The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1858-09-29
TELEGRAPHIC NEWN
rpoRTeD FOR TIE "D'SPATCH.
THELoss OF THE AUSTRIA.
narrative of a Rescued Passenger
THRILLING SCENES AND INCIDENTS
MIR acUZoUs ESCAPES FROM THE BURN-
ING SHIP.
ORIGIN OF THE DISASTER, &C., &C., &c.

HALIFAX, Sept 1.-THE barque Lotus, from Liv.
erpoo, arrived In Halifax harbor on Sunday after
neon, with twelve Of tn, sixty.seven survivors,
passengers Of the steamship Austria, burnt at sea
sept 18th, In lat Is TO- long. IL 80 taken from the
barqae Maurice on the 14th. The agent Of the
associated press Immediately boarded the Lotus
and obtained the following particulars. The fol-
lowing Is the statement of Chartres Drew:
took passage at Southampton on the 4th, In the |
steamship Austria, Captain lIydtmann, which left |
Hamburg ID. We sailed at 5 P. NJ; the evening
being little misty, We in consequence anchored |
between the Isle OF Wight ard the main land. and /
sailed again on the following morning 10 weigh |
ing anchor an unfortunate accident occurred, by |
which one of the crew lost his life; owing to some
Encouragement, the anchor ran out wbiring the |
eapstan round with terrific force, burlng the men
in all directions; two were severely injured and |
one was supposed TO have been instantly killed, as
he never to the surface. From the time the |
ship was laid on her course wo experienced strong
westerly winds. On the 18th the weather was |
more favorable, and on the 18th speed Of eleven |
knots had been attained, and all were In high hopes
OF reaching New York by the 18th. Alta little af- |
ter o'clock, p. W., WAS on the quarter deck, and
saw dense volume OF smoke burst from the after
entrance to the Storage. Some women ran ait, |
exclamiug, "the ship is on fire! what will become
Of usf" The ship was instantly put at half speed,
at which she continued until the magazine expio-
ded, from which infer that the engineers were
insta lily suffocated. only walked from where i
WAS on the quarter deck to the waist Of the shir,
smidship As the ship was head to the wind, the
flames Travelled with fearful rapidify.
then went to the man at the wheel, and told
him to put the vessel with her side to the wind.
lie hesitated-probaby did not understand me, as
he was a native of Hamburg. | then got German
gentleman to speak to him. At this time saw
some person 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 un
der the screw. then went to get boat over on
the starboard side of the quarter deck, but the
moment laid our hands on the ropes, there
were 80 many people who crowded into it that we
could not lift il off the blocks We therefore left
it for few minutes, until the people got out,when
returned, and launched 1t over the side of the
ship, when the people rushing into IL agau it de-
scended with great vioishcs into the water, aud
was instantly swamped, all the people being
washed out, excepting three, who held on to the
| sides. We then let down a rope, and pulled up
| one person who proved TO be the Steward ADo-
Their in the act of being bauled up, WAS strangled
| by the rope.
| The fire now came on too nercey to attempt to
| get up any more from the swamped boat. All the
first cabin passengers were on the poop, with the
| exception of a few gentlemen who must have been
| smothered in the smoking room. Many of the
\ second cabin passengers were also on the poop,
| but a number of them got shut into their CABIN
| by the fire. some OF them were pulled up through
| the ventator, but the greater number conld not
| be extrcated. The last woman who was drawn
| up, said there 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 L
could not get to the wheel house to ascertain the
| reason, but | was informed that the helmsman
| 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
| indescribabie. and truly heart rending. Passen
| gers rushing franticaily to and fro-hus.
| bands seeking their wives-wiyes in search OF
their husbands-relatives looking after relatives
hal n heir
wholly paraiyZed by fear, others madly crying to
| be saved but few perfectly calm aud collected
| The flames pressed closely upon them that
| many jumped into the sea-reiatives elasped IN
4 each others arms, leaped over and met a watery
| grave Two girls, supposed to be sisters. jumped
| over and sunk, kissing each other. missionary
| and wife leaped into the sea together, and the
stewardess and assistant steward, arm IN arm, fo-
| lowed One Hungarian gentleman, with seven
| fine children, four of them girls, made his wife
jump ill., then blessing his six eldest children, made
| them jump in, one after the other, and followed
them with infant in his OWE arms. i, about this
| time, was standing outside the bulwarks. hodiug
| on by the davits leaning out to avoid the flames,
| which were leaping towards me. saw aswsmps
| cd boat under me, spinning by rope Ill at
tsched to the ship; as the oars we're tied In her
thought If could get to her, would be enabled
| TO save M self and some others.
