Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1886-03-16

very gradually from the stem 70 tue
stern, which was overhanging. she
made her first voyage from Queens
town to this city in seven days, e'gn'
hours, and thirty-three minutes, leav-
ing Queenstown on October Z, 1883,
and reaching Sandy Hook October l4th.
She continued to run in the Guion
Line until May, 1884, when she was
purchased by the Cunard Company and
transferred to the fleet Of that line.
In March of last year, when prospects
of war between Great Britain and Rus
STA over the Afghan-frontier troubles
began to loom up, the English Govern
ment chartered number Of the =" ocean
grevhounds," as the feetest OF the
transatlantic steamers were called,
and the Oregon was among those so APP
propriated to act with the British navy.
She was transformed in cruiser and
took part in the naval man@uvres in
Bantry bay in July, being the only
one Of the chartered vessels that
was fitted out and sent to sea. Her
service was as dispatch-boat. When
a peaceable settlement Of the Afghan
trouble was reached the Government
gave up its charter, the Oregon was re-
fitted for passenger service, and again
took her place in the fleet OF Cunarders
in November last, reaching this port on
her first trip after her naval service on
the 23d of that month. Since that
time she had made regular trips between
this city and Liverpool.
The Oregon was the unchallenged
mistress Of the seas for fleetness until
the Etruria, of the Cunard Line, made
her famous passage from Queenstown
last August in days hours 81 min
utes. The Oregon's fastest trip was
made in August, 1884, when she
steamed from Queenstown to She bar
off Sandy Hook in 6 days Q hours %
minutes. In the early spring of the
same year she had made the passage
westward in days 10 hours 10 min
utes, and it was this then unparalleled
feat which prompted the managers of
the Cunard Line to add her to their
fleet. The Umbria has since proved
herself the peer Of the Oregon for speed.
Captain Cottier, who commanded the
Oregon, is an experienced navigator,
and has been for many years in the en-
ploy of the Cunard Company. Until
the Oregon was bought by his line he
commanded the Catalonia, and served
at various times on other vessels Of the
Cunard Line running between Boston
and Liverpool. Although one of the
oldest captains in service, he is one Of
the youngest in years in command Of an
Atlantic steamship, being about forty
five years old.
by Associated Press
THE SCHOONER ALSO SUNK.
NEW YORK, March 1.-THE
schooner which ran into the steamship
Oregon had her bows stove in and sunk
almost Immediately. All Of her un-
fortunate crew persisted.
Further Particulars of the Disaster.
lBy Associated Press.l
NEW YORK, March lj.--Captain
Cottier. of the steamship Oregon, re-
ports lSG cabin, &C intermediate, and
239 steerage-passengers on board. The
weather was clear at 4:30 o'clock Sun
day morning, with fresh breeze, when
suddenly a sailing vessel doomed up.
She showed no light until too close to
sheer off, when she showed white light.
When the schooner was looked for,
shortly after the collision, she was not
in sight. She had gone down so
quickly that no person and no wreck
age could be found to give clue to her
identity. One of the National-Line
steamers passed close at hand soon
after the accident. but did not stop.
The Oregon floated about eight
hours after being struck. The trans
fer Of her passengers to Pilot
Boat No. IL and the schooner
Fannie A. Gorham was made by the
steamers boats. All the passengers
were out Of the steamer by II o'clock.
An hour later the steamer Fulda came
along and took the wrecked people from
the smaller vessels. Some Of the pas
sengers say the schooner was visible
ten miles away and had been seen long
before she struck. No one attempts to
account for the accident except on theo-
ries. The steamer.men offer neither
theory nor explanation. The passen-
gers say the tiremen and coa,-passers
made a great deal of trouble when the
passengers were being transferred from
the vessel. They endeavored to get off
first, and one was knocked down
by a steamer officer to get him
out Of the way of the women.
1t was only by hard fighting and great
nerve of the officers that these men
were prevented from running away with
the boats and leaving the passengers to
their fate. Some of the boats, with
members Of the steamers crew, were
picked up by vessels some distance from
the wreck. One boat, containing the
first officer and four men, came to the
city to-day. They had been picked up
to-day after being twenty-four hours in
the boat. Another pilot-boat was re-
ported off Sandy Hook this afternoon
having in tow five or six large boats,
supposed to be a part Of the Oregon's
boats. Of which the steamer had ten.
The passengers were driven from
their beds, and some of them were taken
on board the Fulda scarcely half clad.
All Of them lost everything they pos
sessed except what was on their backs.
The steamer was valued at million and
a quarter and the cargo at q quarter OF
a million. All the insurance upon the
vessel or cargo was placed on the other
side Of the Atlantic. The vessel lies
upright in twenty-five fathoms of water,
and her topmasts are visible above
water. Not much hope exists of heI
being raised.
Several of the 0regon's passengers
have been interviewed. One is j. v