New-York tribune., 1886-03-17
TIE SAFETY or oCEAN STEAMERS

Two facts stand ont prominently in the de-
tails of the Oregon wreck. The first Is that the
compartment system did not keep her allOat.
The second is that the rescue of the passengers
and crew was effected by outside aid. Change
the conditions, and it is evident that it would
have been impossible to save the nine hundred
souls ON board the CuGarder. HID the collision
occurred hundred miles ont had the wind
and sea been less Cuict, the end OF the disaster
would have been different. In such case the
steamer would have gone down much sooner,
and in the absence of other vessels to take OIL
the passengers it is clear that her OVID boats
could not have saved them all. The cOmpart.
ment system, if the facts are is stated by the
officers of the Oregon, has sustained a severe
blow III her loss. II j. indeed difficult to recon-
cc those statements with her sinking without
concluding that the presence of the incoming
water upon the compartment or compartments
opened by the collision proved too heavy Tor
the bulkhcadS For If the doors between the
bulkheadS were all closed, as alleged, and II the
compartments which were open would not, as Is
also alleged hold enough water to sink the
Oregon, the fact that she went to the bottom
must remain unexplained
1t would not surprise aGy one probably TO
learn that one or more of the bulkhead doors
had been left open. The exact truth Gn this
head could even now be ascertained by divers.
The most elaborate mechanism Is always liable
to get ont OF order, and to fail ut a crisis, when
it has to be set i'm motion or attended to by
fallible human beings. But it has been sup
posed by the public that the compartment
system, when properly applied, practically
guaranteed the floating of vessel aS mnch
disabled as was the Oregon, and if, as seems
demonstrated by this case, that belief is
fallacy. one of the Grmcst grounds of confidence
open to the travelling public disappears. The
circumstance that the Oregon remained aflOat
some eight hours after the collision does not
vindicate the compartment system, but only
emphasizes the favorable nature of the prevail
ing conditions. What must be asked Is, how
far so limited rcpIieve would have availed
had the collision occurred far at sea and in bad
weather A few hours more or less in such
case would make no difference in the end. The
steamer would have gone down eventually, and
the passengers and crew, packed like sardines
in the boats Of indeed the boats would have
held them ALL however packed, would not have
had one chance in thousand of reaching Land
or keeping afOat until picked up.
CAPTAIN Cottier has been blamed for not
driving the Oregon upon the beach at once, but
the probability is that he himself believed in
the compartment system, and therefore did not
apprehend the sinking of his vessel until the
advance of the water put the fires out and made
Bleaching her impossible. AS to the statement
that the steamer happened to be struck at her
weakest point, that, if true, is really an indlct-
ment of her builders, for the weakest point of a
vessel is for all practical purposes the measure
of her actual strength and consequently her
actual safety. There is 10 reason to suppose
either that other ocean steamers are stronger or
better built or provided for than the Oregon
was and the conclusion to be drawn from her
fate obviously must be that in the matter of
compartments and in the matter of boats fur
ther pre- cautions are necessary. If there is no
way by which the strength of collision bulk
heads or the fastening of compartment doors
can be rendered thoroughly trustworthy, COM
partments will only prove illuSiye. And if in
the event of the loss of a passenger steamer ut
sea those on board, numbering usually several
hundred, are to be given a fair chance of
rescue there must be more boats than even so
well equipped a vessel as the Oregon was sup
piled with