The morning call., 1894-10-28
ON A TROPIC ISLE.
Story of Shipwreck and
Buried Relics.
\ MYSTERY OF THE SEA
The Romantic Tale Connected With
the Loss of the Ship
Oregon.

Among a lot of other curios on shelf
in the house of Fred Hiads, on Leaven-
worth street. are three old English pew
ter liquid measures that have most iu-
teresting history. What is known about
them seems too strange to be true, and yet
certain part of their history will never
be written, because The only persons who
ever could have done so have been dead
for over century. and when they died
added one more TO the many mysteries OF
the sea. The manner in which Mr.. Kinds
came into possession of the measures is in
itself most remarkable.
In the spring of 1S6- the British ship
Oregon. in command of Captain Cole,
sailed from Port Bakeley for England
loaded with lumber aud a small miscel-
laneous cargo. She was an old vessel with
an unfortunate history and some difficulty
was experienced in obtaining a crew. for
she was known among sailors as IAN un-
lucky ship"
The Oregon started on her long cruise on
a most perfect day.
The captains wife was at the wharf to
see him off. She watched the vessel until
| it disappeared in the distance, and that
| was the last known of the Oregon for over
! two years.
For the first few weeks after the vessel
left port Mrs. Cole carefully read the ma
| rine columns of the papers in the hopes of
seeing that the Oregon had been spoken
| by some other vessel. but there were no
tidings. Months came and went. and al
| most year had gone by when one day
she saw notice of the Oregon. She read
II eagerly, but it was only a paragraph
! stating that the craft was overdue and that
| insurance men refused to take any more
risks on her. Then every one who was in
| terested In the Oregon gave her up for lost.
Finally Mrs. Cole went to live with her
| mother in San Francisco, hoping against
hope for some news of the missing vessel.
1t came at last, over two years and half
after the Oregon sailed from Port Blakeley,
and was long account told by the crew,
all o I whom with the exception Of the cap
ia in, had been picked up on Oano Island in
the South Pacific after being cast away for
eighteen months.
1t was long story and stated that the
Oregon had made an excellent passage on
the run south. aud reached the twenty
fourth parallel below the equator in less
than two months. 1t was here that she
was struck by hurricane from the west
that drove her off her course and swept
| away everything movable from the decks,
Including all the boats. The vessel labored
heavily and soon began to leak, and it was
all the men could DO to keep her afoat by
working constantly at the pumps. In faci,
had she been loaded with less buoyant
cargo than lumber, she would certainly
have foundered.
1t was impossible to get reckoning for
days, and when Captain Cole thought there
was plenty Of water under the old ships
keel he was startled BY the cry of Break
ers ahead" from the man on watch. The
captain aid not kEow where he was, but
rushed forward and saw through the fly
ing spray the faint outlines of an island
surrounded bv a coral reef, with an open
ing directly in the vessels course. In an
instant be made up his mind to beach the
Oregon, as it was the only chance to save
the lives of the crew. Taking the wheel
himself he steered for the opening in the
reef and entered it without any trouble.
Just inside the vessel trem bed for mo.
ment on sandbar. but slid off and was
squared away for the beach about mile
and half distant. The shore was smooth
and sandy aud appeared to be the very
place for such an undertaking.
1t was all over in a few moments, and
the vessel struck harder than was ex pected,
rolling the men over on the deck. The
next instant the spars began to crash down
from aloft, one of which struck Captain
Cole on the head and killed him.
The Oregon was high and dry far out o
the reach of the waves that rolled inside
the reef. The crew carried the cap ain