Litchfield enquirer., 1858-10-07
BURNING OF THE AUSTRIA.

BURNING OF THE AUSTRIA. The steamer Prince Albert arrived at New York on Wednesday rorning from Halifax with ten of the surviving passengers of the Austria on board. Tie Tribune Reporters boarded her at Quarantine, and procured full and authentic particulars of the caam- ity from the passengers The narratives of ali these passengers of thrilling interest but we have on- | ly room for
 PROF. GLAUBENsKLEE'S NARRATIVE. We met Prof. Glaubensklee on board the Prince Albert. He was in excellent health, but 1 from his attire would hardly have been recog- nlzrd as one of the professors of the Free Aca- demy Having lost all his clothing at the bur,i- ing of the steamer, he had been obliged to at- tire himself in such garments as he could ob- tain. He wore a sailors cap and blue over- shirt, coarse pantaloons, and pair of shoes world too wide for his feet. The following is his narrative of the loss of the Austria: On the 18th of September, Captain Heydt- mann and the physician gave orders to have the vessel fumigated The fourth officer was charged with the execution of the order He ordered the boatswain's mate to take bucket of tar and piece of hot iron and go into the forward steerage to fuu,igate it. They heated piece of chain and dipped it into the tsr to make smoke /; but the chain was so hot that it Set the tar on fire At the same time tie other end ofthe chain became tco hot to hold, and the boatswain's mate let it fall, thus up- l setting tile bucket of tar, which, being already on fire, rapidly spread over the deck in all d- rectIons. The flames from the tar immediately set fire to the berths and mattresses in tue steerage, and spread along the deck with ir- credible rapidity. In an instant it ran through the gangways to the hatchways at the entrance of the first and second cabins toward the poop, blazing up through them like blast furnace, and thus cutting off all retreat for those who were below
 In order to understand why the fire commu- nlcated to all parts of the vessel so readily, it should be stated that the day was very pleas ant, the wind light, with smooth sea, and in order to fumugate the vessel more thoroughly, all of tfle port holes, state rooms, and doors lu the buikheads were opened to allow of free circulation of air and q thorough ventilation In A ss than live Tn nutes the upper deck amidships was on fire. Mir. Glaubenskce was in his state room when the cry of fire" arose. He hurri- edly thrust his feet into his boots and ran out ! of his state-room to go on deck, when he saw ascending ill the vicinity of the funnel, bright flames. Going on deck he saw the passengers crowding toward the boats, and went to re- monstrate With them, as many of them were personally known to him. He found, however, that they were deaf to the voice of reas on, and continued to crowd to the boats. He at once ffesolved that, come what might, he would not trust himself in any boat as it was evident that 1t would be more unsafe than to remain by tte ship. Turning around for the purpose of going back to the quarter deck he found it impossi- ble to do so, the deck being on fire amidships. This could not have beeu more than five or ten minutes after the first cry os fire but On such orcasions lifetimes are crowded into minutes. The whole vessel anidships seemed td be in a blaze, and all communication between the fore aud after parts of the ship was cut off.
 When the Professor first came on deck, he looked forward to see what was the natter The captain was then standing bareheaded near the second boat on the port side he was en. deavoring to get out to the people who had crowded into the boat, in order to lower it. Immediately after the Professor saw Mir. Mor- genstein, the First Engineer, rush up on deck, barclieaded. to see what was the matter. He was heard to cry out through the engine hatch to his assistants to stop the engine and set the steam Jumps to work at the same time he
 
 stars himself Nothing was seen of him sub sequent to this, but the Professor believes that he di1 not succeed in getting down on account afterward that he saw the engineer, with his clothes oil fire, either fall or throw himself over board at about the same time.
 The Captain was drowned in the attempt to lower the boat, before mentioned, into the wa %ct1,. s,s11 kha pumps were not set to work, because, as the Professor believes, the Engineer on duty--the engine room being three decks below-did not hear Morgensteins commands, and may have been killed or smothered previously as the fire was raging over their heads. None of the eri- gueers or fremen on duty were known to be saved.
 Some of the passengers who jumped over- board and saved themselves by swimming and floating on pieces of timber. told the Professor that when they were in the water they saw agonizng human faces protrudng from the lower tier of port-holes, close to the water, as though they were trying to force their way out, while the bright flames were shirlng be- hind them. These were probably the iirenh n and engineers surrounded by living wall of fire. When the Austria left Southampton siie drew only l6 feet of water, and at the tin;c of this catastrophe probably foot less, so that she was 20 feet out of water.
 After the Professor found it impossible to return to the quarter deck, he turned toward the forecastle, when he was called upon by a sailor to assist in cutting down the jbs. In compliance, he climbed up rope and cut away it's fastenings. The jib was cut down fir the double purpose of preventing thelu from cateh- ing fire and also in order that they might be saturated with water and used to check the