The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1906-01-27
Would Almost Give UP.
WOMEN WERE BRAVEST OF ALL.
Faced Terrible Death With Songs and
Words of Cheer.

SEATTLE. Jan. 26-"No. I won't go. A
true sailor never deserts his ship. I'm
going to stay by the Valencia. But God
bless and God speed YOU"
Those were the words spoken to Wal
ter Raymond OF the officers mess by
Bellingham woman. whose name he did
not learn as he hurried by her Wedncs-
day afternoon. They were just launching
the last lift-raft the big ship had, and
Raymond as he stnrted for II, stopped
long enough TO urge her TO go. too,
Woman Refuses to Go.
AS he continued along forward he met
Mre. Mary Musgroyc. stcwardess who.
ms he said, was the greatest hero on
board" AS Raymond paused moment
before tnking his plunge into the water
she, spoke to him aud soid;
Leaps Into the Sen.
He nodded his head and then the wo-
man. smiling bravely at him, opened her
lips and sang Nearer. My God. TO
Thee" as the man, steadying himself ns
beet he could on tho Quiverng ship,
lcaped upon the rail and jumped out into
the sen toward the tossing raft. "As 1
went down, down, down" said Raymond
TO a reporter this morning, the words or
that song kept ringing In my ears
Song Rings in His Ears.
II had never sung nor spoken to God
Al man Will have at such time. but |
couldn't help saying To myself: Il am
nearer to him now than | ever was be-
fore-God pity me.
1T seemed to me that I would never
again reach the top Of the water / had
just sense enough left not to breathe, and
all the time my lungs kept -painlng until
/ thought they would surely break. Al
of a sudden | popped up into the air, and,
oh, what n relief II was.
Gives Up the Struggle
Just for a moment / floated, content
TO inhale all the oxygen l could. In some
way did not seem to realize my posi-
tion When / did l looked for the raft
and It was fully nifty feet from me. I
gave up then for the 1rst time since the
Valencia struck was numb through
tance-neyer
Hurled Through the Air
But Mary Musgrove's-God rest herr
song and prayers must have gone with
me. | was lifted by a gigantic wave and
fairly hurled through the mir landed
and they grabbed me ] knew no more
until I found myself being hauled aboard
the Topeka,
Begged Women to Go.
But don't think for a minute we left
those women of our own free Will. There
were only six when 1 quit the ship and
Capt. johnson begged them all to 20. ri
admit some of the men, maybe, wouldn't
have been as conslleratc but what could
they do when officers, with drawn re-
=
the first chance2
Had Faith in Rescue.
They refused absolutely They had
seen scores OF women swept to their /
deaths In boats. They couldn't realize !
that the vessels we could see lying I'm the |
oning could not reach us. They kept say !
ing help would surely come. so they clung
10 The rigging and went down in the end.
The Valencia couldn't have lasted a half
hour after We left her
Had They Only Known.
Now. l don't want to blame any one
know every person who came TO our |
assistance did everything they could. but |
| VIII go 10 my grave convinced that. II |
the effort had been made. a line could |
have been shot aboard us. or course the |
captains of the reScuing ships did not |
know but they could with perfect safety |
had deep water and plenty of IT up 10
that distance. All we wanted was n line, |
and yet they did not come anywhere |
near us.
Cursed Departing Ship.
"of course they didn't know. but we
did, and when the Queen finally turned |
and sailed away-wcll. To my dying day
| Will hear the wailing OF the women and |
the curses OF tho men.
Women Were Brave
Now, l just want to say a word for |
the women. They were herones every |
one of them. They were the bravest on |
board and at no time did / hear a muir |
mur from any OF them.
Capt. johnson was calm, collected and |
cool through II all He was everywhere
doing everything he could. He had re- |
volver In his pocket. and he would have |
used II, too. IL the women had accepted
the chance TO go on that last llfc-raft |
and the men had crowded forward TO |
prevent them from doing So