Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-03-27
THE WRECK or THE OREGON.
"A Sailor who Makes Charges Of Crimi
nal Carelessness-Tlle DIver'a story.

"a Sailor Who makes NuafAes OF Ofltui
nal Carelessness-The Divers story.
Prom ne PhiigdeiOlis Taass.
NEW YORK, March 24-The heavy
northwest wind that mas prevailed for the
rast two days has prevented all attempts
o! the divers to reach the wreck OF the
Oregon and probably blown all aoatng
wreckage far out to sea. Capt MeTitDs
grecking steamer Rescue left her anchor
age inside Of Fire Island and steamed out
toward the site OF the wreck, but soon re-
turned to her berth on account OF the
waves. All goods from the Oregon are
now stored in the Union stores, Brooklyn
in separate compartments, which SUPP
Berry mas prepared for them.
In order 70 obtain facts bearing on tne
loss of the Oregon, as well as TO recover
such property as may be found belonging
TO his clients. Lawyer Garrett has engaged
-FOUR expert divers, who will, as soon as
convenient make thorough examination
Of the wreck. II expects TO carry TWO OF
The divers 10 England, where the suit
against the Cunard Company will be
pressed. aud there use them as witnesses.
He has also secured as witness one OF
the seamen employed on the Oregon,
sailor who was at work below hosting
ont the mail when the disaster occurred.
lie ran on deck and took look around,
and saw what looked like a floating
Jog. Then he was ordered below with
five other men to close a door in
one OF the compartment bulkheads.
The united efforts of the six men
were unequal to the task, he says, be-
cause the door was rusted in its place
and probably had not been moved since
the government charter expired. The
rule requires the bulkheAd doors to be
closed every day at least twice, to see
that they are in order. This sailor further
says that the outside doors to the coal
bunkers. through which coal is taken on
board near the water-line, were broken
open by the collision. The sailor says he
was IN the bunker on the day before the
accident, and that the doors were not
well closed, and that the water was run
ming ia at the time.
He is sure that the Oregon was out Of
her course. and that she cOlided, perhaps,
with the masts Of the Hylton Castle,
which easily knocked open or of the
partly closed doors OF the coal bunker.
The sailor. with others, was at work at
ahe pumps below decks after the collision,
when the firemeu came up from below.
''Oh, TO --- with the ship" said one,
and then all hands left the pumps and
went on deck.
Agent Coley, OF Merritt's wrecking or
.RanizatiOn, said to-day that Diver Hag-
gerty, the only one who went down,
Judged, from cropping around the bow of
lhe vessel, that she had been split there
by the Sudden shock Of striking the bot
tom wheH she sank. He could make out
through his glass-faced armOr only small
portions OF the wreck at a time. The
planking Of the upper deck is bulged and
burst out. The ship stands upright on a
hard bottom. The diver thinks she will
not 90 TO pieces for a long time. He is
amused at the recently published stories
of his roaming all over the Oregon as if
he were a mermaid. The fact Is, in his
cumbersome suit he is capable OF explOr-
ing only very small portion OF the wreck
at each dive. 1t will be several weeks
work for him to make thorough inVesti-
cation Of the vessel.