The Hawaiian gazette., 1906-02-09
WOMEN AND CHILDREN
SWEPT TO DEATH

The story of the loss of the Va
lencia, on the coast of Vancouver Is
land. and of why there were neither
women nor children among those
saved. is thus told in the Seattle Post
Intelligencer by Frank Lehm, freight
clerk of the wrecked vessel:
When the ship first struck there
was wild excitement. The screams of
men. women and children mingled In
awful chorus with the Shrek of the
wind, the dash of the rain and the
roar of the breakers. 1t was pande-
monium. The shouts of the officers
could hardly be heard, and the rush
of the passengers as they ran hither
and thther created a confusion which
for a time seemed uncomfortable.
Women came from their staterooms
half-clad, dragging children by the
hands, or clasplng babies to their
breasts: men clad only in their night
attire sprang from their berths and
rushed to the boats, only to be beaten
back by the officers and sailors, who
were doing their best TO restore order
and control the 140 odd people. Chil>
dren became lost from their mothers:
wives lost track of their husbands: all
ran here and there, seeking for eacn
other and for safety God only knows
how many We're swept away as soon
as they touched the deck Great seas
broke over the ship rs soon as she
struck the second time. and when she
drifted back on the reef stern on the
seas raked her from fore to aft, carry
ing everything before them. Never
have i seen such waves. They ap-
peared TO be as high as the mast head.
one after another in rapid succession
they rolled over us and people were
carried away in lunches Their agon-
ized shrieks could be heard above all
the fiendish roar Of the wind and sea.
BEGAN TO BREAK UP AT ONCE.
"The vessel began to preak up al
most as soon as she struck. There
was never built a ship which could
have withstood the terrible rush and
force of these waves. She ground ana
pounded and chafed against the rocks,
and every minute something broke
loose. AS quickly as possible the
women and children We're placed in
the rigging. How some of the women,
clad only in their nightdresses, stood
the icy wind and rain and sea as long
as they did was a mystery to me. The
sight was terrible. To see these
fragile creatures clinging to the almost
frozen ropes, standing on ratline in
their bare feet and possible clasping
in their arms little child, endeavor-
ing to shield it as much as possible
from the gale, fairly wrung our
hearts.
when order was somewhat restored
Capt, Johnson gave the order to get
out the port amidships boat. The men
worked with will and risked their
lives a dozen times over in the effort
to get the craft launched. They
would cling to their ropes while q
great wave swept over the wreck, and
as soon as the water subsided would
get to work on the craft again. As
soon as II was free from the ship
and hanging in the davits a great
breaker smashed her to kindling wood
and carried away some OF the sailors
who We're handling the craft. The
port quarter boat was then tried, and
after repeating the same performance
it was also crushed against the ves-
sells side, breaking like an eggshell.
TRY the starboard quarter boat,
sang out the captain, and with will
the men rushed to this boat and looset
her from the lashings. Working be-
tween waves and watching theii
chance. the sailors finally succeeded
In swinging her clear.
WOMEN AND CHILDREN FIRST.
women and children first was tn,
cry OF the officers, and from the rig
ging the poor frozen creatures wer,
tenderly. If roughly, lifted down an
placed in the boat. Some of them wef
weeping, most of them were prayinl
and It was well that they did. Onl!
enough men to manage the craft wen
on board. There was no rush, The OF
ficers We're prepared to stop It will
bullets II 1t had occurred, but tn
passengers seemed endeavoring to Sc
who could be the NOSE self sacrificing
At last the boat was loaded. Father
cried good-by to their children an
husbands bade idleu to their wives
J Few words could be heard above tn