New-York daily tribune., 1858-09-30
EFFICIENCY OF TIE OFFICERS AND CREW.
Arrival Of the Prince Albert


The steamer Prince Albert arrived from Hall
fax Yesterday morning with ten OF the surviving
passengers of the Austris on board. Our r.
porters boarded her at Quarantine, and procured
full and authentic particulars of the calamity from
the passengers together with the latest and fullest
details of those who were lost, and the names of
8 large number of persons who were on board.
which have not been published before These
personal experiences and incidents are intensely
interesting. and will be read With painful al
tentcn.
PROP. GLAU BENShLEEs NARRATIVE.
We met Prof Glaubenskee yesterday morning
board the Prince Albert. He was in excellent health,
but from his attire would hardly have been recognized
a. one Of the Professors of the Free Academy. Hav
ing lost all his clothing at the burning OF the steamer
he had been obliged TO attire himself in such garments
M he could obtain. He wore sailors cap and blue
overshir., coarse psntaloous, and pair of shoes
world too wide for his feet The following is his mar
rat:ve Of the loss Of the Austria:
On the 18th of September, Capt Hey!tInann and
the physician gave orders to have the vessel fumi-
gated. The fourth officer charged with the exc
cution OF the order He ordered the boatswsns mate
10 take bucket of tar and piece Of hot iron and go
into the forward steerase to umgate it. They heated
piece of chain and dipped it into the tar to MAKE
smoke; but the chain hot that it set the tar
fire. At the same time the other end Of the chain be-
came too hot to hold, and the boaswsins mate let j.
fall thus upset.ing the bucket of tar, which, being
already on fire, rapidly spread the deck all
directions. The flames from the tar Immediately set
fire to the berths and mattresses in the seersge and
~
a, instant ii ran through the gangsways to the hatch.
ways at the entrance of the first and second cabins
ward the poop, blazing up through them like a blast
furnace and thus cutting OF all retreat for those who
were below.
In order to understand why he fire communicated
10 ell parts Of the vessel readily it should be stated
thai the day wss very pleasant the wind light with
smooth sea- and in order to umgate the vessel more
thoroughly all of the port-ho!es state-rooms, and
doors in the bukhesis opened "a allow of free
circulation 0f cir and thorough ventilation In less
than five minutes the upper deck amidships was on
FIRE. Mr.. taubensklee in his state-room when the
cry Of fire lie hurri-dly thrust his feet into
his boots and out oi his stateroom to 20 deck
when he ssw ascending in the vicinity If the funnel
bright flames. Going deck, he saw the passengers
Growing toward the boats, and went ~ yemnnstTate
With them, many Of them were personally known
to him. He found, however that they were deaf to
boats. He az resolved that come what might
he would not trust himself in any boat a. it evil
dent that il would be unsafe than to remain by
the ship. Turning around for the purpose Of going
back tn the quarterback he found IL impossible do
80, the deck being fire sindships. This could not
have been than five ten minutes after the first
cry of fire. but such occasions ifetmes crowded
into minutes. The whole vessel amidships seemed to
b. in blaze and all communication between the fore
and after parts of the ship was cut of
When the Professor first came on deck, he looked
forward To what the matter. The Captain
was then standing barehedded near the second boat
the port side he was endeavoring 10 get ont the
people who had crowded into the boat, IN order to
lower il. Immediately after the Professor Mr..
Morgenstein, the First Engineer. rush up on deck,
bar-headed IL see what was the matter. He WAS
heard to cry out through the engine hatch 10 his
sstans 10 stop the engine and set the steampumps 10
work; at the time be turned around for the pur
po-e OF going down stairs himself. Nothing was
Of him subsequent TO this but the Professor believes
tha; he did not succeed in getting down account Of
the fame-. fellow PASSENGER told him afterward
that he the Engineer, with his clothes on fire,
either fall or throw himself overheard at about the
same time.
The Captain was drowned in the attempt to lower
the boat, before mentioned into the water The
gine not stopped, and the pumps not set to
work because, the Professor Believes, the Engineer
duiy-the engine room being three decks below
did not hear Morgenstein's commands, and may have
been killed or -mothered previously, the FIRE
raging over their heads. None of the engineers or
frcmen on duty were known 10 be saved.
Some Of the Passengers who jumped overheard and
saved themselves by swimming and floating pieces
Of timber told the Professor that when they were 10
the water they agOniZlng human faces prOtrudDg
from the lower tier of port holes, close to the water
though they were trying 10 force their way out while
the bright flames were shining behind them. These
probably the freInsn and engineers, surrounded
by living wall of fire. When the Austria left South
anpton che drew only Is feet of water and the time
Of this catastrophe probablya foot les-, that she
was 20 feet out cl water.
After the Professor found it impossible 10 return TO
the quarter deck, be turned toward the forecast-,
when he called upon by sailor 10 assist IN cut
ting down the jibs. In compliance, he climbed up q
rope and cut away is !asienings. The jb cut
down for the double purpose of preventing them from
catching fire and also IN order that they might be
saturated with water and used to check the progress
Of the re in the forward part of the ship The people
deck however. did Tot understand the orders, and
threw the -sl overheard without 6rrL making it fast
10 rope and L was lost. ThereupOn the Professor
went in search OF something out Of which 10 construct
raft The mate, several Of the crew, and especially
the master mate, did the But they could find
wood left and the forward part Of the .p was Of IRON
The spare spers and hatchway doors and covers had
been already thrown overheard To sustain other per-
sons The Professor then inquired of the masters
-et to work but he replied that there none.
Prof. GiaUbeusSlee then, a last resort, stepped
over the ,terboarf buiwarks upon the plank sbeera
ledge some eighteen inches wide-and looked out for
Inc TWO Nssse4, "Llcn tucy hth "-'eIeI III tue u.s.
taIce. Tie which was closest scenei to approach
very rapidly. Al this time toe steamer vas stl nov
inC on In IL course. westward, towards her. The
other vessel did not approach and the professor huks
her people dii not see tie steamer, a. when he .ew
her only the top Of her mass visible above the
b. rizou. But Capt. Renaud Of the bark Maurice q
ho II hat time was close enough 10 her nalsas
and even her Lul isef subsequently, stated that he
had signaled her but without success, she did
an swer the signal, but kept on her way. Remand was
ftr ia AZ ~ er auuarert IN humanity. more especially
as be tloupli il might have been q French vessel.
- 4 L..r n-f..r tl.e Ere hr.L.