Blandford Weekly News. — 1886-03-20 (Blandford, Dorset, England)

LOSS OF A CUNARD STEAMER.  NARRATIVE OF THE CAPTAIN. ,  The Cunard steamer Oregon,from Liverpool to New York, has sunk near Fire Island after being in col& sion with another vessel. The name of the schooner with which the Oregon was in collision is unknown. She sank, and it is believed that all on board have perished. At the time of the disaster, which occurred early on Sunday, the captain of the Oregon was below, the chief officer being in command of tbe vessel. Two holes were stove in the Oregon, and she immediately began to sink. The hole made in the p ,rt side was large enough to admit of a teas being driven through. The discipline on board was admirable, and all panic was thus prevented. The captain was the last to leave the vessel. A portion of the passengers were transferred to a pilot beat, and subsequently all were put on board the North-Gernian Lloyd steamer Fulda. There were 186 first cabin, 66 second cabin, and 382 steerage passengers, besides the crew numbering 20) men. Non iof the passengers or crew received any injuries. All the luggsge is lost, and out of 600 mail bags only 75 have been saved.  Captain Cottier, of the Oregon, gives the following account of the loss of his vessel : " The weather was clear at half-past 4 o'clock on Sunday morning, with a fresh breeze from the 'West, when a sailing vessel suddenly loomed up. When first noticed she 'hewed no light, and when too close to clear her she shewed a white light, but I cannot say on what part of her. The Oregon was running under full steam. The vessel struck us amidships, and stove a big hole on the port side. All the watertight compartments were closed at the time. The Oregon went down about a quarter to 1 o'clock, having floated or about eight hours after being struck, and she now des in 22 fathoms of water, north half-west from Watch Hill, Long Island. The tops of her three masts are visible above the water, and the vessel is upright. She went down head first. We worked from the moment of the collision as if we expected her to sink ; but I did not believe she was going to sink. We took extreme precautions. The pumps were of no use. We worked them to their full capacity, but they had no chance against the inrushing mass of water. The usual watch was on deck at the time of the accident. No time was lost in awakening the passengers. Only a few of them had heard or felt the shock, as all were in bed at the time. Soon after the accident a steamer passed lie—a boat of the National Line, I think—but she went on. The vessel that ran into us must have sunk immediately, as when we looked she was not in right. She must have gone down with all on board. When I found our vessel was sinking I first sent up rockets as signals ef distre-s : then the boats were lowered; but before eight o'clock the pilot best No. 11 hove in eight, and two hours later the scho,ner Fannie A. Gorham, of Belfast, Maine, Captain Mahoney, hove to. The passengers and crew of the Oregon were transferred to the pilot boat and schooner in our own boats; 400 persons were placed on board the pilot, and the remainder, about ra in number, on board the schooner. All were transferred by 11 o'clock. The steamship Fulda hove in sight about noon. She was within a half or a third of a mile from the Oiegou when the latter sank. There were no scenes on board the Oregon. I never expected to see such an affair go off so ea.ily. Everything went down with the steamer. The cargo was valued at about .ClOO 000. We carried about 575 mad bags, of which 75 were saved."  The passenger, stories somewhat modify the captain's statement. Doubtless the proceedings were orderly for a shipwreck, inasmuch as some few passengers even slept an hour after the collision • but the first in m nts of uncertainty are desci iberi as frightful. The decks were instantly thronged by the undressed people, who feared to return for their clothes. Very few saved even their handbags. All huddled together for warmth, the temperature being near the freezing point. Feat's lest the steamer should founder were the first emotion. Then next, terror came from the immense clouds of steam, caused by the flooding f the furnaces. The passengers and sailors had beet up to this time under control,and the women the coolest of all; but the stokers arid firemen, when driven from furnaces, rushed for the boats, regardle-s of anybody else. The officers fought them with axes and belaying pins; but some escaped into the boats, which they half filled. The number of boats was totally inadequate to meet the exigencies of such a disaster. However, the worst thing reported is that a lady broke her little finger. It is true that the Rev. C. E. Waller jumped overboard ; that, however, was not on Sunday, but on the previous Tuesday; his relatives protest against the theory that it was a case of suicide. All the money order lists have been lost, only 4 registered lettere were saved, and only nine sacks of letters.  The cause of the di,itster is a mystery. A passenger, whose state room was near the spot where the steamer was struck, asserts that he saw 'a red light, which supports the impression that the Oregon had miscalculated her distance. Against the suggestion that Captain Cottier might have beached the Oregon should be set the difficulty of foreseeing the time she would take in sinking, which appears to have resulted from the smashing of the bulkhead amidships, between the two largest and heaviest compartments. The Oregon now lies at 40deg. 30min. north latitude, and 72deg. 44min. longitude, a position which is dangerous for vessels steaming hither.