/ let myself down by rope, passing over man
| who was clinging to it, but who refused to come
| with me. l took out penknfe to cut the tackle,
the large blade broke, and then severed it with
the snail blade. The ship passed ahead. Az the
| screw approached, found the boat drawn towards
| it, / tried to keep the boat off, but the screw
| caught aud capszed her me- l dived away
from the ship and came to the surface near boat
| which was keel upwards. / got upon her, and by
| pressing on one eide with the assistance OF
| 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
| soue laths nailed together as sheathDg for the
| sides. When looked around, the ship was quar-
1 g sto fra., I rnrld ftu L.
dies and gentlemen jumping off the poop into the
water in twos End threes, some of the ladies in
flames Several hesitated to leap from the burn-
| ing ship until the last moment, as the height was
% feet, aud were only at length compelled to
| throw themselves off to avoid more painful DEATH
In half An hour not soul was to be the
| poop pulled after the ship and picked up Ger
man, who was swimming strongly. got him be-
side me on the boat, aud We padded after the ship
with the laths. now saw vessel undcr sail APP
preaching. She reached the steamer at abJut D.
z. NJ. We continued pulling towards them, and
about halfpast seven O'Clock, after being five
hours in the water, got within hail of the sailing
| vessel which put of boat and took Us on board.
She proved to be the French bark Maurice, Captain
| Ernest Remand, of Nantes, bound from Newfouud-
land to the Isle of Bourbon, with fish. She had,
Up to that time, rescued forty passengers of the
burning steamer, chiefly taken of the bowsprit.
though few were picked up floating around
AT about O'Clock one of the metallic boats came
up with about twenty>three persons, including
l
Eur men were picked up floating upon piece Of
the broken boat. The second officer was taken up,
having been swimming, with nothing to float him,
for six hours. The second and third officers were
severely burnt: one male passenger was burnt
frightfuly, anc some other male passengers
slightly. There were but six women saved, three
OF whom were burnt, one in a shocking manner.
Capt Renaud acted with the utmost kindness.
He gave clothes as far as he could furnish them 10
the suffering passengers, and acted nurse, doc
tor and surgeon to the burnt people, dressing the
wounds of the females with a delicacy and tender
ness that evinced benevolent and amiable disp0-
sition. did not see officer of the ship during
the fire, and am certain there was not one OF them
or the crew on the poop, except man at the wheel
for a short time. l understood that when the
captain heard of the fire, he rushed on DECK WIN
out a cap, and when he saw the flames, exclaimed,
| I'VE are all lost!" He tried to get boat, when,
| when let down, was swsmped, and whether accl-
dentay or not lido not know, he fell into the sea-
| and was soon left far behind. Inc tour.h oincer
was in this boat He cut her loose from the daVite,
she was carried under the screw and smashed, and
several in her drowned. Three or four men escaped
on a fl sgwent, and were picked up by tue Maurice,
| As before stated. About the same time one metal
/ lie if. boat was let down from the port bow and
| swamped but got cleared away with about thirty
three persous in her, including the nrst ana third
| officers and seven women Inc men III tue boat
capszed her two OF three Times III trying W ciear
| her of water.
Ten persons were thus drowned, including some
| women They afterwards baiIed her out with life.
preservers cut in two, and pulled to the Maurice,
| having picked up two or three Passengers before
reaching the barque. Altogether there were sixty
seven souls taken iuto the Maurice during the
| night.
ANorwegian bark came up with the steamer
! the next morring aud boat was observed going
around tho burning ship They may have picked
| mp few persons, but only very few. The
Maurice had communication with the Nor
wesian. At about 7 o'clock, the Maurice sailed
for Fayal to deposit the rescued passengers At
about o'clock the same afternoon, she fell In
with the bark Lotus, Capt. Trefy, of Yarmouth,
Nova Scotia, from Liverpool tor Halifax. As
was anxious to get on British territory, Captain
Trefy kindly gave me passage. He was also anx-