Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1889-12-28
STEAMER ACCIDENT.
The Oregon Runs Into and Sinks the
Clan Mckenzie.

The Oregon Runs Into and Sinks the
Clan Mckenzie.
ASTORIA, December 27lh.-The Clan Nc
Kenzie, on the way to Portland in ballast
anchored in the channel of the river at
Coffin Rock, forty seven miles inland from
Astoria. The Oregon left Portland at mid
night on her way to Astoria hence to San
Francisco, and struck the Clan Mckenzie
on the starboard bow, smashing through
the iron side of the ship and killing two
colored sailors in their hunks in the fore
castle, and seriously wounded third
When struck the ship parted anchor, and
both vessels drifted on the Washington
shore. The Clan Mckenzie sunk. The
Oregon was unable to extricate herself
from the hole her wedge. shaped nose made
in the ships side. The iibboom of the
Clan Mckenzie was lying across the Ore
CONS deck when the river passenger steamer
R. r. Thompson passed at2:l5 A NJ. and took
on board the wounded man and brought him
to the hospital in this city. Both vessels
were then locked together. The Thomp-
son tried to tow the Oregon off, but failed.
The cause of the collision and all attend
ant circumstances will be subject to official
investigation.
ANOTHER ACCOUNT.
PORTLAND, December 27th.-At 1:30
O'Clock this morning the Union Pacific
steamer Oregon ran into and sunk the Brit
ish ship Clan Mackenzie at Coffin Rock, on
the Columbia river, about ten miles below
Kslama. Charles Austin and Matthew
Reed, two colored sailors, we're instantly
killed. They were asleep in the torecastle
of the Mackenzie, and when the bow of the
Oregon struck, her sharp plate OF iron ran
into the hunks in which the sailors were
living cutting the two men in halves. They
were struck at the waist, and the upper
part of each body dropped into the river
below and sank. Charles Fish, coal
passer of the Oregon, was injured, but not
fatally. A sailor on the Clan Mackenzie
was badly injured, but will recover. A
member of the Clans crew said that as
soon as the two men were cut their blood
flew in every direction, bespattering the
walls and broken timbers. Then the
water began to pour in.
The Mackenzie was an iron ship and was
on her way up from Astoria, where she ar
rived few days ago from Rio de Janeiro
in ballast, consigned to Laidlaw 6 Co.,
Coffin Rock She came to anchor at the
dam last night to wait till morning high
tide. She Law with her bow UP stream and
was riding in the Oregon side of the chan
mel close to shore.
Captsin Simpson, her master, said: My
nilot, James Wards, was on deck; we had
| lust put out four lights on the mast. The
head and side lights were all put out. l
was straight with the channel and left the
watchman on deck. My wife wds with me.
| | was soundly sleeping, when suddenly |
was awakened by tremendous jar and
heard the water pouring into the hold. l
| immediately got the boats out, after finding
| that my ship was sinking, and toek my
vife and crew to the shore. Two of my
men both colored, were killed. The Ore
4 oon struck my ship on the starboard side,
/ inst between the stem and cathead. The
! blow came from straight ahead and was
not from the side. My lights were all out,
! as was not in the channel"
| Atthe time Of the accident the night was
very dark and snow was falling heavily.
! The Oregon left her dock at ten O'Clock
/ last night. Captain George Pease went
| aboard as pilot, and with Captain Popemani
started doWH river. At the time OF the
| collision she was running under slow bell
/ and ran her bow on the port side into the
/ stgrbOard bow Of the Clan Mckenzie fol
thirty feet. tearing eff the Oregon's bow
completely and ripping up the decks ano
railing for about forty feet from the stern
Fish was the only man hurt, and It is re
qarded as q miracle almost that many wert
not killed outright. The state-Tooms ant
steerage of the steamer were all filled with
passengers who were thrown out on the in
slant of the crash, and soon the decks wer'
crowded with excited people. Meanwhile
the Oregon drifted about and got on shore
from which position she was finally extri
Gated. Soon after daylight this mornin!
She took the crew and Captain Of the C.aI
Mckenzie aboard and steamed back to thi
city. Captain Popeman and pilot Georg
Pease refuse to talk about the accident.
The Clan Mackenzie is sunk in abou
twenty-five feet of water, and at low It'd
her poop deck is on g level with the river
Otherwise she is wholly under water, witt
the exception of her rigging. She had
; crew of twenty-one men, seven OF then
being English apprentice boys, and th
others are colored men. The loss TO the Ore
gon for repairs will not fall short Of $1,000
She will probably be taken to San Fran
cisco to be fixed. The rent in her bow ez
tends 10 q point about six feet above tn
water line when not loaded heavily. Th
J hole can be patched up so that she eoul