St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-03-15
The Oregon, One of the Largest Vessels
on the Atlantic, Sunk by
Schooner.
Nearly 900 Persons on Board, All of Whom
are Safely Transferred TO Other
Vessels.
The Steamer One OF the Most Mag
nidcent and Fastest in the
service,
Having Crossed the Ocean in Six Days,
Nine Hours and Forty-Two
Minutes.
The Steamer Oregon sunk.

to-day, reports: Stopped off Fire island
March IA. at 1918 p. m, in order to take
up the passengers and crew of the Oregon.
and anchored at the bar off Sandy Hook on
account of low water at 6:25 p. N. the
same day. The saved of the Oregon are
lS5 first cabin. &c second cabin and $50
Steerage passengers, and 205 crew. The
steamer Oregon collided with an unknown
deep-laden, three-masted schooner on the
l4th instant at 4:20 a. m, when between
Fire island light and Shinnecock, striking
the steamer on the port side Immediately
under the dining saloon, tearing
water and she soon after sank.
Capt. Collier of the Oregon was below, the
chief officer being in charge on the bridge.
One Of the passengers states that the hole
was SO large that one could drive a horse
and wagon through IL; also. that when
the vessels collided it sounded like the report
of an ordinary cannon. The boats We're, after
some difficulty manned, and lowered into
the water. The ladies were first got into
the boats and transferred to Pilot Boat No.
IL and the schooner Fanny A. Gorham,
Capt. Mahony. from Jacksonville, for Bos-
ton. From 10 IL a. IN. the work of trans
/ ferring the passengers was proceeded with.
All were transferred in safety. not a single
! life being lost At 1918 p. m. they were
all safely transferred 10 the steamer Fulda,
which, owing TO the state of the tide, was
obliged TO anchor at Sandy Hook at 6:25
p. m. Capt. Collier was the last man to
leave the ship. The steamer Oregon was
! built by John Elder * Co., at Glasgow. for
! the Guion line. and was launched on June
| 81, 1888. She arrived here on
.HER INITIAL TRIP
on Oct. Il, 1888. making the run from
! Queenstown TO New York in days, s
| hours and 80 minutes. At that time she
was the most magnificent, most powerful
and fastest of the transatlantic vessels.
/ With the exception of the Etruria, of the
same line, she retained a record for the
| fastest speed. In August, 1884, she made
| the run from Queenstown 10 New York in
| 6 days, 8 hours and AZ minutes, this being
nearly twenty-four hours shorter than her
! first trip, and the fastest then on record.
On her return trip TO Queenstown she made
the run in 6 days. IL hours and Q minutes.
| The dimensions of the Oregon were $40
feet in length, 81 feet breadth of beam,
404 feet depth of hold and 1850 tons
gross measurement. She was built of iron,
with nine transverse water-tight bulk
heads, five iron decks and q strong turtle
back deck forward and aft as a protection
| from the heavy seas. She was fitted to ac-
cOmmOdate $40 salon. 81 second cabin and
| 1000 steerage passengers. The
FITTINGS OF THE OREGON
were unusually fine. The grand salon,
capable of dining the whole of the $40
! cabin passengers. was placed in the forepart
| of the vessel and was laid with parQuettry
floor. The ceiling decorations were almost
exclusively confined to white and gold.
The panels were of polished satin wood,
laa nil af frf1s
The saloon measured 65 by 81 feet and was
Q feet in height in the lowest part. a
central cupola of handsome design % feet
long and Is feet wide rose TO a height of 20
feet and gave abundant light and ventila-
tion. The state rooms were nearly all
fitted for only two passengers, q most de-
sirable arrangement that was appreciated
by travellers. The ladies' drawing room
was on the upper deck, and this deck eX-
tended nearly the entire length and breadth
of the vessel. The smoking room was
also on the upper deck, forward of the en-
trance TO the saloon, and the ship through
out was lighted by the Edison incandescent
electric lights. The most striking feature
of the vessel was its enormous steaming
power. The engines were simple in con-
structiOn and represented capacity greater
than any before put on ocean steamship.
ingly large as may be realized from the
fact that she burned more than 500 tons OF
coal in each twenty-fOur hours. The
Oregon had only been running about yeaI
when by shrewd move on the part of the
Cunard line managers they secured the
transfer of the vessel from the Guion line
to their company. A few weeks ago the
Cunard line determined TO establish q
Wednesday fast line from Boston neXt
month and the Negon and Gallia, together
with the Bothnia and Scythia, were to be
transferred there.
NAIL AND BAGGAGE LOST.
The tug boat Fletcher. which went dowr
after the mail, arrived at the Cunard Piel
at 11:40 p. IN. w. e. Tway, the United
States inspector, who had charge of the
mail, said that he only succeeded in recov.
ering 90 of the 900 bags, which were or
board when the collision occurred. He added
that he was able to learn little about the
collision except that the steamship was rur
into by an unknown schooner. None Of
the baggage, he said, was saved. The
Tribune's account says: The shock Of the
collision Immediately awoke the sleep
ing passengers and that portion of the
crew who were having their watct
below. The passengers at first were thrown
into great confusion, but the calmness o.
the officers and the fact that the day wa.
just beginning to break over a tranquil Sc;
reassured them. At the time the collision
took place. Pilot Boat No. IL was about Il
put a pilot on board, and the schoone
Fannie A. Gorham Of Boston was passin,
near. These
IMMEDIATELY TORE DOWN
to the Scehe and lay by ready to offer as
sistance. An examination of the Oregon
showed that she had two holes in her Dor
sides below the water line as if the Schoone
had rebounded from the first blow and theI
struck the steamer a second time. Al
efforts to stop the leaks were unavailing
and the great steamer began I,
settle in the water. The boat
had been lowered when TN
. accident first occurred. 1t was evident tha
the Oregon would keep aflOat for somt
hours, but that it would be impossible I,
bring her into port. The work of ferryin,
, its passengers to the waiting schooner anC
pilot boat was commenced at once. Tn
women and children went first, tn
captain leaving the ship last
time of the collision to tn
time when the captain of the OregoI
reached the deck of the pilot boat. Thi
Oregon had settled low in the water, an,
, soon after the captain had gained the pilo
boat he saw his magnificent ship go dow
before his eyes. The steamer Fulda passe,
Sandy Hook at l a. m, bound in with tn
| Oregon's passengers.
THE SCHOONER LOST.
, The Oregon filled rapidly and went dow
head first in about twelve fathoms O
water. The upper parts. main, mizzen an,
jigger masts remain above water. Th,
schooner that the Oregon crashed into wa
! seen in the wake Of the STEAMSHIP
, | ga