The Pioche weekly record. [volume] (Pioche, Nev.) 1877-1900, 1895-04-04
A MINISTER'S NOTES.
Description of the Loss of the
Austria.
THRILLING SCENES ON THE DEEP,
The Genesis of Balloon Sleeves-How the
Tramp Preached in Rural
Church, Etc.

In speaking of the dreadful calamity
of the Elbe the Tribune" recalls some
of the ocean horrors of the past, and
of these none comes closer home to me
than the loss of the steamer Austria in
1858, as l just missed being
on board that ship.
One of my classmates in the Theo-
logical Seminary was young German
by the name of Shiebe. Shortly before
the close of the term he said to me that
he was going home to Germany to
spend his vacation. and that he wanted
me to go with him. An uncle OF his,
he said, commanded sailing vessel
between here and Hamburg; we could
go on her at small expense, walk
through Switzerland and return in the
autumn by steamer.
wrote to my father, who gave his
permission, and | FASTENED home to
get ready. While packing my trunk
my father came in my room and said
that. on thinking it over, he felt he
could hardly afford the expense then,
and that if would give it up he would
try and let me go in year or two
With readiness l could never ex-
plain l said, "All right, l WILL" and
Immediately wrote to my friend that
1 could not accompany him. He invited
another student, Berry, who went with
him. The vacation was spent delight
fully, as Shiebe had outlined, and at its
close they took passage for home Oh the
Inflated Austria. Shiebe was among
the lost. Berry was saved after having
been nine hours in the water.
A few summers ago | visited the lit
tie village of Davisville III Pennsyl-
vania. where MIR. Berry was then pas
tor of a church, and sitting on his
piazza one afternoon he gave me an ac-
count of the catastrophe
That story of fumiigating the ship
and of its taking fire from the upset
ting of a bucket of tar, may be true,
but Berry never believed it. Accord
ing to his statement the captain was
drunk, and soon after leaving Ham
burg it became plainly evident that the
ship was racing, either against sister
ship or against time. Huge volumes
of smoke and flame rose high out of
the tunnels, and even at the beginning
of the voyage things looked so bad that
some of the passengers left the
steamer at Southampton.
Long before the ship caught fire the
interior became so hot as to fry the
pitch or varnish out Of the woodwork.
Twice committee of passengers
waited ON the captain to induce him tc
slacken speed, but without avail-he
once threatening to infiict some punish
ment on them if they troubled him
more.
When the alarm of fire was giver
those below made a rush for the deck
Berry was sitting in the cabin, and
going to the gangway found it checked
with a maddened crowd, and the mex
thing he knew he found himself trying
to push up one of the glass coverings
of skylight. He said he must have
worked himself up the narrow passage
by his back and knees, though he re
membered nothing about it.
Fortunately it was unfastened, and
throwing it back, he reached the deck
The sight was appalling. A mass O.
people shrieking, crying. some OF
their knees; families, or groups, pray
ing, while columns of flames rushed
from the portfolios and streamed away
aft, as the ship forged ahead. He sool
found Shiebe, who, with life-pre
server strapped around him, was wait
ing to leap into the sea. As strikin,
the water with life-preserver on aftel
falling twenty-five feet would b,
nearly thu same as striking the ground
Berry urged his friend to throw his life
preserver and then jump and swim TO
it.
This, as he could not swim, Shieb
refused TO do, and, bidding his frienc
farewell, he walked to the rail an,
went overheard. He was afterwart
found, drowned, with his life.preser
yer about his knees and his head an,
body under water. Berry followed i'm
mediately, throwing his fe-preserve
and springing after it. When he ros
to the surface two other drownin,
wretches were making for it, but
being powerful swimmer, he reache,
1t first, just as one of the others wa
about to put his hand on it. Fearin,
a struggle, he gave it skit over tn
water, when the man turned on him
look that Berry said haunted him 70
months; then threw up his hands an,
sank.
Reaching the life.preserver he pu
1t about him, and, after floating TO
many hours, was finally picked up by
the French bark Maurice.
Among other incidents of that dread
full experience he related one which
have always thought came near tn
climax of human woe.
Among the passengers were Rus
sian Count with his family, a wife an,
five children-the eldest lovely cir
OF Is and the youngest child of abou
2. Berry said he saw the father lea,
his little flock to the stern of the yes
sci and stand there few moments,
mournful group indeed, in converse
tion. Then they knelt in prayer
Rising, he saw the father take the olde
daughter. give her an agonized EN-
brace, and then deliberately lift he
and cast her into the sea. This he re
peated with three Of the remainin,