Litchfield enquirer., 1858-10-14
THE BURNT STEAMSHIP.

e THE BURNT STEAMSHIP.
 The Norwegian vessel in the vicinity of the burning steamship Austria proves to have been the Catarina, from England. She arrived at Quebec on Sunday. She succeeded ill saving twenty-two persons from the wreck-sixteen passengers and six of the crew. The total number of persons now known to be saved is eighty-nine. The following further particulars have been gathered from those saved by the Catarina
 connection with the fire-engine, was not in working order. Some attempt was made to render it available, but the progress of the flames was too rapid. The lfe-boats were hanging amidships, consequently it was impos- sible to get at all of them. One was lowered, crowded with people, but, being siezed by those already in the water, it was capsized and swamped. Another was so long being lowered that the people in it sprang into the sea to es- cape the flames Near the forecastie, ropes were made fast to chains outside, to which numbers clung but, as the flames progressed, one by one dropped off and found watcry grave. On the bowsprit the passengers were laid out tier upon ti,r, piled o,e on top of the other, sometimes four deep. This was a last resource, and from this they were finally driven. until only one man remained seated on the ex- treme epd. Eighteen persons got hold of the chain forming the bowsprit stay, and clung to it until 4 o'clock the following morning. A seaman clambered from the stay to the bow spirit, and fonnd there was proba aility of ex- tinguishing what fire was there, and according ly gave directions to those clinging to the stay to dip portions of their clothing into the sea and pass the same up to him. This was done, and the fire was so far subdued as to render the bowsprit place of comparative safety They remained there until the boats from the Cata- ripa picked them off.
 The following sad incidents are related by Mir. Palicrusa, a Turk, who was on board
 As the flames increased, the poor creatures on the bowsprit jumped into the water, '" like drops of rain in heavy shower" One wo- man, with two daughters, kissed then both, and then putting her arms around them, all three jumped into the water. An English la dy, who came on hoard at Southampton with her husband, had three children with her, and babe in her arms. The husband had jumped over, and as the flames grew hotter and burned more ferccly, she took her little girl, kissed her, and threw her into the water. She then took her boy, fair, healthy little fellow, embraced him, gave him her last kiss, and threw him in. He struck on his back and struggled very hard. rising to the surface three separate times, call ing out mamma" each time, in the most pite- sns tones, then sank to rise no more The poor woman then clasped her baby to her breast and jumped in with it, kissing it repeatedly as they sank to the bottom. A young man who YVES in the second cabin, and who said lie was going to California, where he had q brother, had his sister with hinl-a girl sixteen or seventeen years of age. In order to save her from the fire. he fastened rope around his body, and, making one end fast to the deck, let her down over the side of the vessel He then put an- other rope around his own body and let him. self down but the rope was not well fastened, aud as be jumped over, it slipped from under his arms and caught him around the throat As he struck the water, the waves dashed l,im up against the vessels side, and falling back again he was quickly choked to death his sis ter shricking, "Help help will nobody help my brother ?" Mr. Palcrusa says when lie left tue vessel the poor girl was hanging there screaming and crying, with the waves dashing the dead body of her brother against her every few moments.
 An Englishman, about fifty years of age. who came on board at Southampton with his wife, crawled with her out on the bowsprit as far as they could, and as the flames approach cd, they clasped their arms around each other and with one last kiss, jumped into the water and sank immediately.
 And so brothers aud sisters, fathers and sons, mothers and daughters, embracing each other, sprang together into the waves. Who that reads (says the Bath Tribune the awful fate of the Austria, and contrasts the disorder, the confusion, and the loss of nearly every lady and child on board, with the perfect calmness, or der, and the salvation of every lady and child on board the ill-fated Central America, can fai to feel degree of pride to think he belongs to the same race and to the same country which the immortal Herndon so highly bouored iu the last trying scene of his life?"