~~~~~~~N~<~~><~~No1.~-
Twelve Of the Saved ON their Wav
to New York.
eS~o~~Sr~N->~N>~N-~>>~~>>>rs
THE ORIGIN OF THE DISASTER.
"~~~-0o~~oSNo-N~~y~O>no~~N
List Of the Cabin Passengers -Descrip-
ton Of the Ship-The Insurance
on the Vessel and Cargo,
&C., &C., &c
Twelve Of the Saved ON their Way
to New York.
THE ORIGIN OF THE DISASTER

The news which we received yesterday from Halifax bv
telegraph has put end to all further conjecture in regard
TO the name Of the missing steamer The living witnesses OF
the disaster those who escaped from the burning ship
and who are now at Halifax left Hamburg on board the
Hamburg Companys steamship Austra on the 4t Of SEN
tember for this port The mystery which surrounded the
ated ship has at last been cleared up and the anxious
fears and suspense Of friends have given place to still
more terrible feeling Of uncertainty the fate OF The
absent ones when the first report rea ched was no
supposed that the burning steamer was the Ausra a ha
description gwen oy The captain Of the bark Arabian by
whom the wreck in lat. As IL long Al 4s-dd
not apply to her; but more detailed and later accounts
pointed TO this vessel with than "a that
which had been seen on Ere. The figure head was the
same and in other particulars the resemblance was so
perfect that there could longer be any just for
further doubt Whatever doubt there might be as TO ts
being the Austria were entirely removed by the painfully
accurate despatch which reached yesterday afternoon
from Halifax
The Austria left Hamburg with the following number NJ
passengers and crew.
In the first cabin-cs persons, Of whom 10 were
children
children.
In tho persons Of whom 30 were children
Making total Of 3es adults and 81 chudrcn--or 425
persons
Tho crew including the captain and officers numbered
los men, that there were altogether 535 souls on
board, Of whom only 81 have been saved leaving the
fearful balance OF All who have been either drowned
suffocated or burned 20 death
Yesterday, as We have already stated the news ar
rived which put end to all conjecture by announcing
that the lost other than the Austria The
French bark Maurice had, u appears fallen in with tho
burning vessel the 18th nst in lat 45 or Ion Al 80
and succeeded saving sixty passengers Twelve Of
these transferred the following day TO the bark
Lotus which arrived Halifax on Sunday afternoon
Annexed arc despaiches,-
HArUAx, Sept 27-A.M
The bark Lotus, from Liverpool arrived in Halifax har.
Dor on Sunday afternoon twelve Of the sixty
surviving passengers Of the steamship Austria burnt at
sea Sept H. in lat 5 o. lon II 3o taken from the bark
Maurice on the 18th.
AT little after two O'Clock on the lsth dense volumes
of smoke burst from the after entrance Of the sccragc
The ship instantly put at half speed, which she
continued until the magazine exploded.
The engineers, Ia Inferred instantly sufoca,ed
Fire next seen breaking through tho lights amid.
shpe and II travelled an with fearful rapdIiy.
Some persons let down boat from the port side OF The
quarter deck and she thought be crushed under
tho
An attempt was made 10 launch boat on the starboard
sue uhN Nte bumpers VINO rushed
into u, and all were lost
All tho hrst cabin passengers the poop except
few gentlemen who must have been smothcred Ia the
smoking room.
Many second cabin passengers we're also on the poop
but number u them got shut into the cabin by Are
Some Of them puled M through the ventator but
the greater number could be extrcatcd Tho last vo
man drawn UP said there sir already sufccated
The ladies' and gentlemen on the poop Jumped into tho
sca by twos and thrccs, somo of the ladies' In flames
Several hcstased, but were driven 10 al the last
moment
In half an hour not soul to be on the poop
The French bark Maurice, Capt Ernest Remand came
alongside tho steamer a, about Gve O'Clock NJ ana
rescued forty passengers chiefly taken on the bowspr
few picked NJ, floating around. Al about eight
O'Clock Of the metallic boats came up with
about twenty three persons in n, including the
hrst and third ofHcefs. Afterwards, three or
four men picked up floating on pscco Of
broken boat The secoud ofncor was taken up having
been swimming for hours He and the third onlcer
were severely burnt. One male passenger was burn,
frighully ami others slightly. There were but SIX
women saved, three Of whom were burnt
A Norwegian bark came up with the steamer The next
morning. and boat observed going around the burn
ing ship They may have picked up few persons, but
only few.
The Maurice had Communication with tho Norwegian