The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1886-03-19
STILL IN THE DARK.
THE SINKING OF THE OREGON,
The Mystery that Surrounds the Loss OF
that stsamihIp-ThS Dynamite Theory
Completely EEpladsd-Ihs Testimony
Of Judge DrummOad, Of Chicago.

NEw YoRE, March ls.-Ths high seas
which have continued since the wreck Of
the steamer Oregon have prevented any
further etfortS on the part Of the divers,
and the whereabouts Of the schooner with
which abe is supposed to have ColIided is
as much mystery aG ever. Capt, Mer-
ritt, Of the Merritt Wreckiug Company,
was asked to-day what trace Of the schoon-
eF had been found, and said:
."Not one, We picked up wreckage,
mSil.bags, &c, apparently from the steam
or, four miles from the scene OF the dis
after, Bat then that is not strange. The
collision took place about twenty miles
from land, and the wind had been blow
ing pretty strong from the west ever since.
There has been ample time for debris to
be blown out to sea. Then there Ia q
faint possibility that the schooner, after
Colliding with the Oregon, may have got
I'd with the los5 OF part OF her bow and
broken mast, Such things have hap
psnsd,"
TIKI MYSTERIOUS SCHOONER,
The continued sbsence OF any inlorma.
ton regarding the sChoonsr has set stioal
all sorts Of suggestions to-day, the latest
being that the Oregon was blown up by
dynamite or some combustib!e in her
cargo, which the owners did not know OF
Captain Merrltts attention being called to
this to-day, he said "rhat is a cranky
ldea, and the fact that two holes were
made in the steamers side by two sep.
4rate shocks, as Of something sheering Oh
after the frat and striking Sgaiu, sutii.
iienlly disproyes the theory. am salts.
lied that 1t was the case Of big steamer
md heavily laden wooden vessel, both
moving at q high rate Of speed under
ateam and sail, coming into sudden con-
tact with each other"
There are a number ot curious theories
suggested to-day regarding tho accident.
II ID said, for instance, that schooner
making such an indentaion could not
withdraw from tho steamer without being
ieen. It is also said that such collision
would have caused sudden Swapping oil
the masts on the schooner.
"NOne OF the men that have anything
to do with" said 0'Donovan Rosa this !
afternoon, would have been guilty OF
'uch cowardiCe as that Of blowing up
passenger ship"
Rosa was seated at his desk diapatching
marked copies Of the Irish World to his
many followers 10 regard to the humor,
which has received much CredenCe down
!Own, that the Oregon was blown up with
lynamitO Consigned to him. mo, sir"
ne continued, that Is not our plan. !
took an oath thirty ytars ago to make Ire.
and aplndependent Democratic Republic,
out | don't intend reaching that result BY
the means Of blowing up steamships"
TIE DYEANITE THEORY.
"Does 1t not appear strange to you that
nothing has GS yet been heard from the
supposed schooner"
"lhere pm with you, but you news
oapers are on the wrong track. Now,
you know there was considerable
amount OF merchandise on board the
Oregon-som9 diamonds, believe. Do
you think such cargo would be sent to
sea without being insuredY | think II
you reporters woule look up the insurance
companies you might lIud something that
would be interesting, at any rate, put
me on record as saying that know moth.
ing Of any consignment Of dynamite, and
don't think any was aboard Of her."
O. N. Fuller, Of Minneapolis, who went
abroad last January with Mr.. and Mrs.
Rennith Clark aud Mr.. and Mrs. p, K. L.
Hardenbergh, Of st. Paul, and who alone
Of the party returned on the Oregon, said
10 a correspondent tonight:
II take no stock whatever in the
rumors that dynamite or an internal
machine was the cause OF the accident TO
the Oregon. | believe the statement Of
the frat officer made yesterday is correct
in every detail 80 far as he knew. My
State.room," continued Mr.. Fuller,
was on the same eide Of the
steamer that the accident occurred.
was in my berth, but the noise
did not at first alarm me. One gets used
to great many strange noises on board
ship. The opening ot scuttles, the rumb-
ling Of coal and the dumping out OF ashes
are only few ol many noises one hears
about ship, and 1t was not until heard
the engine bell signal that was at all
alarmed. knew what that meant, how.
ever, and got up. In few moments
was on deck, and the rest Of the story you
know. l was in the last hundred, think,
to leave the steamer, and II the Fannie
Gorham had not arrived l believe two
hundred Of the passengers would have
persisted"