The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1858-10-07
BURNING OF TIE STEAMER AUSTRIA
STATEMENT OF Mr.. BREW.

i took passage at Southampton on the 4tn,
in the steamship Austria, Capt. Heydtmann,
which left Hamburg on the I'd. We sailed at
s P. NJ, the evening being little misty. We
in consequence anchored between the Isle OF
| Wight aud the main land sailed again at 4
O'Clock on the following morning. In weigh
ing anchor, an unfortunate accident occurred,
by which one of the crew lost his life. Owing
to some Encouragement, the anchor ran out,
whirling the capstan around with terrific force,
and hurting the men in all directions. Two
we're severely injured, and one thrown over
board. he was supposed to have been instant
ly killed, as he never rose to the surface. From
| the time the ship was laid on her course we
experienced strong westerly winds. On the
| 18th the weather was more favorable, and on the
18th a speed of eleven knots had been attain
ed, and all were in hopes of reaching New
York by the 18th.
| At little after 2 o'clock P. M, was on the
| quarter deck, when saw dense volume of
smoke burst from the after entrance of the
Storage. Some women ran aft, exclaiming,
The ship is on fre-what will become of us?"
The ship was put at halfspeed, at which she
continued until the magazine exploded, from
which, / infer, the engineers were instantly sut-
located. ] only walked from where was, on
the quarter deck, to the waist of the ship, when
saw the flames spreading through the lights
/ amidships. AS the chip was head to the wind,
| the fire travelled with fearful rapidity. / then
| went to the man at the wheel, and told him to
put the vessel with her side to the wind BE
| hesitated-probably did not understand me, as
| he was a native of Hamburg. then got a
| German gentleman to speak to him. At this
time, saw some persons letting down the boat
on the port side of the quarter deck. What
became of the boat / don't know, but think she
was crushed under the screw. / then went to
| get boat over from the starboard side of the
| quarter deck, but the moment we laid our
| hands on the ropes, there were 80 many who
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 i: again, it descended
| with great violence into the water, and it was
instantly swamped, all the people being washed
out, excepting three, who held on to the sides.
We then let down q rope, and pulled up one
person, who proved to be the steward. Anoth-
er, in the act of being hauled up, was strangled
by the rope.
The FIRE now came on too fercely to attempt
to get up any more from the swamped boat.
All the first cabin passengers were on the poop,
with the exception of few gentlemen, who
must have been smothered in the smoking
were also on the poop, but q number of them
got shut into their cabin by the fire. Some of
them were pulled up through the ventilator,
but the greater number could not be extricated.
The last woman who was drawn mp said there
were six already suffocated. 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 to the wheel-house to ascertain the rea.
son, but / was informed that the helmsman
had deserted his post, and that the vessel be-
ing left to herself, headed 10 the wind of her
own accord.
At this time the scene or the quarter deck
was INDISPENSABLE, and truly heart-rending.
Passengers were rushing frantically to and fro
husbands seeking their wives-wives in search
of their husbsnds-relatives looking after rela-
tives-mothers lameuting the loss of their chill
dren-some wholly parslyzed by fear, others
madly crying to be saved, but few perfectly
calm and collected. The flames pressed so
closely upon them, that many jumped into the
sea relatives, casped in each others arms
leaped over and met watery grave. Two
girls, supposed to be sisters, jumped overheard,
and sunk kissing each other.
A missionary and bis wife leaped into the
sea together, and the stewardess and assistant
steward, arm in arm, followed. One Hunga-
rian gentleman, with seven fine children, four
of them girls, made his wife Jump in, then
blessed his ak eldest children, made them Jump
in one after the other, and followed them with
an infant in his arms. | at this time was
standing outside of the bulwarks, holding on
by the dsvits, leaning out to avoid the flames,
which were leaping towards me. l saw a
swamped boat under me, spinning by a rope
still attached to the ship. AS the oars were
tied in her, thought if | could get to her
would be enabled to save myself and some
others. let myself down by a rope, passing
over man who was clipging to it, but who re-
fused to come with me. took out penknifs
to cut the tackle; the large blade broke, and
then | severed it with the small blade. The
ship then passed ahead, and as the boat ap-
preached the screw, / found the boat was drawn
towards it. / tried to keep it away, but the
screw caught the boat and capsized it over me-
dlved away from the ship and came to the
surface near the boat, which was now keel up
wards. got on her, and by pressing on one
side, with the assistance of a wave, she righted,
but was still swamped; the oars had been
knocked out by the screw; the only thing
could find in her to paddle with, was some laths
nailed together as q sheathing for the sides
when looked around, the ship was quarter
of q mile from me; l could see the ladies and
gentlemen jumping eff the poop into the water
in twos and threes, some of the ladies being in
flames several hesitated to leap from the burn
ing ship until the last moment, as the height
was twenty-five feet, and were only at length
compelled to throw themselves off, to avoid
more painful death
In half an hour, not soul was to be seen on
the poop; / pulled after the ship, and picked
up German who was swimming strongly; /
got him beside me upon the boat, and we pad.
died after the ship with the laths. l now saw
vessel under sail approaching; she reached
the steamer at about five p NJ; we continued
pulling towards them, and at about half past
seven, after being FIVE hours in the water, got
within hail of the sailing vessel; she put off
boat and took Us on board; she proved to be
the French barque Maurice, Capt. Ernest Re-
maud, OF Nantes, bound from Newfoundland
to the Isle OF Bourbon. with fish she had,
up to that time, rescued forty passengers of the
burning steamer, chiefly taken off the bowsprit
though lew were taken up floating around.
At about eight o'clock, one of the metallic
boats came up, with about twenty-three per-
sons, including the second and third officers.
Afterwards three or four men were picked M.
floating on q piece of broken boat. The acc.
ond officer was taken up, having been swim.
ming, with nothing to float him, for six hours,
The second and third officers were severely
burned. One male passenger was burnt fright
fully, and some of the other male passengers
slightly. There were but six women saved,
three of when were burnt, one in shocking
manner.
Captain Remand acted with the utmost kind
ness. He gave clothes, as far as he could fur.
nish them, to the suffering passengers, and
acted as a nurse, doctor, and surgeon, to the
burnt people, dressing the wounds of the fe
males with q dehcacy and tenderness thai