Condon globe. (Condon, Gilliam Co., Or.) 189?-1919, 1895-08-16
COLLIDEDIN MIDOCEAN
The Prince Oscar and an Un.
known Vessel Sunk.
NO ONE FROM THE LATTER SAVED
The British Steamer Catterhun Was
Wrecked on Cape Hawk, and
Sixty Persons Drowned.

Sixty Persons Drowned.
Philadelphia, August 10. The Brit
ish ship Prince Oscar, from Liverpool,
Captain Henderson, collided in mid
ocean, July 13, with an unknown sail
ing vessel. Both ships sank in less
than ten minutes. Six members Of the
crew Of the Prince Oscar and all ON
board the unknown vessel were lost
The survivors, seventeen in number,
were rescued by the ship Dharwar,
after being in an open boat with
neither food nor water for three days.
They were transferred TO the steamer
Capac, from Pisaqua, and brought to
this port tonight. The names Of the
lost are:
William Knight, cook; Oscar Mel
son, seaman; Z. Peterson. seaman; Au-
gust Carton, |. Relap, J. Anderson,
steward; the entire crew of the un-
known vessel.
The disaster occurred soon after
midnight, in latitude $3.50 south, lon
gitude 2S:20 west.
The Prince Oscar was bound from
Shields, where she left May 8, for
Iquique, laden with coal, and was
going at clipping gait, on the port
tack, before brisk wind, and all can
vas was set. It is estimated by the
crew that she was making about l.2
knots an hour, when suddenly there
loomed up directly under her bow a
four-masted vessel. The mate asserts
that the stranger had no lights burn
ing, and after she was sighted. it was
impossible to alter the course of the
Prince Oscar. The iron hull of the
latter struck the unknown ship full
amidships, knocking her almost on her
beamends, and crashing through the
woodwork until her prov was half
buried. The stranger went over at
once on her beamends, as the Prince
Oscar backed away from the rebound.
Afterward the Prince Oscar stood
by. Through the darkness, her off,
GERS saw the stranger right herself, and
then she rapidly sank. They listened
in vain for some sign Of life, but not a
cry for help nor a word of command
came from the stricken vessel. In less
than four minutes from the time she
was struck, the stranger keeled over
and plunged stern first into the depths
below.
Captain Henderson, of the Prince
Oscar, who was below in his berth,
rushed on deck just in time to discover
that his ship was also sinking. The
pumps were manned, but in less time
than it takes to tell, it was discovered
that there was no hope from that
source. Lifeboats were ordered cut
adrift, and the men told to jump and
swim for their lives. They all went
overheard, and with the exception Of
two unfortunates, reached the small
boat.
Captain Henderson. who was the
last to leaye the ship, went over in his
night garments and swan fully two
miles before being picked up.
Both boats cruised about the scene
until daylight in an effort to rescue the
two missing members of the Prince
Oscars crew and any members Of the
crew of the stranger, who might have
been fortunate enough to have KEEP
afioat. They found no one, however
and nothing to indicate the name
home or destination of the strange
ship. Finally they left the scene ant
headed they knew not exactly where
Four hours later heavy sea strucl
the boat commanded by Mate Lynch
and capsized it. The occupants, eigh
in number, were thrown into the sea
and the already overcrowded craft
which Captain Henderson commanded
put quickly to the rescue, They wer,
successful in taking four men OF
board, the rest drowning.
There were now seventeen men il
the small lifeboat, with nothing to eat
nothing to drink and barely room Il
stretch their limbs. Toward evening
of the second day one of the crew dis
covered a small case of fishoil stowe,
away III bne llIdDOAV. lnis WAS uehl
out to the survivors in small doses, ant
they used it 70 moisten their parche'
lips and tongues. Most Of the mel
were partially naked, having had n
time to secure clothes.
For three days they fioated, and jus
as they were about to abandon hop
they sighted the ship Dharwar, fror
London, bound to Melbourne. The
succeeded in attracting the attentio
of those on board, and were soon o
her deck. Four days later they wer
put aboard the Capac for this port. Al
of the survivors still bear evidence G
the sutferings which they endured.