The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1906-01-24

VICTORIA, Jan. 23.-The steam
err Valencia, en- route to Puget
Sound from San Francisco, went
ashore at midnight Monday between
Cape Beale and Cloo Ose Point.
The wreck is supposed to be on Sea
Bird rocks at the entrance of
Pachena bay. Cape Beale is at the
eastern entrance of Barclay sound
on the west coast Of Vancouver
island.
The accident happened in dense
fog, the steamer having lost her
bearings while trying to make the
entrance to the San Juan straits.
The Valencia sailed from San
Fraicisco with passenger list num-
bering about 100 and with a crew
of "a. According to the latest re-
ports there were this afternoon 100
persons still on board while about
so corpses were floating alongside
of the vessel Two men were pris-
oners on the rocks close to the
Valencia and probably will be
drowned. Several are reported as
in boat near the wrecked steamer.
and six have succeeded in gaining
the shore. These latter were the
boatswain and five of the crew, who
were sent to seek assistance.
Those on board face death in it's
starkest form if they have not al
ready met that fate. The vessel
went ashore on the rocks at the
base of an abrupt cliff, and it is only
a question of hours before the craft
will be beaten to pieces by forty
mile gale, which is reported as blow
ing off the west coast tonight.
Every effort is being made to rush
steam vessels to the scene in re-
spouse to the pitiful appeals for help
sent here from the six men who
came ashore. The steamer Queen
City, which arrived here late today,
disembarked her passengers and i'm
mediately returned to Barclay
sound. The salvage steamer Salvor
has been dispatched and a late re-
port says that the whaling steamer
Orion is standing near the wreck
and making every possible effort to
rescue the prisoners. on the Inflated
steamship.
Though the news from the vessel
is distressingly meager. yet even al
ready the stories Of horror are leak
ing through. One is that two men
who escaped onto the rocks from the
vessel are unable either to scale the
cliff or return to the ship. The tide
will probably reach them when it is
at food. 1t is stated that one wom-
an, while making an effort to pass
her little child to her husband, who
was in small boat, dropped the lit
tie one into the sea. When the
boats crew left the vessel there was
a little boy running about the deck
crying for his mother, who was
among the drowned.
The scene OF the wreck is believed
by Captain James Gaudin, the agent
of marine, to be between Cloo Ose
and Cape Beal on the notorious Sea
Bird rocks, where the steamer Michi-
gan foundered about ten years ago.
The rocks are at the mouth OF what
is known as Pachena bay and stand
out bold and treachefous, where
both current and wind seem to con-
centrate their greatest force and q
landing, except under the most
favorable of circumstances, appears
impossible.
It is expected that the Queen
City will reach the scene about day
break.
According to a special from Cape
Beal, the Valencia met thick
weather >-er since leaving san
Francisco, and Captain Johnson had
consequently navigated by reckon
ing. The officers thought that the
steamer was near Umatilla reef
when she drove ashore. When she
hit the rocks her engines were re-
versed and the steamer succeeded In
backing of into deep water. She
Immediately began to fill, so quickly,
indeed that the engineers were driv-
en- from the engine-roon and the
only chance to save the lives OF any
on board was to drive the vessel
ashore. When the six survivors ar
rived at Cape Beal. she was lying
head onto sea and about thirty
yards from the high blum on the