German steamship bound from Hamburg to New York burns at sea with heavy loss of life

The German steamship Austria of the Hamburg-America Line bound for New York from Hamburg and Southampton, caught fire in the Atlantic and was completely destroyed. The vessel carried more than five hundred passengers and crew, mostly German-Americans returning from visits to relatives but also many new immigrants. Two passing ships rescued several dozen of the passengers and crew but 470 lives were lost. This was largest loss of life on a steamship on the Atlantic trade up to this time. (By John Osborne)