The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1858-10-01
STATEMENT OF MIR. CHARLES HAGG uERsr


Mr. Charles Hagguerst, of Sweden makes the follow
ing statement The weather on the 18th September was
fine. The sky clear, and the comparatively smooth
Everybody in the best of spirits and full of hope
soon to SEQ the New World. few minutes after two
o'clock p M, suddenly heard the cry of ''re. At
this time the forecaste, and, almost simulta-
neously with the alarm, the fire coming up from
amdships i went right to work to do what could to
clear away the nearest boat first tried to get into
small boat hanging in the water from the vessel but in
stead Of aghng in the boat in my attempt to descend
missed 1t and swept right under 1t, the deep wave
OF the ocean rolling over me. at length rose to the
surface and got hold Of rope sent from the main chains
The steamer was going ahead at the rate Of eight knots
an hour. / hung ON to this rope about ten minutes,
when passenger came struggling along through the
and got hold of the rope and also seized hold OF
me- said to him, "Let me CO. finally succeeded
in loosenng myself from him and got hold of the mzzen
chains and hung by my hands from the steamship My
position this time about ten feet from the prope
er While hanging on to the chains discovered life
preseryer floating me. / got hold of the life pre-
server and then made successful spring to get clear
from the draught of the propeller. by the aid of the
life preseryer continued to float quite easily in the
water about three hours--t o'clock, p. m.-when
/ saw the signal of small boat about half q mile
of. l Immediately struck out for that boat. When
got up to it, found it in bad condition.
found the boat swamped, and began to feel dis
conraged There twenty three passengers in it,
from the Austria including the first mate They how
ever took in, and very glad to get my lepre-
At length about snndown, the condition OF the
boat from the amount OF water III It, SO bad that we
all obliged to leave it and jump out into the ocean,
in order to furnish opportunity to bail her out In the
time all compelled to sustain ourselves by
holding on to the sides of the boat. At length, after
persistent effort she freed from the water and right
ed agais and she could float toerably we'll all
entered the fra craft glad to get even SO precarious
protector from the threatening gulf beneath Soon
afterwards discovered the French barque Maurice
about three miles off We pulled directly for her, and
reaching her were taken board The next day we
were removed to the barque LOTUS by which we were
brought safely to Halifax. The officers on board both
of these vessels treated with the utmost kindness and
sympathy, and never forget the obligations we
owe them for their tender and delicate humanity. was
not burned at all, but lost everything had in the
world except the poor clothes my back The scene
on the burning terrible beyond all dsscrip
ton Mothers crying for their children, husbands
ming for their wives women in flames, leapng from the
vessel to find watery grave whole families consisting of
father mother, and children, caspng each other and
together plunging into the abyss beneath them; the
cries Of the drowning mingng with the oceans moan
the frightful groans of others-how many God only
knows suifocating from fire and smoke in the hold of
the ship all these and others tongue recount,
constitute scene hope to witness again Though
have lost all, feel to rejoice that my life has been
| providentialy spared. VAS. gstga asE