The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1906-02-04
CAPT. COUSINS ON
VALENCIA WRECK
Master of the Queen Adds
Little to knowledge of
Disaster.
TOLD CAPTAIN OF CAR
LIVES WERE ON BOARD
Also Informed Him the Gar
Could Do More Than
Big Boat.

When l arrived at Victoria, at 4 o'clock
in the afternoon. ] called up the Pacific
Coast company at Seattle and Informed
them Of the wreck OF the Valencia. ]. u.
Pharao asked me If ] was sure 1t was
the Valencia, ] said yes He ordered me
10 proceed To the scene. which we reached
Mt . o'clock that night IL was too dark
TO do anything, and We lay over under
the cape until the next morning Al Car
manah light We learned the wreck was
eighteen miles TO the westward
Close as Possible
we went In as close as possible the
next morning. We met the tug Car.
which went in about three-fourths OF a
mile of the wreck. while stood oft
about one mile, I did not dare TO go
nearer, the weather was thick and
often | could not sec the shore line
Moreover | spoke the steamship Topeka
Capt. Patterson, who Informed me that
| was to proceed to San Francisco with
passengers, the Topeka remaining TO pick
0p what survivors there were | obeyed
orders and returned TO San Francisco. |
could go no nearer the wreck than l did
because of the seas. which broke twenty
two feet high. and because OF the weather,
which was very thick"
Couldn't Do Anything,
I went In as close as 1 thought best
and headed the ship to the seas. said
Capt Cousins. THE weather was fresh,
the wind blowing from the east ard
south. The sea was running from the
south and west. ] could see the beach at
times and then again 1t would be obscured
owing to a heavy rain.
we could see no people, but l saw what
looked TO be blankets which / supposed
We're rigged up as shelter for those on
board. IT was utterly impossible for ua
TO do anything as the wind was blowing
and high sea running
People on Wreck.
I'VE then spoke tho Car I under
ctr rxI
as far as possible. From the master OF
the Car l understood that the Salyor
had reported tho wreck had sunk and
there were no lives on board. l Informed
the captain of tho Car that there was
some one on board. / told him he could
do much better than we could with tho
Queen. AT this time tho beach was out
of sight owing to a heavy rain so I could
not tell very much about the distance we
we're OF the wreck
Complied With Orders.
II then went to my room, and after
returning TO the bridge saw the City Of
Topeka steaming toward us. Capt, Pat
terson Of tho Topeka asked me through
the megaphone II we had sighted tho
wreck. told him where 1t was, and en-
phasized the fact that there were still
people on her
He then told me to get to Victoria.
pick up my passengers and proceed to
San Francisco reporting to the Topeka on
the way back. l complied with the or
ders On returning the Topeka reported
to me that she had picked up the rift
then said my orders were TO proceed to
San Francisco. which 1 did"
Too Risky for Boat.
Capt. Cousins then testified that he had
gone in until he struck water OF about
eighteen fathoms He judged he was
shore He says the Car got to within
about three quarters of mile Of the
wreck.
He testified that, after comforting with
the other captains and pilots on his YES
sci. IL was considered too risky 10 at
tempt TO launch q boat. Capt Cousins
says boat might have gotten inside of
the breakers. but 81 would never have
gotten out, He stated that the surf was
breaking fully twenty ono feet high
Case Was Hopeless.
Capt, ]. w. Troup of the Esqulmault 6.
Nanaimo railway, who was on board the
tug Salyor In an advisory capacity when
that vessel hurried away from Victoria
for the scene Of the wreck. said that to
tie best of his knowledge there was no
life on board the wreck when he reached
the scene and that they all agreed that 1t
was hopeless case at best, owing TO the
high wind that prevailed and the terrible
heavy seas. Said Capt. Troup.
Asked to Go on Salvor.
mo one gave me any instructions, but
as soon as / heard Of the wreck | ordered
the tug car TO get up steam and sail for
the scene OF the disaster. Later | was
called up on tho telephone and asked TO
go on the Salvor in an advisory capacity,
and l did
Early in the night we met tho Queen
coming back. The captain concluded then
that we had better put back into the
straits and walt till morning, and we did
so. The Queen said the wreck was of
Sea Bird Islands, and In the morning we
put for that point. When We reached
tho wreck VIC saw the Queen run In to-
tsFn I'd fH. aah and IL
we got there wo made out the wreck be-
tween squalls.
No Signs of Life.
we could see no signs OF life aboard
and the seas were breaking clear over
her. l could make out the funnel and
TWO masts and part OF the aft-house
We could see no signs CT life on board
II looked very bad. In fact. hopeless We
cid not go In because the Car was al
came back and said the wreck was there
but all they could see was a bit of cnn,
vas on one OF the masts, The Car saw
nothing alive.
Gear Saw No One.
We then concluded to go back to Bam-
field and did 80. The Car followed MS
The seas kept getting worse. When we
got to Bamfeld, Capt. Christian of tho
Car thought no one was aboard tho
wreck, but Mate Campbell was OF a dif-
ferent opinion He did not believe. how
ever, that II was possible TO do anything
until the sea moderated We all agreed
mat II the whaling steamer Ryan with
her harpoon gun was there she might
be able TO shoot a line on board, and |
accordingly wired for her 10 come at
once. She did so and was at the scene of
the wreck next day
Saw Parties on Shore.
After ordering the Ryan out we went
on shoro at Bamficld and there learned
that Lineman Logan had reported the |
~reck had gone TO pieces and all on
board had been lost 1t blew hnrd |
wednesday afternoon and night Thurs- |
day morning the Ryan and Salyor went |
10 the scene OF the wreck The Topeka
the Lorne and the American tug Pioneer
arrived and we located two parties ON |
shore. We thought at first they were sur
NlyOrs. but allnr crIlslnc. o Aai 4. /