The Corvallis times. (Corvallis, Or.) 1888-1909, 1906-01-26
A SAD WRECK.
WOULD BE RESCUERS FORC.
ED TO WITNESS TRAG.
FDY INACTIVE.
Only Is Survive of the 154 Passen.
gers and Crew of the Steamer
Valencia-Help Could Not
Reach Them-Fear to
Come Too Close.

lone LOO SlOS6.
Victoria, B. c., Jan. 24.-The
Pacific Coast steamship Valencia,
which left San Francisco January
20 for Puget Sound points with 1O1
passengers and crew of go, in
dense fog in the early hours of yes
terday morning piled upon the rocks
of Vancouver Island near Cloo Ose,
five or six miles from Carmanah
point, IS miles from Victoria. Ma
ny perished in the first crash and
the survivors are in great peril from
the heavy seas. -e
The first news of the disaster
came late yesterday afternoon, when
lifeboat containing six men reach
ed Cape Baale.
The vessel had been carried out
of her course by the storm, which
had ragged for the last two days.
The wind is DOW blowing 40 miles
an hour and tremendous seas are
sweeping the wreckage. 1t is fear
ed there has been great loss of life.
Soundings taken few minutes be-
fere the vessel struck showed 80
fathoms of water and the officers of
the steamer thought they were near
Umatilla reef lightship.
When the vessel struck her en-
gines were reversed and the steam
er succeeded in backing off into
deep water. She began to fill, driv-
ing the engineers from their posts
after they had put the engines at
full speed ahead. The survivors
left the Valencia lying head on to
the sea, 80 yards from the high
bluff on shore, with the water over
her main deck. Those passengers
Mho had ESCAPED drowipg were hud-
died on the saloon deck. Boats
filled with women and children
who attempted to escape were
smashed against the eide of the
steamer or capsized In the high
seas and all of them lost. Seven
boats and three liferafts were low.
cred and only two of them have
been heard from. .3. 81.
The Valencia sailed from San
Francisco on her second trip to
Victoria, replacing the disabled
steamer City Of Pueblo at II a. m.
Saturday. This was the only clear
day, officers having to steer by.
Victoria, B. c., Jan. 24.-Of tbs
154 people on board the steamer
Valencia when che struck near
KIanaway rock, five miles from
Cape Beale,, Monday night, but Is
were saved. Seven were passengers,
eight were of the crew. The dead
dead number 139, the greatest loss
of life in the Northern Pacific since
the Pacific was lost in 1878.
i The steamer in whose rigging
obout 80 persons were clinging,
frantically waving for assistance
which could not be given when the
steamer Queen left the scene al
11:3O a. NJ. broke up about S p. M
sweeping to death those few who
had survived those terrible hours
of privation, chilled and numbed
to the limit of human endurance by
clouds of spray, which swept over
them.
The sight of the people thronged
in the rigging, waving signals to
the steamer, was heartrending.
Nothing could be done. The Queen
could not approach closer than hall
a mile. and to lower boats In the
heavy sea would have been mad
ness. The tug Car ran toward
the wreck, then in haze, and re.
turning, reported not having seer
any one on board. The Queen re-
ported the existence of the
survivors in the rigging, but the
message probably was not under
stood, for soon after the tug lef
and with the steamer Salvor, pro
ceeded around Cape Beale towart
Bamfeld.
The sea rolled high. There wa
strong wind blowing from tn
east, seas at times washing over tn
I tug Gear, which rolled heavily
The Queen stood off until half al
hour after the others had left, whel
the steamer City of Topeka arrived
from Seattle with Captain Patter
| son, port captain, and Genera
Agent Pharo, of the Pacific Coas