The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1906-02-03
INVESTIGATION NOW
TESTIMONY IN THE VALENCIA
CASE BEING TAKEN.

Z
Passengers on vsseneis Expected
AID end Several Witnesses Say u
Could Have Been Rendered By the
Steamer Queen end TUG Cyas-
Sensational Testimony.
Seattle, Feb. 1.-The investigation,
or inquiry, into the Valencia wreck, is
now in full swing before the marine
inspectors of this district There have
naturally been some sensational state
mnets made by the various witnesses,
mostly survivors. Among these was
one to the effect that Capt. johnson
did not know where the Valencia was
after she had struck. This statement
was made by H. Hawkins, second
class passenger, who was picked up
by the City of Topeka from the life
raft. Hawkins swore that on Tuesday
morning when daylight came, he heard
Captain johnson say: Il do not know
where we are" The witness gave the
impression that johnson was ignorant
of his surroundings all the time.
The charge that the women were
prevented from getting onto the life
raft Hawkins declared to be unfound-
ed. He says that the captain urged
them to 60 on the raft, but that the
women. answered:
''We are going to be saved by the
Queen and that tug near us anyway.
We are safer on board the Valencia
than on the raft. We will stay here
until the Queen picks us up"
At the time the last raft was put off
and the women made this statement
the Queen and tug Gar were visible
to the persons on the Valencia.
Declare Life Raft Dangerous.
That Capt. johnson thought that
the life raft would be extremely dan
gerous was Hawkins opinion. He
stated that, after the women refused
to go on, the Captain said:
Cali of you that want to take your
life in your hands, get on the raft
Hawkins had no complaint to make
as to the way the officers or crew act
ed. He did not know anything about
the bouyancy of life preservers.
Joseph McCaffrey Z, a first-class pas
senger picked up on the life raft, de-
clared that the crew were ratified.
They did not keep the passengers away
from the lifeboats as Capt. johnson
ordered them to do. McCaffrey said
he knew it was not the captains in
tention to lower the lifeboats~ into the
water until the next morning. The
first lifeboat, that spilled it's thirty
five occupants into the water, was
lowered very badly, according to this
witness. The bow was down. Nc
Caffrey said one lifeboat fell into the
water with a crash, as if the fasten-
ings we're defective. He testified that
after the Valencia struck he heard the
captain order the lifeboats lowered to
the saloon deck and dashed there.
Expected Tug to Throw Line.
Martin Tarpey, the quartermaster
of the Valencia, was the last witness
at the afternoon hearing. Asked as
to whether the Queen could have sent
boats to their rescue and whether they
would have succeeded in reaching
them. Tarpey replied:
Yes, boats from the Queen could
have reached the Valencia. Although
it would have been risky, they could
have made it. The tug Gear should
have shot us line. We expected it. -
Tarpey declared that the passengers
lives could have been saved if the life
boats had not been put off until the
next morning. He testified that his
watch was to commence at midnight.
Fifteen minutes before midnight he
was called and three minutes later the
Valencia struck. Immediately she
backed at full speed. He heard Capt.
johnson order that the lifeboats be
lowered to the saloon deck and dashed
there. He said the passengers were
in confusion and that the saloon deck
was overcrowded with them. The
first lifeboat lowered, he said, was
badly overcrowded, containing some
thirty personns.
Grew Did fulI Duty.
The crew did their full duty, ac
cording to Tarpey. He said they at
tempted to prevent the passengers
crOwding into the boats.
He swore that the crew were all ex-
perienced men and were at their posts
doing their duty. Captain johnson,
according to the witness, ordered the
last life raft lowered and, after the
W omen refused to get in it, allowed
the men to board it. After the pas
sengers had got aboard he turned to
the crew and told them that If any of
them wished to risk their lives they
could also get aboard.
DID Sesmsn's Testimony.
G. Allison, of st. Paul, passenger,
testified that the sea was not rough.
He explained that he had himself. been
sailor and that the surf that finally