The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1906-01-26
Wreck Submerged and Broken,
With Mast Stump Showing.
THE WOMEN WERE ALL LOST
Refused 10 Leave Wreck With Children,
Even When Ship Was GsIng 10 Pieces,
Captain Stayed 10 The End

Victoria, b. c.. Jan. 26-with only SO OF
he 15i persons on board known 10 be
safe,-tfp-tn a late hour last night. the
wrecked steamer Valencia now lies sub
merged and broken on the Vancouver
coast, five miles from Cape Beale.
Only a portion Of a mast stands above
the water and the fleet OF steamers and
tugs yesterday turned their attention 10
the coast in the hope OF find
ing boats, RATS or wreckage stlll afioat
with survivors. But the belief grows
stronger each hour that l21 persons, in
cluding Inost OF the passengers, are lost.
Ashore several rescue parties are toll
ing over difficult trails, some carrying sue
cor TO those who were washed ashore in
a pitiable plight and others securing the
rugged rocks of the seeshore. seeking
such survivors as may have reached land.
Still others are engaged in the melan-
choly work of recovering bodies.
WOMEN ALL DROWNED.
OF the SO persons definitely accounted
for. and these do not include three men
TO be survivors seen on shore
by the whaling vessel orion, six have
been taken on the salvor bruised, half
naked and exhausted.
Nine others i'm a similar plight are still
camped on Darling creek in a telegraph
but, while the remaining is were packed
up by the City Of Topeka from a raft.
Not a woman or child is among the
saved. survivors saying that the women
TO leave the wreck, even when
told the ship was going to pieces.
Doctors on the rescuing tugs say the
limit OF human endurance has been
passed before this time. and that all per-
sons on board the craft are likely dead
The feet of steamers engaged in pa
trolling was seen yesterday morning in
vicinity t-f Darling river. The steamer
Salvor which left Bamfield creek yester-
day morning. after sending part Of her
crew over the land trails to seek sur
vivors. and the whaling steamer Orion, a
vessel better equipped than any in these
waters 20 throw lines to a wreck; the
steamer Queen. which stopped at the
wreck on the way TO San Francisco the
tug Iorne. sent from Victoria Wednesday
night with a party OF blueiackets and a
lifeboat on board. were all there, and as
far as could be learned from correspond
ents at various points, none had found
any other survivors.
CAPTAIN STAYED BY SHIP.
Seattle. Wash. Jan. 2e-Survivors Of
the wreck Of the steamship Valencia are
Of the opinion that Capt q. NJ. Johnson,
10 save his own life. even when a chance
presented According to their story Capt.
Johnson was heartbroken over the great
loss OF life attending the wreck
With drawn face, Capt. Johnson, cling
Ing 10 the rigging with the passengers,
thought only of those with him. and time
and time again he prayed for assistance.
My God. send relief to my passengers"
Capt johnson was heard TO say just be-
Iafs 1a.a etc
Passengers and crew during the night
prior 70 the departure OF the life RATS.
according TO those saved, begged Capt.
Johnson TO place a life belt about his
waist.
This he persistently refused TO do In
spite OF the fact that those near him
begged him to think OF his family and
friends. Capt Johnson would not do a
single thing 20 help his condition.
THIRTY ON LIFE RATS.
According 20 these survivors. about 20
persons left the wreck Wednesday morn
ing on two life RATS and in a boat.
Capt. Gibbs, who went from Seattle to
the wreck on the steamer City OF Topeka
yesterday on the steamship Tex
as. lie said the survivors told him that
the best Of order prevailed and that the
men showed courtesy TO the women.
when the time came for the life-boats
to leave the Valencia yesterday" said
eaet-G4bbs,- ttffe officers ordered all the
women 10 take TO the RATS. The survi-
vors say that i'm spite OF the fact that the
was beginning TO break up. the
women refused to go on the life rafts or
in the lifeboats. stating that they would
take their chances with the ship rather
than leave
THE officers did all they could to i'm
press upon their minds the fact that there
was little chance for help after the last
boats had gone"
NEARER. MY GOD, TO THEE"
a survivor says that men, women and
singing Nearer My God to
Thee" shivered and clung together on
the hurricane deck Of the Valencia. when
the steamer Queen hove in sight. The
women on the ill-fated vessel took Off
their underskirts and used them as sig
nails 10 attract the passing vessels, but
all In vain
w. T. Pierce. assistant general manager
OF the Pacific Coast company, operating
the lost steamship Valencia. today said :
'The government is well-night criminal
~ negligent Of coast shipping interests
Years ago congress should have provided
for government tug located near the
mouth OF the Straits OF Juan de Fuca, In
touch with telegraph wires aud cables
for just such emergencies as tho Valen-
cia case.
with such n tug equipped with nfe-
saving apparatus the majority OF the
men. women and children on board the
Valencia would not have lost their lives q"
Victoria, T. G, Jan. 26.-Advices TO the
Express from Uclulet early today state
that the men who left tho wreck OF the
steamer Valencia "Wednesday afternoon
on the second life raft. which was picked
up by the steamer City OF Topeka. driftcd
into Barkley sound.
on arriving At n small Island on Village
Island. Wilson, third engineer. Jumped
overheard. and in attempting TO swim
ashore was drowned.
The remaining nine landed on Turret
Island Wednesday. Before morning five
went crazy and jumped into tho water
V1llr r1drI, trr ErrOURcst. started out Tor
help and had not returned when the re
naming three were taken on board the
launch Shamrock OF Victoria. after being
found by Indians