The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1886-03-25
THE ILL-FATED OREGON.
ONE OF THE FlREMEN WHO BELIEVES
IN THE SCHOONER.

"Ali This Talk About tho Accident Being
Caused by II Dynamite Explosion ls Bosh.
"Tho Oregon Was struck by Another
Veasei"-Good Reasons for Opinions.
New YoRK, March 2i--A fireman who
for obvious reasons declined 10 give his name,
was interviewed at the Sailors Home and
gave some fresh and interesting facts In re-
gard TO the Oregon collision. Said hes ~
had como off watch at o'clock and was
washing my hands prior to turning In, whom
felt slight jar or shock, something like a
heavy sea striking tho ship, but rather moro
| Of q tremble 30 H. | soon found out what
had happened, for on going below we saw tho
water leaking through and learned that there
had been collision, There were two big
holes and "a smaller ono In hor, and tho way
tho water poured In her was caution All
this talk about the piston rod breaking or a
dynamite explosion IA bosh, How could ono
Of the piston rod' have broken whom tho en-
gnos were run at full speed for two hours
after, and, In fact, good while aftor, tho
Ores were Quit That's poor yarn.
"Now, 0s 10 the talk Of dynamite Iay that
II such an explosion ~ could sink u ship had
occurred and my mesSnatos would have
heard H. No, sir; tho Oregon was struck by
another vessel. Hero X a reason 10 provo IT,
and that no paper has printed yoH
"Tho paint was scratched oil tho side of the
ship aft the point Of tho accident What
gcraped that paint olll Lots Of us saw tho
icratches-liko what u bowsprit end or AM
chor flulie would do, Another thing, not yet
told; Whom the officers ordered men over
board 10 800 what tho holes were like and
stop thom up, they saw bits Of wool whlrling
about In tho holes, These pieces Of wood
were from the vessel that struck M. The
Oregon is Of iron, aud the suction inward
could not have iloated any Of hor dunnaga
outward lts clear case that sOmo vcsse
struck us-liIo s not u low-lylng collier
a.diYlng into II, for thore was a big swell on,
and she could easily have struck us at or DO
low tho water line, for a ship lifts a good
many feet on big wavo,n
"Nhy didn't tho officers try 10 list LSr
ovorin
at was impossible 10 list hor 10 would
have taken nll hands hours 10 cast hor over
/ Nlphkh w XIV Nl'HN h'lOA NhN VI NNVNlt Anb
captain was right In ordering us 10 man tho
boatan
"Wora tho bulkhcad doors oponr
"Tho doors between tho engine room and
stoke hole were shut, but don't know about
tho others, lt's not for Us 10 say
Tho aremon admitted that sometimes thoso
doors were loft opon for ventilation, etc, but
could DO screwed shut Immediately In ca5o Of
danger
"How about tho lady who said sho saw a
red light through her cabin porth lof'
'She may, aud sho may'nt You say she
was In her cabin, Wen, breeze was a
blowIn' that koon that would cut the nose OIL
you. doubt ifher cabin was 80 warm that
she could stand tho door boiug opon, and IL II
was shut tho lights are OF too thick glass ~
500 through 10 toll what kind OF u light IL
was
Tho fireman gaid ho was one OF tho last OF
his stair 10 loay0 tho ship and was ordered 10
talIo an oar In u boat making four or avo
trips 10 tho schooner with plUongers, IIo
denies emphatically that thoro was any stoal.
Ing by llremon, and says that tho onos 10 sui-
poct and blanc are tho stewards and waitors,
who had tho run Of tho cabins Io main.
tainod that tho ilromon worked side by sido
with tho ablo solm9n, and did thjlr duty
throughout.