The Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1885-1886, 1886-03-16
IN TW ENTY- Two FATH0MS
THE CUNARD STEAMSHIP OREGON
SINKS IN A COLLISION.

A Smooth Sea aud Closed Water-Tight
Compartments Prevent Terrible Ocean
Disaster-AII on Beard Saved but One
The Other ship Not Heard from.
NEW YORK. March ~ The boast of the
Cunard lire of transatllntic steamers that
they had never IN all the years Of the com
pany's existence lost a vessel. j. tleirs ne
longer Sunday morning at about o clock,
the Oregon, one of the newest and fastest
vessa is OF the celebrated line, was struck by
a thrre-mastcd hooner and II hole large
enough g. drive a team through broken in
in her sida, and in few hours tue grey
hound of the can was lying al the boz
tom of the sea
One matter for congratulatiun is that hut
one life was lost, although VIII the collision
occurred there was great panic. The Office
aud crew went to work and got the
boats ont and the passengers INTO them,
from which they were taken later hy the
steamship Fulda and brought 10 this city,
The one life lost was Rev C. f. Waller Il
church Of England clergyman, who either
fell or Jumped overheard during the first
excitement 1t shouli I've stated that the
SEA was peri c,ly smooth and th vc Sci was
eight hours sinking
Capt Cutticr, of the Oregon. gave the
following account of the disaster: THE
Oregon left Liverpool at 10 o'cio k Satur
day morning of last week We had l>6
cabin, O. intermediates and 21l steerage pas
senCers on board. We had fine weather all
the way across and the weather wa, clear
at 4:5o O'Clock Sunday morning with a
fresh breeze from the west, when a sailing
vessel suddenly loomed up. When first DIS
covered she showed no light. but when she
was too close 10 clear she showed a white
light cannot say on what part OF her
The Oregon was running under fuil head
of steam The vessel struck us ami lshiIs
and stove a big hole in the port side Al
the water tight compartments were closed at
the time. The Oregon went down at l2;+'.
She tloated for about eight hours after She
was struck and now lies in twenty two faith
oms OF water The vessel that ran into us
must have sunk Immediately, as when We
lookel she was not in 81 [ht She must have
gone down with all on board
The Oregon's mail was very heavy one.
1t was made up in 5SN bags, Of which only
seventy were saved Those were Principally
newspapers 1t is believed that about >: Oh
registered letters were amoag those in the
sunkep vessel The postollice authorities are
in communication with the agents of the
Cunard hne for the adoption of plans tor the
immed ate recovery Of the mails
The passengers stories differ widely Sew.
| eral say that Immediately after the col
lision occurred the widest confusion pre-
vailed. The firemen rushed from below and
seized upon the boats beating the ladies AMI
children back in brutal way. 1t was every
man for himself The firemen and some
members of the crew tCoE two OF the
boats and left the sinking ShiT
with all on board to take care
of themselves. The officers and many of The
male passengers had hand-to-hand fight,
| with tiremen to obtain places in the boat,
for women and children. Many people il
is asserted by some, jumped into the boat,
from the deck of the Gamer Just rs they
were about pushing oil, iniuring some Of the
Cupantl and nearly capsiNing the boats
John Lamming, steerage passenger, saw hi,
| little child pushed from the decl into The
water He gave the child up a. lost, but aft
| erward found that she hal been picked NJ
by one of the boats AMI put on hoard pio
/ boat II.
| one Of the cabin passengers, who refuse
| to give his nam, said he never Wrne>-e
| su h shameful oNar,ice rs was dispIaye,
| 10y the iiremen ot tine Oregon The captain
| and officers did all in their power % r, stort
/ order and discipline, hut To no avail Tn,
/ gent c.nan eXhibite bruise over his ,.y.
re 'ei,el from tiremHn white try ing to Keel