The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1858-10-02

pairs, in tbrees and fours; sometimes hand ID
band 1t vas now coming near my turu, but
pared two ropes,by which might let mysslf dowr
some distance. 50 that might jump the farther
from the reach of the screw. While was doing
this saw the Hungarian gentleman and bis fami
" leap overheard but that distressing scene
has been fully and accurately described BY
MIR. Drew. It was most horryfying to behold
IL. Some jumped overheard very deliber-
ately, after pausiug and looking round, first
at the,fre then ut the water. 1sa~ one young lady
whose dress caught Gre, aud who must previously
have been almost roasted by the heat leap into the
water when her clothes were in blaze. l now let
myself down. and jumped off sstern then struck
out for a life buoy, or bag with cork IN It, that
was floating 10 the sea little distance from whore
l was when rose to the surface. i soon reached
1t, and on looking around after caught bold oft,
/ saw the Austria come distance off, still flaming
and stesming away, and the passengers ieaping
from her one after another. She looked Ike Q
great fire on the ocean more than ship. saw
some email specks upon the water 10 two or three
places, which could discern were either fragments
OF broken boats, iifebuoys, or men swimming. l
was all immersed in water except my head, aud re-.
mained so until relief came to me. After l had
been in this state for aboCt two or three hours,
saw sail approaching slowly and sailing in a
ziszsg direction. About hour afterwards she
came along side Of me and picked me up, after 1
bad been four hours in the water. She Was the
French brig Maurice, and she had on board sever
I'll OF the passengers of the wreck which she had
passed. She continued searching for more pas SEN
gers until dark. but could not fall in with any more
Her captain was kind and generous. He gave us
all he could under the circumstances. Her crew
gave US their dry clothes, and all our absolute
wants were attended to with the most creditable
promptitude and generosity. From the Maurice
was transferred to the Lotus. described by Mr..
Drews account, which brought US to Halifax.
do not know what the origin of the fire was
from my own personal observation. but I heard it
originated fn the burning of tar for the purpose
OF famigating the ship. MIR. Drew's account
of II Is just word !or word as heard it; and, in
short, have nothing farther to add that be has
not stated.
Captain Waters, of the Prince Albert, has trea-
ted us with great Kindness and attention We had
cabin passage 10 the vessel, though it was so
crowded that We were obliged to have our beds Ia
the second cabin, the berths of which were also
filled with passengers.
While the fire ragged in the Austria feeling of
indifference possessed me. Even the scenes around
nor my own peril. had much terror for me, aud
the same kind OF feeling seemed to prevail among
most oi the men on board. Many we're driven to
despair. however, aud became positively reckless
of their lives or anything else.
The meeting of Mr.. Vein with his brother from
Philadelphia WAS the most affecting circumstance
that we ever witnessed. Mr.. Vein, the rescued
had been obliging the press, and was at the mo
ment that bis brother came on board the Prince
Albert answering some questions to a number of
persons around him. When he caught sight of his
brother they flew into each others arms and warm.
ly embraced. Locked in each others embrace
their tongues refused to speak, and their deep an
guish sent forth gush OF tears down their manly
cheeks which sadly moved the persons around
them The spectators turned from them with
conscious feeling that the scene was sacred The
young men met for the first time since they had
lost their mother and two loved members of their
family How sad was the reflection that this deep
gloom and misery should have been planted in the
bosoms Of thousands of friends and relatives of
hal
u confding public trust their precious lives
STATEMENT OF PROP. GLAUBENKsLEE.
