Carolina watchman. [volume] (Salisbury, N.C.) 1871-1937, 1906-01-31
DEATH LIST LARGER
Practically ALL ons Board the
Valencia Went Down
SCENES WERE hEARTBREAKINQ
Thrilling. Stories OF. the Sea Tragedy
On The Rocks Near Cape Beale On
Monday.

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.
A vague hope was entertained that
some Of the passengers and crew who
were not taken off may still be alive,
but it 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 sucor the sur
yivors there, but 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. ? and No. 5 of the
Valencia. They report that Is men
started from the steamer in boat No.
2. 1t capsized, and seven Of it's oc-
cupants were washed ashore. The
other eight persisted. All wore life
preservers. Boat No. 5 left the wreck
with six or seven On board. It was
also capsized, aud only two, Rich
ley and Bunker, the former a fire.
man and the latter a passenger bound
to Seattle made the land. The wife
and two children Of f. F. 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 bluejackets from
Esquimalt, who went in surfboats to
see if any possible survivors could
be rescued and recover what they
could reach.
IL an interview at Bamtield Greek
Boatswain Mccarthy told a story of
tuC fd1SnCId NlGth. Liz Sdlu lHc
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 rs P. NJ, Monday, night,
about a%nldships, the first officer,
quartermaster and a seaman engaged
in sounding having 10 minutes be-
fore got 80 fathoms.
Shortly before the steamer struck
she vas going at half speed. Cap
tain Johnson Immediately shouted,
lizard 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 officer S reply firemen began clam
bering up from the fire room, telling
the engineers Oh the co~mpanionway
she was filing up. Captain Johnson
rang for full speed .astern and made
for the beach. The propeller had
made only a few revolutions when
the vessel struck and listed to port.
Captain johnson was on the bridge
when the vessel struck, with the sec
ond officer. He ran down and gave
orders to have two Of the seven boats
lowered to the saloon deck rail. III
stantly the passengers crowded to the
vol ,,,J a,-ara.a.yloJ 4ha hootc INV
ing the excitement they cut whatever
lines they could lay hands N. 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
out and succeeded In getting about
six passengers thrown out of the
boats on board again. The boats
when lost we're mostly filled with wo-
men and children.
Life Raft Crushed.
One very sad incident was wit
messed. A lady and gentleman with
a little girl tried to get into a 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
shore in safety responded. The cap
tain instructed them to pull along
the beach and find a place to get
ashore. They landed at Ito P. NJ,
Tuesday and made Cape Bea1e at
3 P. M. Before making Cape Beale
they tried to get back to the vessel
by the beach, but could not do SO.
During the excitement Captain John
son was cool and calm and all the
crew were at their stations. The res
cued sailors cannot give the light