St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-03-16
An Account of the Collision by Mime
sOtian Who Was PasSengerOn
the Oregon.
Disgracaful Conduct of the Crew in Rush
ing for the Boats to the Exclusion
of Passengers.
Detailed Description Of tho Anair
Given by the Captain ana
Chief officer.
Two Arrests Made in the Rock Island
Express Robbery Case--The To-
ledo Blaze.
minnesota MANS Experience.

ST. Paul, told GLOBE reporter that thC
collision which occurred yesterday morning
between the Oregon and an unknown
schooner shook the former so little that ht
did not wake up. He slept peacefully fo
three hours after the accident and then wa:
awakened by hearing some one outside hi'
door asking for brandy and speaking Of tht
pumps. Capt. HuddleStOn said that h;
dressed himself before he left his room
When he reached the deck hew was surprised
to find every one rushing about with life
preserverS on and a hole big enough TO drive
horse and wagon through in the side o.
the ship. Capt. Huddlest0n said:
When il was found that we were in danger
of sinking the captain ordered the ships
eight boats 10 be lowered, then the most dis
graceful scenes eusued that il has been my
fortune 10 see. There were over one hun
dred stokers and fircmen employed on the
vessel, and with axes, hatchets, Delaying pms
In their hands they made a rush for the
boats. They struck right and left with The
weapons in their hands and at first did not
STOP even for the women passengers to get
on board. Those who were not engaged in
this business, Of every man for himself, were
occupied in plunderlng the cabins OF the pas
seugers. Ny state-rOOm was entered anC
money was taken from the pockets OF my
clothing, besides a valuable watch and chain
which had left behind. After awhile the
men were brought under IA partial contro
end they were compelled 10 submit TO the
orders Of the officers. They, however. Sc
cured places in the boats before the passen
gers had a chance. Had we been in mid
ocean" continued Capt. HuddleSton, 1.-THE
loss Of life would have been terrible, on ac-
count Of the actions Of those men,"
THE CHIEF OFFICERS STORY.
Chief Officer w. G. Mathews to-day at
the shipping office Of the company in the
presence of Agent Brown made this state
lnenJ:
~ went on watch at O'Clock on Sunday
morning. It was dark. but the weather was
to!eraby clear. It was starlight, daybreak
had not vet begun. The fourth officer was on
the lookout with me on the bridge, he being
on the pore, on the starboard side. There
were three men on the lookout also, two Oh
the turtle back forward and OIL
on the fOrepart OF the prone
made deck, who was also keeping
lookout and pass any word TO the other two
men. The latter WAS an extra lookout. The
collision occurred at about 4:30 Il. IN. The
first intimalion / had of the proximity Of tho
schooner, was when bright light was shown
on the port bow. The light appeared to be 4
bright light held up at the time, and then il
frightened again, so much that took it tC
be the pilot boat, and, knowing we were not
going 10 take pilot until getting up TO the
bar, put
THE HELM HARD APORT
to bring her more broad in the bow. pilot
boat while cruising only carries white light
at the mast head. l assume the light / saw
TO have been held by man standing on the
schooner's deck. The fourth officer and my
self saw IL together. The lookout men say
they reported it, but did not hear them. We
probably ali saw it together. ! cannot say
how far the white light was away when saw
it, but had no idea of collision. When
put the helm aport the vessel had not changed
l., IL H.,
occurred. 1t was almost instantaneous.
could not see the sails or masts of the schooner
until she was on
THE POINT OF STRIKING.
When first saw the light had no idea of q
collision, and from the light l saw could
form no idea in which direction the schooner
was moving. She looked like a large schooner
but could not tell how many mastS she had
for the collision took place as / first noticed
the schooner. She struck us a few feet for
ward of the bridge. 1t was dead blow bul
the steamer did not career. After she struck
Us / ordered the engines stopped at once.
The Oregon was coming around all the time
and we tried to see what became of the
schooner, but we could not see her any
where. The captain came on the bridge
as soon as he heard the engineers telegraph.
After the collision word was passed
that the ship was taking water. Meanwhile
I looked around the horizon, but could not
see the schooner. All was still. If she was
atioat she would have been on the stern OF
our steamer. and as the sun came up in the
east / could have seen her. heard no cries
and no communication passed between us
We made for the spot where she ought tC
have been, but did not sight her. At the
time of the collision there were no passengers
on deck. ] have been in the Cunard service
eleven years, and on vessels approaching the
size of the Oregon for three years.
TIE CAPTAINS ACCOUNT.
NEW No.E March 15.-(lant COfhpr nj
the Oregon gives the following account Of
the disaster:
The Oregon left Liverpool at 10 O'clock or
Saturday morning of last week We had fine
weather all the way across, and the weather
w.s clear at 4:50 O'Clock Sunday
morning with fresh breeze frou
The west when a sailing vessel sud
denly lOomed up. When first noticed she
show ei no light, but when she was too close
to clear she showed Il white light. i cannot
say what part of her. The Oregon was
running under a full head of steam. She
STRUCK Us AMIDSHIPs
and stove big hole in the port side. All the
Water-tight compartments were closed at the
time. The Oregon went down about I2:45
She fOated for about eight hours after she
was struck and now lies in twenty-five
fathoms of water, north half west from
Watch Hill Long Island. the tops of her
three maStS are visible above the water and
the vessel is upright. She went down head.
first. We worked from the moment of the
collision as IL we expected her to sink, but
did not believe she was going TO sink. We
took extreme precautions. The
PUMPS WE'RE OF NO USE
might say. We worked them, of course
but hey had no chance against the mass OF
water which continually carried her down
Tie usual watch was on deck at the time OF
the accident and no time was lost in awaken.
ing the passengers. Few of them heard OF
fal k q N hnd at flfat
Soon after the accident occurred steamer
passed us, National boat, think, but went
on. The vessel that ran into us must have
sunk Immediately as when we looked she
was not in sight. She must have gone down
WITH ALL ON BOARD.
When found the vessel was sinking tool
the necessary steps TO save our passengers
We first sent up rockets as signals of distress
Then the boats were lowered, but before
o'clock Pilot Boat No. ii hove in sight. She
came up to US between and o'clock, anC
two hours later the schooner Fannie A. Cor
ham of Belfast, Me-, hove TO. The passengers
and crew of the Oregon were transferred q
the pilot boat and the schooner in our owl
boats. Four hundred were placed on boarC
he pilot boat aud the balance, about 500, OF
board the schooner. All the passengers were
transferred by IL O'Clock. The steamship
Fulda Of the North German line hove in sigh
about noon or a little before. She was within
half mile from the Oregon when
THE OREGON SANK.
There were no scenes on board the Oregon
never expected to see such an affair go OF
so easily.
The cargo of the vessel consisted of ], ,s5C
tons Oh general merchandise, valued a
S25O,0OO. The vessel was valued a
Sl,25O, 600. Both cargo and vessel were in
sured abroad. The question which is nov
uppermost among the passengers on th'