Monday, the 18Th, was one Of the fairest days
that ever shOne out Of the heavens, and tho pas
sengers felt the effects of it 10 the f, which
seemed TO instiil into all. The deck was thronged
with them, for every one even the sick took ad-
vantage OF the weather. They we're all in the best
spirits and looking forward with hopeful anticipa-
tions to their arrival in Now York in less than a
week. According to the observation taken by the
captain at twelve O'Clock, this day, they were in
lat. As 0l Ion IL 30, and all was going on we'll
little more than two hours after, fearful change
came over the whole scene, and the greater part
OF those who were SO iull of life and hope, were
either drowned. suffocated or burned to death. In
accordance with the regulations the captain order
ed the bOafsWains mate, under the superiutendeuce
of the fourth officer, to fnmgate the ship and they
were engaged in this process when the accident
occurred by which nearly five hundred persons
lost their lives The operation was performed by
dipping heated iron chain into bucket of tar,
but it appears the other end OF the chain was too
hot for the purpose, and letting it fall from his
hand it upset the bucket, scattering the tar sll
around the deck. The heated iron set the tar on
fire and the flames spread with fearful rapidity
before any attempt could be made TO check their
progress. Every door aud window and hatchway
had been previously thrown open to aid the pro-
cess OF fumigation, aud the fresh air rushing in
from all sides Only served to increase the fire,
which 10 few minutes cut off all communication
hat fhxaf and ~.
This is the correct statement Of the origin ofthe
disaster having been obtained from several per sons
and subsequently confirmed by Mrs. Catherine
TiLkel, Of New York. At this time the ship vas
going at the rate of ten knots an honr, against
light westerly breeze, and heading about west
hall west by south, while the wind was from a
p lint west by north. Hardly five minutes had
elapsed after the accident occurred before the
flames spread as far as the forward hatchway
and broke through the upper deck. The cry Of
hre resouuded through all parts Of the ship, and
those who could escape from below rushed upon
deck frantic with terror The captain made bis
appearance on deck about this time, and endeayor
ed 70 have the second boat the port side
lowered, but in the attempt to do so it is thought
be fell into the water.
Mr.. Morganstern, the first eugineer, came up
less than minute after, and gave the order to
stop the engine aud to ser the steam pumps work.
ing. He himself went away probably for the pur-
pose of getting below to have his order executed
but was seen few minutes subsequently, jumping
into the water with his clothes on fire. 1t now
became evident that there was no longer any pos
ability Of saving tho ship; indeed all hope of that
had been given up Immediately after the fire
broke out. For three quarters of an hour the ship
Kept on her course; but her head finally turned
TO the northeast, driving the flames towards the
forecastie Mr.. Glaubenskiee accounts for
the ships turning of her course BY the sup
position that the man was either driven away from
the wheel by the fire. or was burned to
death where he stood. He took up his position
on the forecbains, from which he was Obliged to
move farther towards the bow by the press Of peo-
pie. Here he attempted to keep the people from
rushing into the boat before it was lowered, but
finding IL impossible to effect anything here he
afterwards endeavored to saturate the jibsails.
which. with the assistance of sailor, be had cut
down, in the hope that be might in this way be
able to check the progress of the FIRE towards the
bow. The people on the deck, however, nstook
bis design, aud threw the sails over altogether
He next looked around him for the materials for
raft, but nothing could be found. All the spaIs
had been thrown overheard, and there was no
timber OF any kind within reach. The flames
meanwhile made terrible havoc With the upper
part of the ship, and about half hour after they
took fire, the fore and msinmast tell. and about
the same time the engine stopped. This was fol.
lowed by the explosion of the fue and what ap-
peared to be the cOllapsing Of the boiler.
The suffering as fearful and the scenes terrible
to contemplate. Many of the passengers, unable
to escape from below, were either suffice ted or
burned to death, while others, who succeeded In
reaching the deck, were almost enveloped 10
flames. A great humber of these jumped over
board, preferriug the only aiterL atve left Of be
ing drowned instead of burnt alive. Prof Glaub-
enkslee was finally obliged to leave the forechains
and make his way to the bowsprit, where he was
for the time beyond thy reach of the FIRE.
About three o'clock two vessels appeared in sight
to the westward, the nearest one having proved
to be the French bark Maurice, Captain Ernest
Renaud. The others name could not be ascer
tanned, as she did not approach the burning
ship, although signalled by the Maurice. Captain
kenaud had sailed from Nantez, and was bound for
Newfoundland from Mauritius, ut which place hs
had stopped last.
Between five and six o'clock the French bark ap
preached within three-1uarters of mile of the
wreck and sent out two fmtll toats (which were
all she had) to rescue the unfortunate passengers
One OF these was sent uDder the first and ths
other uLder the second officer, aud both continued
10 ply between the Maurice and the Austria Til
sixty seven persons had been transferred 70 the