Evening journal., 1912-04-19
WARDLE
ON SINKING
OREGON, In '86
Titanic Disaster Recalls t0
Police SerGeant'S Mind
Fate of Cid Liner

Twenty-six years ago on the night
of March IA. the big steamer Oregon
enroute TO New York. collided with
schooner in the Atlantic Ocean
thirty miles off Fire Island and went
down. On that vessel was a family Of
Wilmington people including Police
Sergeant David Wardle. his mother
and father, and the story of that dis
aster as told by Sergeant Wardle TO
a reporter for THE EVENING JOUR-
NAL today Is similar to that of the
Titanic.
The Oregon was a leviathan in the
SOS. The schooner she struck sank
with all on board within a few min.
utes after the collision. The Oregon
did not go down until nine hours
afterward and il was fortunate for
the people aboard her that she did
not sink in less time.
As was the case with the Titanic
there were not sufficient life boats
aboard the Oregon and only about
half OF the 800 persons on board got
away i'm these craft. There was no
wireless in those days but luckily two
schooners appeared an hour or two
before the big vessel started for the
bottom and took off the remainder Of
/ the people. Later all the rescued
were taken aboard the German
steamer Fulda, from Brennan, and
LANDED in New York Mayor Blank
enburg, of Philadelphia, was pas
senger aboard the Fulda and made
speech so the rescued people
Sergeant Wardle's account Of the
wreck is interesting and IN many de
tails is similar to the circumstances
surrounding the sinking Of the tt
tanic There is a difference however,
in the method of leaving ship. Ser
geant Wardle said that II was not
until sometime after the collision that
II was thought the vessel would
sink. The same confidence that she
would float and could not sink was
/ displayed. as by those aboard the
| Titanic for the Oregon was probably
the biggest passenger vessel ahoat IN
l1Ss6. When il became apparent, how
ever that the vessel would go 20 the
bottom pandemonnm broke. The pas
sengers and many of the crew ran
amuck, some cursing. some weepinl
and wailing and others praying. Ser
= geant Wardle SAYS he met his fathe'
( coming up from below with an arm
full of life preservers and these h
) and the members of his family don
) lned. The vessel had listed consider
e ably and as there was fear that IN
{ vessel would turn over. the crew an
many Of the passengers kept on III
high side Of the vessel. An effort wa
? made by the officers to get the wome
and children away from the sinkin
!. boat first. but in this they failed. Ser
7 geant Wardle said there were prob
!, ably seventy-ive men I'm the first lif
. boat to leave the vessel and not
, woman or child aboard. He sail
d that the capacity of the boat was bu
forty and IL was so crowded tha
there was danger OF It swamping. Th
Wardles. with seventeen other per
sons got away from the big steame
/, i'm the eighth boat 20 leave. Onl.
three men we're ON this boat, and
girl who was on her way to Cleveland
o., was compelled to steer the boat
This boat got away with so fe'
! people because it was on the side O
: the vessel which was badly listed an
a none would venture from the highe
side of the boat The plug In the lit
= boat had been pulled out probably I
e allow the rain water to escape, an
3 the little craft began to MI wit
water. In the meantime shouts 70
Il help from persons aboard the sink
j. ing steamer we're heard but II wa
dangerous to turn back as the Graf
- was in danger of being swamped.
= plug was finally made with an oar an
d a woman's shawl and the inflow
/ water partially stopped.
Sergeant Wardle said It was tel
rible experience and one he will r'
member all his life. He says he ca
t. realize Just what took place aboar
s. the Titanic before she went down.