The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1886-04-16
The Loss of the OREGON,

The Loss Of the Oregon.
In the loss of the steamship Oregon
The .Cunard Line sustained its first
grave mishap, and suffered the break of
arecord that has been singular for its
freedom from accidents. Since its start
Tho Cunard Line has been exceptionally
fortunate in ocean travel. and those
who are inclined to be superstitious
may find something significant IN the
fact that the lost vessel was the first of
this line of steamers with name that
did not end with the letter A. But tho
good luck of this old line seems even
now to have stood it in good stead, in
asmuch rs the wreck was not attended
by a single loss of life, a circumstance
that attests the admirable discipline of
the ships crew and the excellence of
the general management.
1t was probably another fortunate
chance that the Oregon did not have its
full quota of passengers. Very rarely
indeed does it happen that Cunard
steamer crosses the Atlantic with so
small a burden of human freight rs the
Oregon carried. the rule being that all
available space is taken, whereas the
Oregon had less than two-thirds the
number of people it was able to accom-
modate. This no doubt proved an adj
vantage to the officers and men when
the life-saving work began, as another
four hundred of passengers would have
added greatly to the confusion and so
much increased tho risks that it might
have been impossible to avoid some loss
of life.
Considering the vast travel back and
forth across the Atlantic there are com.
paratively few disasters and the loss of
life does not begin to equal that &C.
casioncd by railroad catastrophies, even
taking into account the great difference
in the passenger traffic of the two sys-
TENS. Though there are certain dam
gers that can not be escaped, now that
travel is continuous throughout all sea-
sons of the year, ocean voyaging has
been reduced to practical safety by the
various operating lines. vessels being
better built and more compctcntly
manned than formerly, and the COM
pctitivc spirit is more judiciously rcgu-
lated. There are ty-iiye steamship
lines plying between European ports
and New York. and the nature of their
service may he determined from the
fact that during the year 1885 they land
ed IN New York 2sl,17 Storage and
80. 100 cabin passengers.
The Central Line is. as is pretty gen.
orally known, tho most favored by first
cabin passengers, because Of the repu-
tation for reliability and concern for
its patrons it hos always enjoyed. 1t
.eeopd n ddig y az q, as.msT A. lDn passengers
y and and for Il! IS eou9'sr line last year, Tho
North-Gcrman Lloyd. the Hamburg
American. the White Star. the Inman,
and the Red Star lines are foremost in
stecrage passengers. the first named
from Bremen, being far in the lead.
Its Storage list last year numbers 6S,-
395. The Hamburg line carried 80, 943,
and the Carr line also starting from
Hamburg, ll.l37 storage passengers.
The six lines, which include the Cunard.
starting from Liverpool. carried 49,
$40 s,eeragc. Tho two Glasgow lines
carried 1908 The line from Harvc
carried ll.55l. These figures. which
represent very fair annual average,
are given simply as indicating the prin-
cipal sources and volume of immigra-
tion to this country from Europe, and
the importance of the respective car
riers.
The great considerations with people
who pass back and forth for business
or pleasure are comfort. convenience
and speed, safety probably being the
last thing the majority of travellers take
into account i'll booking passage. There
is. of course, u great rivalry between
the chief passenger lines in these sever
al particulars, and in recent years
ocean steamers have become marvels
of elegance and completeness in all pos
siblc directions. In the matter of speed
the Cunard Line, with the steamer Etru-
ria, leads the record, having made the
trip from Queenstown to New York in
six days, five hours, and forty-four min
utes. The America. of the National
Line, made the next best time, being
but ten hours short of the Etruria's rec
ord. Eight days is now thought to be
rather slow time. The reference made
above to the great excess of railroad
accidents over those of ocean travel
may be better appreciated when it is
known that from 1873 TO the end of ten
moDths OF 1885 there were killed by
railroad accidents--not including acct
dents by walking on or crossing tracks,
or falling from trains in motion-3,879
PERSONS, and 1897 were injured, n
rather formidable showing when it is
remembered how elaborate is the sys-
tenn now in operation for the avoidance
of accidents. Chicago Inter Ocean.
Hancock and the Smokers.
An army officer told me an anecdote
of General Hancock about his love of