Oregon
Built: 1881 Sunk: March 14 1886
Depth: 130fsw Tonnage: ?
Dimensions: 513' x 54'


The Oregon was a grand, and fast ship. She was built in 1881 for the Guion line. The owner, Fred Guion was intent on building the fastest ship to cross the Atlantic. The Oregon was built for this purpose. She was 513 Ft. Long with a breadth of 54 Ft. She was one of the largest ships of her day, displacing 7,142 tons. The Oregon was powered by triple expansion steam engine, capable of developing over 12,000 horse power. The steam for this engine was generated by burning coal in her 9 boilers. Each boiler was 18 Ft. Long, and capable of burning 24 tons of coal, per day, each. This engine, gave the Oregon a speed of over 19 knots. Since this ship was built at the end of the sailing ship age, she was also fitted with sails, in case her engine should fail.

Built in a time of grandeur, and the golden age of travel by ship, she was opulent in every detail. The 340 first class passengers enjoyed every comfort possible, including there own personal “thunder bowl” in each stateroom. The elite could hob nob in the grand salon, which was 65 Ft. Long and a full 50 Ft. Wide. It featured an elaborate spiral stair case. The Oregon could also carry 92 second class and over 1,00 passengers in steerage.

On October 7th 1883 the Oregon left Queenstown England, bound for New York City. She made the crossing in just over seven days. She set a new transatlantic record, averaging almost 18 knots. This was the third, and final time that Fred Guion was to win the Blue Riband. The Oregon, while a success, was too much of a financial burden for his company. In 1884 the Guion steam ship line was forced into bankruptcy. The Oregon was sold to the competitor, Cunard line. She sold for the sum of 616,000 English pounds.

Cunard’s purchase, was to be short lived. On March 14th 1886 The Oregon was in bound to NY., from Liverpool England, carrying 845 passengers and crew. In the wee hours before dawn, the ship shuddered. She was struck in the mid-section by a large three masted schooner, the Charles Morse, out of Maine. The smaller wooden vessel sank immediately, with a complete loss of life.

On board the Oregon, all hell broke loose. There was a large gaping hole in the hull of the Oregon. All the pumps were brought to bear. A collision mat was put over the hole, but it only lasted a short while. The pumps bought the crew some time to abandon ship in a somewhat orderly fashion. To the crew’s credit, not a soul was lost. The Oregon’s passengers and crew, were picked up by the Fannie A. Gorhan, and the Pilot boat Phantom. Eventually, the Oregon went down by the bow and lay on the bottom, 130 Ft. Below. At this time, the masts of the great ship were still sticking up, above the surface. An inquiry into the sinking was conducted in Liverpool. Captain Cottier of the Oregon was found at fault and relieved of command.

Today, the Oregon is one of the premier dives in the East coast. Divers come from far, and near, to dive this great ship. The Oregon, rests in 130 Ft. of water, on a white sand bottom. 58 miles from Great Kills, making her about a 3 hour run for the John Jack. Her hull is still somewhat intact. She is broken into three connected sections. The wreck looks like a model ship that was twisted by an angry child. The bow section, about 130 Ft. long, is twisted over to starboard at almost a 90 Deg. angle. Her anchors, bow winch and anchor chain, are clearly visible. This area is where a lot of the luggage was stored. Divers digging in this area, are finding some nice personal effects. This area of the ship, was also used for storage. I have pulled up several intact bottles from this area. There are probably several nice portholes buried in the sand, on the starboard side, as well. On the port side, there is a row of gaping holes, where the portholes used to be. In 2001, one of my mates, Jeff Baris removed a brass backing plate from this area.

As you travel sternwards, the wreck is well settled into the sand and in an upright position. This is true for most of the wreck. You can continue on this way for about 200 Ft. you will swim over the three sets of three massive boilers. This area is full of little brass gauges and doodads, from the steam boilers. The wreck is still upright as you continue back to the engine. The engine is magnificent. It stands upright, completely intact. The top of the engine is at 85 Ft. over 50 Ft. off the bottom. The hull plates on the sides of the engine hull area have fallen in, and contain many portholes. Sometimes all’s it takes is a keen eye, as opposed to a big hammer, to get one. I was doing a night dive on the Oregon, courtesy of Captains Janet Biesser, and Steve Bielenda of the Wahoo. As I looked for bugs, I found a completely intact porthole, already loose from the wreck, laying under some steel plates. Just one third, of one of the dogs was visible, but I knew immediately, what it was. A quick wiggle, told me it was loose. I left it that night, not wanting to interfere with my lobstering. I recovered it a few weeks later, again while diving on the Wahoo, with my buddy Gary Dibble. This was just a few seasons ago. I could not begin to count how many divers swam by this goody. This section also contains large holes for large lobsters.

You can follow the prop shaft to the stern. The last 80 Ft. or so, of the stern, is twisted to port, almost 90 Deg. here is where, the large steering quadrant is located. This, was part of the ships steering gear. The stern area, also had luggage and storage areas. You can find some large bolts of material if you dig a little. If you continue around the stern, you will find the large steel propeller still attached. A little bit out into the sand, lies the rudder. While there are often scallops in the wreck and just off into the sand. I usually find off the stern, into the sand, is the most productive area to look.

The Oregon has something for everyone. The artifact hound, can find brass, china, silverware and anything else common on a wreck. The sight seer, can find spectacular views and things to photograph. The seafood hunter, can bag up on fish, lobster, scallops and mussels. The photographer, will find countless photos waiting to be taken. The Oregon is truly an amazing dive.