The Rapid Fire of the SS Austria (1858)

The Boatswain of the SS Austria dipped the hot metal chain into a bucket of tar that had been set aside for the purpose of fumigating the steerage class of the ship. As often happened on immigrant ships of the mid 1800s, the 2,684 ton ship had 450 people in steerage alone, fumigation was often needed. As he dipped his chain in the bucket though, disaster was only minutes away. Ship Name: SS Austria Nationality: Germany Ship Type: Three Masted Metal Hulled Screw Steamer Built: 1857 Tonnage: 2386 Year Sank: 1858 Reason For Sinking: Fire Location Sank:  Mid Atlantic Lives Lost: Estimated between 450 and 550 Sources: https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1858/09/28/78876794.pdf?pdf_redirect=true&ip=0 https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1858/10/05/78877157.pdf?pdf_redirect=true&ip=0 https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1858/09/30/78876849.pdf?pdf_redirect=true&ip=0 https://newspaperarchive.com/new-york-herald-sep-28-1858-p-1/ https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/2465772?searchTerm=austria%20ship%20burn https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/66332749?searchTerm=austria%20ship%20burn https://books.google.com/books?id=iGBKAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA85&dq=shipwreck+austria+1858+hamburg+line&hl=en&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwi3w6GitKD9AhUZg4kEHXOHDGUQ6AF6BAgDEAI#v=onepage&q=shipwreck%20austria%201858%20hamburg%20line&f=false https://digitalcommons.augustana.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1406&context=swensonsag https://oceanlinersmagazine.com/2020/09/13/inferno-at-sea/ https://digital.libraries.psu.edu/digital/collection/pabooknews/id/761 https://www.clydeships.co.uk/view.php?year_built=&builder=&ref=3729&vessel=AUSTRIA#v