The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1906-02-01
DEATH LIST LARGER
Practically Ali 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., Specialize fatal
wreck of the steamer Valencia, which
occurred on the rocks Of Cape Beale
last week was one Of the most tragic
ror of few years ego.
A vague hope was entertained that
some OF the passengers and crew who
were not taken off may still be alive,
but 1t is feared that the death list
will reach ITO. Twenty-Five sur
vivors have been accounted for,
A special dispatch received from
Pachena telegraph hut reports the
steamer SalvOr and whaler Orion and
another steamer, believed to be the
City of Topeka, off the mouth Of
Darling river. A small boat from the
Salvor tried to get through the surf
to make a landingg and sucdr the sur
vivors there, brt failed The boat
returned to the steamer. The surf
will not be navigable for several days.
The survivors at Darling river are
from boats No. 2 and No. 5 Of the
Valencia. They report that Is men
started from the steamer iii boat No.
2. 1t espsized, and seven of its oc-
cupants were washed ashore. The
other sight perished. All wore life
presssvers. Boat No. 5 left the wreck
with six or seven on board. 1t was
also capsized, and only two, Rich
ley and Bunker, the former a fire
man and the latter passenger bound
to Seattle made the land. The wife
and two children Of L. +. Bunker
went down before his eyes.
Bluejackets to the Rescue.
The tug Lorne, sent out by the
Puget Sound Tugboat Company,
reached the vicinity of the wreck soon
after daylight, having on board a
party Of British blue ejackets 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 Bamfeld Creek
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 IL :45 P. NJ, Monday night,
about amidships, the first officer,
| o,,o,4o,,,ooe+a, ond ~ caanan npra0ad
in sounding having 10 minutes be-
fore got 80 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 tc
the engineer and asked if the steam
er was making much water. Before
the officers reply firemen began clam
bering up from the fire room, telling
the engineers on the companionway
she was filing up. Captain johnson
rang for full speed astern and made
for the beach. The propeller ha(
made only a few revolutions whel
the vessel struck and listed to port
Captain johnson was on the bridg'
when the vessel struck, with the sec
ond officer. He ran down and CAV
orders to have two of the seven boat
lowered to the saloon deck rail. In
stantly the passengers crowded to tn
!, rail and overcrowded the boats. Dur
ing the excitement they cut whateve
lines they could lay hands on. TIL
davits broke about the same time tn
lines were cut, and both boats wer
smashed at the sides of the vesse
throwing out the passengers an
crew in them. The crew threw line
out and succeeded in getting abou
six passengers thrown out Of tn
boats on board again. The boat
when lost were mostly filled with VIC
men and children.
Life Raft Crushed.
One very sad incident was wit
messed. A lady and gentleman wit
a little girl tried to get into boa
The father succeeded and the mothe
tried to pass the child, but a wav
, struck her and washed the child frol
her arms. The child was lost befol
her eyes. One lift raft was ais
lowered, but it was dashed to piece
After this four boats succeeded
getting away from the ship, all fu
/ of passengers. This left one bo;
q and two life RATS. The captain, a
ter consulting with the mate, aske
Boatswain Mccarthy to take charg
which he did, and called for volul
teers, and the five sailors who reache
: shore in safety responded. The ca
Y tain instructed them to pull alor
r the beach and find place to g
ashore. They landed at lilo P. n
: Tuesday and made Cape Beale'
t P. NJ. Before making Cape Bea
|. they tried to get back to the vess
S by the beach, but could not do. S
: During the excitement Captain job
0 son was cool and calm and all Il
d crew were at their stations. The re
b eued sailors cannot give the high
g house keeper at eBale too mu
Y credit for the manner IN which tn
we're treated.