Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-08-22
THE PERIL OF THE OREGON.
Letter From n Warrant Officer De-
scribing Accident to WarshiD.

| Mrs. r. D. W. Wood of Fall River, Mass.
| has received letter from her son, Clarence
| Wood, warrant officer of the United States
| battle ship Oregon, describing his expe-
riences aboard the warship at the time OF
her running on rock in Chinese waters
The letter is dated Gulf of Pc Chi Ii, July
6. 1t says:
1.-THE Oregon has been on the rocks. but
is now safely off again. although in "a badly
damaged condition. We had a very nice
run up from Hong Kong until we reached
the Yellow Sea, where we encountered bad
weather. On the 2Sth, while passing
through dangerous spot, we ran hard and
fast on rock. going nearly full speed.
THE rock tore rent in the bottom In
port side fully twenty-five feet long and
water-tight doors were closed Immediately,
but as Is usual in such cases, very few
held water, and in a short time nearly every
compartment forward of the fire room bulk
head was flooded. The ship Immediately
settled hard on the rock, and in about an
hour had a very dangerous list to starboard
"All our pumps were Immediately put to
work on the flooded compartments, but they
could make no Roadway. We had eight
pumps throwing sx-inch streams and ouI
two main circuiators throwing eightesn-inch
streams. Preparations were made to aban-
don ship. and everybody was supplied with
a life belt The weather however, was
very good, and next day little one-horse
wrecking company which happened to be in
the vicinity came to our assistance, ana we
began to cheer up.
.fThe Wrecking company brought diver.
who patched up the holes as well as pos
sible, and soon the greater part of the water
was pumped out Then came several fruit
less trials. with the aid of two chartered
steamers at each high tide to haul her off.
On Monday. July 2 the ship twisted around
with the tide which Is very strong here,
and drifted off without help.
Our JOY was short-Hved. however as no
clear than we ran smash on the same rocks
again. this time harder than before We
went on SO hard that We split the rocks
right in two, so the divers say. All efforts
were now made to tighten the ship forward,
and all hands worked night and day unload
ing coal and ammunition.
the Russian the English and the Japanese
cruisers, to say nothing of the help we got
from the Yorktown and the Nashville. On
Wednesday. the Fourth of July, grand
steamer dashed on each side OF us, backing
full speed. We backed full speed ourselves,
and the Endymion, English cruiser, broke a
couple of big hemp hawsers trying to start
1.-The next day, on an exceptionally high
tide the ship again fioated off of her own
accord and we steamed carefully into deep
water and anchored BY the way, the first
be Chinaman, very natty little cruiser,
capable Of making twenty-four knots. The
Russians and japanese were hard after her,
but could not catch her. She was In Taku
with the fleet
1.-The English thought they had her col
Jared but she got permission to shift an
chorage. and before they knew 1t she was
skipping out. four bells. An English cruiser
chased her for sixty hours, but had to give
up.
while she was here she was under our
protection and few the stars and stripes at
the fore One dark night she left-of course
no one knows for where. / will ship a film
as soon as possible, showing scenes about
the deck and you can see for yourself what
an awful state we are in