The Wilmingtonian., 1886-03-20

'''The sea WIS washing in through the one
compartment. The others were ater-tght,
but the bulkheads between them had been
ipened to admit of the reader passage Of
luggage, and one after another they filled.
The Oregon was doomed"
If reliable, this statement should be final
upon the question, for the water-tight COM
paruments might as well not have been in ey-
stence as to have been open under the cir
cumstances.
Additionally it must be borne in mind,
when considering this phase of the question,
that in the Oregon's case there existed
continuous length of one hundred and twenty
seven feet of space amidships. where the
engines are, between the water-tght COM
partments are arranged sevelally in the fore
md aft parts of the ship, which space of one
hundred and twenty-seyen feet is nnprotect-
ed by water tight compartments This i'm
mense region Of cubical space is capable,
under such an accident as the l-fated Ore
gon experienced, of being Immediately flooded
ny 5000 tons of water, or, as another expert
states, several thousand tons, enough to sink
any ship, even were the fore and aft COM
partments intact How then could the
Oregon be saved with tie added misfor-
tune of having the bulkheads, as it is assert
ed, leading directly to her water-tight COM
rartments open? 1t is said that this sremiss-
| ness was noticed in time, and the bnlkheads
| closed "before the water had got too much
headWay." 1t is probable that to this alone
may he attributed the fact that the Oregon
stayed aflOat at all and did not founder i'm
mediately the seas had surged thousands Of
tons into her midslips section! If this be
| true, and it seems most plausible, there
might be perceived the best possible argu.
ment in favor Of the water-tight compart-
ments theory, and the asciibimg to it alone
the salvation of niue hundred souls.
Next comes the question of responsibility
in regard to allowing the bulkheads open al
all until the ship is safe in port. 1t seems
that large quantity Of til, luggage Of the
iirst-cass or cabin passengers was stowet
away in or atong the bulkl eads and in tn,
water-tight compartments, these lad beer
opened, and trunks and luggage of all de
scriptions were being passed up Clom th
hold to the upper deck, for the oOmven enc,
of the first-class passengers. This necessi
tated a continuous opening Of the bul&head
communicating with the water-tight com
partments 1t is only too apparent that sucl
custom is most condemnable. The risk i
too great, and where large number 0
human lives are concerned should be rigidl
condemned by the Cunard management
The water-tight compa tments we're partial
, y flooded with water and this uuduubtedl
) accounts for the Oregon's settled positio
forward as noticed by the Captain of til
2 Fulda, as he first sighted the unlucky Ore
D gon. The writer remembers seeing til
| Anchoria Of the Anchor line, when sh
e reached her dock after that most notabl
c collessiOn in mid-ocean. She was struck
. the fore water-tight compartment Thel
4 was a hole in her side extending below ii
/ water line, large enough to drive a wago
e and horse through Yet she was hundred
e of miles from land at the moment of the a
n cident, but found her way safely to New
6 York with only few hours delay caused
e warping sail-cloths over tie aperture an
, making other temporary arrangements.
[. much for water-tight compartments.
d In the case Of the Oregon it remains sir
is ply 70 he stated that she was stuck in h
e most Vulnerable point, namely amidshir
n where no provision for protection existed,