Fort Mill times. [volume] (Fort Mill, S.C.) 1892-current, 1906-02-01
Death LIST LARGER
Practically All on Board the
Valencia Went Down
SCENES WERE HEARTBREAKING
Thrilling Stories Of the Sea Tragedy
On The Rocks Near Cape Beale On
Monday.

Victoria, B. c., Special.-The fatal
wreck of the steamer Valencia. which
occurred on the rocks of Cape Beale
last week was one OF the most tragic
ror of a few years ago.
y vague hope was entertained that
some of the passengers and crew who
were not taken of may still be alive,
bnt it is feared that the death list
will reach 1l0. Twenty-Five sur
vivors have been accounted for.
y special dispatch received from
Pachena telegraph hut reports the
steamer 'Safvor and whaler Orion and
another steamer, believed 10 be the
City Of Topeka. off the mouth of
Darling river. A small boat from the
Salvor tried to get through the surf
80 make landmgg and sucor the sur
vivors there, but failed. The boat
returned to the steamer The surf
will not be navignble for several days.
The survivors AT Darling river are
from boats No. > and No. 5 of the
Valencia. They report that 15 men
started from the steamer in boat No.
;. 1t capsized, and seven of its oc-
cupants were washed ashore. The
other eight peiishcd. All wore life
preservers. Boat No. > left the wreck
with six or seven OH board. Ii was
also capsized, and only two, Rich
ley and Bunker, the former fire
man and the latter Il passenger bound
ia Seattle made the land. The wife
and two children of +. +. Bunker
went down before his eyes.
Bluejackets to the Rescue.
The tug Lorne. sent out by the
Puget Sound Tughoat Company,
reached the vicinity Of the wreck soon
after daylight, having on board a
party of British bueiackets from
Esquimalt, who went in surfboats to
see If any possible survivors could
be rescued and recover what they
could reach
In an interview at Bamfield Greek
Boatswain Mccarthy told story of
the Valencia wreck. He said the
steamer had been going by dead reck-
oning and overran her distance.
Soundings had been made three and
four times an hour. The steamer
struck at ii :45 II. A., Monday night,
about amidships, the first officer,
liartermaster and seaman engaged
ga sounding having 10 minutes be-
fore got 30 fathoms.
Shortly before the steamer struck
she was going at half speed Cap
tain johnson Immediately shouted,
Hard a-starboard - to the quarter
master and gave orders TO sound the
bilges. which was done. The steam
er did not seem TO be making much
water. The captain then called to
the engineer and asked if the steam
er was making much water. Before
The officers reply firemcn began clam
bcring up from the fire room. telling
the engineers OH the companionwav
she was filing up. Captain johnson
rang for full speed astcIn and made
for the beach. The propeller had
made only few revolutions when
The vessel struck and listed to port.
captain Johnson was on the bridge
and officer. He ran down and gave
orders TO have two of the seven boats
lowered to the saloon deck rail In
>iantly the passengers crowded To the
rail and overcrowded the boats. Dur
ing the excitement they cut whatever
lines they could Law hands on. The
davits broke about the same time the
lines were cut. and both boats were
smashed at the sides of the vessel.
throwing out the passengers and
crew in them. The crew threw lines
ont and succeeded in getting about
six passengers thrown out of the
boats on board again. The boats
when lost were mostly filed with wo-
men and children.
Life Raft Crushed.
One very sad incident was wit
nessed. A lady and gentleman with
little girl tried TO get into boat.
The father succeeded and the mother
tried to pass the child, but a wave
struck her and washed the child from
her arms. The child was lost before
her eyes. One lift raft was also
lowered, but it was dashed to pieces.
After this four boats succeeded in
getting away from the ship, all full
of passengerS. This left one boat
and two life RATS. The captain, af-
ter consulting with the mate. asked
Boatswain Mccarthy to take charge,
which he did, and called for volun-
teers, and the five sailors who reached