The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1906-01-26
Look for Other Raft.
CAPTAIN HEARTBROKEN.
Refused to Make Effort to Save His
Own Life.

SEATTLE, Wash. Jan. 25.-It is feared
the loss OF his vessel has so distracted
Capt. O. NJ Johnson that he Will make
no attempt TO save his life. In the event
the chance Is given him,
Such is the statement made by sur
ylvors picked up by the steamer Topeka
S. b. Gibbs of the marine board of un-
dcrwriters. According to their story
Capt Johnson Is heartbroken over the
great loss OF life attending the wrecking
Of the Valencia.
Thought Only of others.
With tense, drawn face. Capt. Johnson.
cllnging 10 the rigging with the pas
sengcrs. thought only OF those with him.
and time and again prayed for assistance.
My God. send relief TO my passengers"
Capt. johnson was heard 10 say yester-
day morning just before the life RATS
left the steamer
Refused a Life Belt.
Passengers and crew, during the night
prior 10 the departure OF the life RATS
according 10 tho saved. begged Capt.
Johnson to place a life belt about his
waist. This he persIstently refused to
do In spite OF the fact that those near
him and who still thought of hiIa I'm
kindly light. begged him to think OF his
family and friends. Capt Johnson would
not do single thing to help his condI-
tlon
Capt. Gibbs. who left this city for tho
scene Of the wreck on tho City OF To-
peka, returned to Seattle on the steamer
Texan, which passed in through the
Cape last night
Couldn't See the Wreck.
I'VE arrived at the scene OF the wreck
about o'clock yesterday morning" said
! Capt. Biggs. 'At that time we could
see nothing of the Valencia, There was
a thick fog hanging over the Straits. and
nothing but the white foam of the break
| ers could be seen from our decks
Sixty In Rigging.
We spoke the steamer Queen, and were
! Informed that about o clock there were
| estimated TO be about sixty persons stnI
clnGing TO the rigging of the Valencia
| The City Of Topeka then cruised about
| the entrance of the Straits in the hone
| of finding survivors. AT 1890 o'clock We
| picked up the raft
\ Their Terrible Plight.
/ The condition of the survivors was
| deploroble. All were so numbed that
| they could not get on their feet and had
| to be hauled aboard the Topeka In the
| arms OF our crew.
1t was terrible on that raft said C
| l.. Allison To me after he had been taken
| care OF and sufficiently recovered to be
| able TO talk The water was awf,IIIy,
cold, and our limbs became so numbcd
That we could not even move them sum
| ciently TO keep ourselves warm I
| thought all would die of exposure Hugo
! seas came tumbllng clean over buryine
US beneath them until all suffered from
| "t'''l "illl1 trying TO
| breathe
Boats All Smashed.
The survivors informed me that the
Valencia was going at half speed when
she struck, All OF the boats on the wind
ward side were smashed BY big seas
which came aboard, | was also Informed
that every one on the vessel behaved
ornvely, but llttle panic prevailing. ex-
cept during the period when the first of
the boats were launched
Offered to Take Line
During the interval when those on
BOARD saw that it would bc useless to try
10 launch tho boats one OF the sailors
volunteered TO attempt to get a line
ashore. Ho was told that such a feat
was impossible and that he would onIy
lose his life. He insisted he was perfectly
willing to take the chances.
Plunges Into Sea.
With a life line about his waist, and
the thlnnest clothing, the sailor, whose
nhIne | did not hear stepped to the raj
ana plunged foremost into the boiling
sea, For n second he disappeared Soon
however he was seen way below the ycs.
sci In the hollow OF two gigantic waves
Sailor Gives His Life
For a time he appeared To hold hl.
own with th1 sea Those on board at.