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Show THE WRECK OF THE "OREGON." One off the "Fwlda's" Passenger a Interviewed by a "Democrat" lteporter. . Last night Mr. Peter Welte, a resident of Silver Reef, returned from a visit to Fatherland, and as the gentleman was a passenger on the steamship "Fulda," which picked up the passengers of the ill-fated "Oregon," a Democrat reporter to-day obtained some interesting facts concerning the wreck of the great Cunard ocean liner. The theories in regard to the sinking of the "Oregon," Mr. Welte says, are so numerous and conflicting that it is as much of a mystery to him as to any Salt Laker, and it is doubtful whether the investigation in-vestigation in progress will be able to fully and satisfactorily clear up the matter. mat-ter. The idea that collision with an unknown un-known schooner caused the catastrophe is accepted by some, but the officers of the "Oregon" declare that no small craft could have inflicted such damage to their magnificent iron vessel without infitantlv going to the bottom herself, and thus far no signs of a sunken schooner have been apparent. Tha the "Oregon" was the victim of a dynamite explosion is accepted ac-cepted by others, but this theory, like the first one, is not yet corroborated bv any substantial evidence. One thing, however, is apparent, that the doors or iron bulkheads, which divide the several compartments of the vessel, were open at the time the accident happened, and this will doubtless reflect severelv upon the "Oregon" officers. The morning of the wreck the sea was as smooth as a mill pond, and had it been otherwise, or as rough as it was the Saturday night before, Mr. Welte gives it as his opinion that manv of the passengers transferred to the" "Fulda" must have been lost. Before the "Fulda" steamed up manv of them had already been transferred to a schooner laden with timber, but when within a quarter of a mile the "Fulda'e" life boats were launched and the passengers and crew brought safely on board, the transit occupying four hours' time. Notwithstanding the calm sea, in jumping from the "Oregon" to ?he life boats many of the women fell overboard and were onlv fishfrl out with the greatest difficulty. The commands of the officers, the yelling of the men, and the shrieks of women and children combined, made a wild and exciting ex-citing scene, which those who witnessed will never be likely to forget, and Mr. AV elte declares it to be an experience he would not like to be subject to again. |