The weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington, Iowa) 1858-1860, 1858-10-05

LAND.
i took passage u S5uthsnptoa on tho 4sh N
The Steamship Austria, Capt. HsydttmsD, which
ls3s Hamburg on the ~. We sailed at s p. ~;
~ evening being sllstle misty, W 10 conse-
oueuce anchored betwsens abe Isle u Wightand
the main land; sailed again At o'clock on the
following morning. IL weighing aashor an un-
fortunasc accident occurred, BY which one Of
the crswsiost HE life. Owing to some misman-
agenlent the anchor ran oat, whiriing the cap
stan round With terrific force. and hurting tho
men in all directions Two we're severely in
jured a.li one thrown overheard. He Is sup
posed to have been instantly 'Glied, as 10 never
rose to the surface. From the tins the ship
was laid on her course we experienced strong
westerly gales. On the 18th the weather was
more favorable, aud on the 18th speed Of III
knots had been attained. and all were in high
hopes Of reaching New York BY the 18th. At
q little after q p. m. was on the quarter deck.
saw dense volume OF smoke burst from tbs
after entrance Of the steerage. 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
engineers were instantly sufocated. I only
walked from where was on the quarter deck
10 The waist Of the ship, when saw the flames
breaking through the lights amidships. As the
ship was head to the wind the fire Travelled
with fearful rapidity. | chen went to the man
at the wheel and told him to put the vessel with
her side to the wind. He hesitated-probably
cid not understand me, as he was a native Of
Hamburg. then got German gentleman to
speak 10 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
49, N tnNo 49, ~
starboard side Of the quarter deck, but the mo-
inert we laid osr hands on the ropes, there
we're go many people who crowded into it that
We could rot lift it off the blocks. We there
fore left it for q few minutes, until the people
got out, when we returned, and launched il over
the side Of the ship, when, the people all rush.
ing into 1t again, it descended with great VIC
Ience into the water, and was instantly swamp
ed, all the people being washed out, except
three, who held on to the des. We then let
down rope, and pulled up one person, who
proved to be the steward. Another, in the ac.
Of being hauled up, was strangled by the rope
The hire now came Oh too tercely TO attempt TO
get up any more from the swamped boat. All
tie hist cAptt passengers were on the poop, with
the exception of few gentlemen, who must
have been smothered in the smoking room
Many Of the second cabin passengers were also
on the poop, but number OF the 1ngot shut into
their cabins by the fire. Some 81 them were
pulled up through the veRtilator, but the greater
number could not be extricated. The last wo-
man who was drawn up said there were six al
ready suifocsted. We now perceived that the
ship had got her head 10 the wind apaip. so
that the flames came over the quarter deck In
consequence of the crowd could not get to the
wheel house to ascertain the reason, but was
informed that the helElsman 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 indes-
crbable and truly heart rsnding. Passengers
we're rushing franticslly to and ffo-husbands
seeking their wives, wives in search OF their
husbands, relatives looking after relatives, mo-
theirs lamenting the loss of their children, some
wholly paralyZed by fear, others madiy crying
to be saved; but lev perfectly calm and col
ectsd. The flames pressed so closely upon
them, that many Jumped into the sea, relatives
clasped in each others arms, leaped over and
met q watery grave. Two girls, supposed to
be sisters, jumped over, and sank kissing each
other. missionary and wife eaped into the
sea together, and the stewardess and assistant
| steward, arm in arm, followed A Hungarian
gentleman, with seven children, four of them
| girls, made his wife jump in, then blessed his
| SIX eldest children, made them jump in one after
| the other, aud followed them with an infant in
| his own arms. l, about thls time was standing
outside the bulwarks, holding on by the dayits,
leaning out to avoid the flames which were
leapiGg toward iDe. l a swamped boat
under me-. spinning BY rope still attached to
the ship. As the oars were tied in her, thong hit
| if could get to her, | would be enabled to SAKE
myself and some Others. let myself down by
| a rope, passing over mrn VINO was clinging to
| II, but "ho refused 10 come with me; took out
| penknife TO cut the tacki,; the large blade
broke, and then severed it with the small
| blade Tao ship passed ahead. AS the screw
! approached found the boat drawn toward it,
| tried to keep the boat of, bu: the screw caught
| and capsized her over me. | Owed away from
| the ship aud came TO the surface near n boat
| which was keel upward; got on her and by
pressing On one side, with the asss lance OF a
| wave she righted, but was still swamped. The
oars had been knocked gu. by the screw The
| only thing l could find in her to paddle with
was some laths nailed together as a sheathing
for the sides. When looked around the ship
was quarter of a mile away from me. could
see the ladies and gentlemen jumping off the
| poop into the water N twos and threes, some of
| the ladies in flames Several hesitated to leap
from the burning ship until the last moment, as
the height was twenty two fee', and we're 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 on the
boat. and We padded after the ship with the
| iaths; l now vess | under sail approach
ing: she reached the steamer at about D. m;
| we continued pulling toward them, and about
half past o'clock, alter being five hours in the
| water, got within hail of the sailing vessel,
| which put oil boat and took US on board She
I'm tl,a En- E,,f ~
| Ernest Renaud, OF Nantes, bound from New
| midland for the Isle of Bourbon, with fish,
| She had, up to that time rescued forty passen-
| gers OF the burning steamer, chiefly taken from
the bowsprlt, though a few picked up
| floating around AT about o'clock one OF the
metallic boats came up, with about twenty three
persons, including the frs and third officers;
attcrSard three or four men were picked up,
| floating on piece Of the broken boat. The
| second officer was taken up, having been SWIM
| ming, with nothing to float him, for six hours.
| The second and third officers we're severely
burned; one male passenger was burned fright
fully, and some other male passengers slightly.
Tnere were but six women saved, t rec OF whom
| were burned, one in a shocking manner Capt
Remand acted with the utmost kindness. lie
| gave clothes as far as he could furnish them
TO the suffering passengers, and acted as nurse,
| doctor and surgeon 10 the burned people, dress.
| ing the wounds OF the females with a de!icacy
| and tenderness that evinced an amiablc and
| benevolent disposition. | did not see an officer
| Of the ship during the fire, and am certain that
| there was not one Of them or the crew on the
poop, except man at the wheel sfor short
| time. | understood that when the Captain
| heard Of the fire be rushed on deck without
cap and when he the flames, exclaimed,
I'VE are all lost" He tried to get out boat,
which, when let down, was swamped, and he,
| whether accidentally or not do not know, fell
| into the sea, and was soon left far behind. The
fourth officer was in this boat He cut her loose
| from the davits; she was carried under the
screw and smashed, and several in her drowned;
4 three or four men escaped a fragment and
| were picked up by the Maurice as before stated.
| About the same time one metallic life boat was
let down from the port bow and swamped; but
| got cleared away with about thirty three per-
| sons in her, including the first and third officers
| and several women. The men in this boat
capsized her two or three times, in trying to
clear her of water. Ten persons were thu,
| drowned, including some women. Thew after