Oxford Democrat

The Lost Oneida—Divers at Work—A Thrilling Incident of the Day's Labor.

After the usual preparations had been concluded, and by sounding it had been ascertained that the deck of the Oneida was 103 feet beneath the surface of the bay; after every caution had been given to eight strong sailors to keep the air pump constantly in motion, and allow not an instant time of stoppage to occur, as thereby depended the life of the bold diver: after Charley Lougee had been helmeted, and shut from air, except that supplied through the slender tube of the coiled rubber, with a life-line around his body, and leaden clogs to his feet, with "Good-bye" and "God bless you" from all aboard, he was dropped over the side and slowly disappeared in the blue waves while a nervous tremor shot through our frames as we realized the fearful risk taken by that man who was seeking for truth in over 100 feet of water. Away to leeward, borne by tide and wind, came floating bubbles to the surface—life signals from below. The men at the pump labored manfully, but becoming fatigued attempted to change for fresh hands, and there was a stop. "Great God! you will murder my brother! Quick! for Heaven's sake, quick!" And as the men re-commenced the revolutions of the air-pump, the elder Lougee, with blanched face and trembling lip, gave a signal on the life-line below. For an instant there came no response, and the face of that brother seemed turned to marble: but when we saw the quick motions from the submarine station, and knew it was the welcome signal of "all right," and then Lougee turned to the men at the wheel, who came so near sending both below, and simply said: "My brother's life depends upon your efforts in keeping that pump constantly in motion—stop again at your peril." The calm face and passionate eye told those men not to stop again, and with Lieut. Tanner close by they kept at work until stopped by orders from Lougee. Meantime while we were on the deck of that "sand pan," counting the tedious moments which lengthened to half an hour, Charley Lougee was searching the Oneida at the tremendous depth mentioned. At last came the signal for "surface," and instantly the life-line was put in motion; slowly came the coiling hemp and rubber on deck, and at last, away in the deep blue waves, came in sight the diver, shrouded and panoplied in weird garments. As he came to the surface he reached Minister DeLong a sword and a lacquered box, and then was his helmet loosed, and our party crowded around to hear of the gallant ship. Among our party were many of the survivors of the Oneida; among them were Wm. Crowninshield, Capt. Clark, Master Yates and Dr. James Suddard, who were intensely excited to learn the tidings.

Said the Diver:

The water for the first seventy feet was quite clear, as the sun gave excellent light, and although my supply of air was once choked for an instant, I reached the deck of the ship just astern of the mizzen-mast and close by the mess-room hatch; the tide was ebbing quite strong, and I was compelled to hold to the lines from the rigging to keep from being swept forward. I first examined the side of the ship; she was cut from the mizzen rigging (at an angle of about forty degrees) across the whole stern of the ship, her timbers, far below the water line, being crushed and broken the captain's cabin cut in two, the wheel and steering gear all carried away, and in fact, the whole end of the ship stove in or cut away. The ship is heading south-west and sits upright on the bottom, and is making sand slowly. I laid on the deck and peered over the broken end into the cabin, but did not dare trust my air-line in contact with the jagged timbers. The guns and armament except one, are in place aft; but I did not go forward, as I was afraid of entanglement in the rigging."—Turning to Crowninshield, he said: "Your evidence, which I read, described almost exactly the injury, except that she was cut deeper than you could have known." Lougee expressed the belief that it will be impracticable to raise the ship, but says the splendid battery, personal effects, &c., can be saved if the government sees proper.

By this survey the testimony of the living is verified and the memory of the dead without a stain, for the position of the ship as found, and the positions of both the Oneida and Bombay, as testified to by the navigating officers, shows that it was impossible for the captain of the Bombay to have seen the red light of the Oneida, and that the order of "Port your helm," by Capt. Eyre was wrong, and the "Starboard, hard-a-starboard" of Master Yates was right.—Japan Cor. Sacramento Union.