The Portland daily press., 1886-03-15
GONE TO THE BOTTOM.
The Fine Steamer Oregon of the
Cunard Line
run Into and Sunk by an Unknown
Schooner.
The Passengers and Crew, Number
ing 8S6, all Safe.

ID.
station this morning sighted four-masted steam
er moving very slow seaward. Later she turned
southeast and since then has been drifting in that
direction, being about fifteen miles southeast of
this point. Only the tops of her masts can be
seen. but the observer thinks it is the British
steamer Oregon, from Liverpool At 11.25 a. IN.
she had drifted out of sight. At 4.30 p. m. the
German steamer Fulda from Bremen via South
ampton, off this port, reports by signal that the
steamer Oregon is sunk, and all of the passengers
of the Oregon are on board the Fulda. The Fulda
will probably reach quarantine at about p. M
[sEcoND DEsPATcH.l
NEW YORK. March IA despatch from Sandy
Hook saws the steamer Oregon was run into by a
schooner between and a. m east of Fire ISL
and. having two holes stove in her. and she com
menced sinking at once Part of the passengers
were transferred to pilot boat and part to a
schooner, and it is believed they were all subse-
quently transferred to the Fulda. There are over
800 passengers and crew of the Oregon alone on
the steamer Fnlda The Oregon was entirely
abandoned, and she sank at 1 p. m. today
THIRD DEsPATcH.1
NEW YORK, March 14.-The German steamer
Fulda, Capt. Renjk, from Bremen, which
arrived at the bar at 525 p. m. today reports she
stopped off Fire Island March IA, at 1925 p. m
in order to take up the passengers and crew OF
the Oregon, and anchored at the bar off Sandy
Hook on account of low water at 4.50 p m. the
same day. The saved of the Oregon are 1856 first
cabin. sc second cabin and $50 steerage pas
sengers and the crew numbering 245, making SS6
souls in ALL The steamer Oregon collided with
an unknown deep laden three-masted schooner on
the 18th, at 4.2o a. M, when between Fire Island
light and Shnnecook The schooner struck the
steamer on1the port side, Immediately under the
dining saloon, tearing large hole in her side ul-
der water. Capt. Cottyer was below and the chief
officer was in charge on the bridge.
One of the passengers states that the hole in
the Oregon was so large that one could drive
horse and wagon through it; also that when the
vessels collided it sounded like the report of an
ordinary cannon. The boats were after some diff
ficulty manned aud lowered in the water. The
ladies were first got in the boats and transferred
to pilot boat No. IL and the schooner Fannie A.
Gorham, Capt Mahoney from Jacksonville for
Boston, which both fortunately bore down to their
assistance From to Ii =. m. the work Of trans
eng the ng @ sn bena On ana was Were
safely transferred again to the steamer Fulda;
which. owing 10 the state of the tide, was obliged
to anchor at Sandy Hook at 6.25 p. M Captain
Cottyer was the last man to leave the ship
The tug boat Fletcher, which went down after
the Oregons mail, arrived at Cuuard pier at l 40
VI. L W
had charge of the mall SAID he only succeeded III
recovering SO out of more than 800 bags which
we're on board when the collision occurred He
was able to learn little about the collision except
that she was run into by an unknown schooner.
None OF the baggage he said, was saved.
Description of the Steamer.
The steamship Oregon was built by John Elder
g. Co. at Glasgow for the Guon line, and was
launched on June 21, 1883. She was, when
built, the most magnificent, most powerful and
fastest of transatlantic vessels with the excep-
tion of the Etruria of the same line, and she re-
tanned her record for fastest speed, Her dimen-
sions were $40 feet length. 54 feet broad, 40s4
feet deep, and 1920 tons gross. She was built of
IRON with nine transverse water-tlglt bulk heads,
five iron decks and strong turtle back deck for
ward and aft as a protection from heavy seas
She was fitted to accommodate $40 saloon. 81
second cabin and 1000 steerage passengers. The
fittings of the Oregon were unusually fine. The
grand saloon was capable of dining the whole OF
her $40 cabin passengers at one lime, ana was
placed in the fOrepart of the vessel The most
striking feature OF the vessel was its enormous
steaming power. The engines were simple in
greater than any before put on an ocean steamer,
and her boiler power was correspondingly large,
as may be realized from the fact that she burned
more than 300 tons of coal in each twenty-four
hours.
lie Oregon had only been running about one
year when by shrewd move on the part OF the
Cunard line managers they secured her transfer
from the Guion line To their company few
weeks ago the Cunard line determined to estab-
liSh a "Wednesday fast line from Boston next
month, and the Oregon and Gallia, with the Bo-
thnia and Scythia, were to be transferred there.