The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1906-01-27
WENT DOWN TO
DEATH At LAST
Heroic Women on Board the Valencia
Perished One by One but Would
Not Leave the Ship.
STORY OF WALT RAYMOND
sWAN-LIKE, MARY MUsGRoVE
SANG AND DIED.

sgattle, 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
a Bellingham woman. whose name he
did not learn, as he hurried by her
Wednesday afternoon. They were Just
launching the last life raft the big snip
had. and Raymond as he started for IT.
stopped long enough to urge her to go,
too.
As he continued along forward he met
Mrs. MusgrOVe, stewardess, VINO, as ne
said, was the greatest hero on board.
AS Raymond paused a moment beIore
taking his plunge into the water she
spoke to him and said:
"Nearer, My God, to Thee"
Are you going. Walter?"
He nodded his head, and the the wo-
man, smiling bravely at him, opened her
lips and sang Nearer, My God, to
Thee" as the man, steadying himself
as best he could on the quiverng ship,
leaped upon the rail and jumped out into
the sea toward the rolling raft. AS |
went down, down. down." said Raymond
to a reporter this morning, the words
of that song kept ringing in my ears 1
had never sung nor spoken to God in
my life. 1t is strange what thoughts a
man will have at such time, but
couldn't help saying to myself, am
nearer to him now than 1 ever was be-
fOre-GOd pity me-.
Finally Rose to the Surface.
1T seemed to me that I would never
again reach the top OF the water. 1
had just sense enough left not to breathe
and all the time my lungs kept paining
until I though they would surely break
All of a sudden I popped up into the
air, and, oh, what a relief it was.
Just for a moment I foated, con-
tent to inhale all the oxygen I could. In
some way I did not seem to realize my
position When I did I looked for the
raft. and it was fully fifty feet from me.
/ / gave up then for the first time since
/ the Valencia struck. 7 was numb
through, and never could have swan
that distance-never.
But Mary Musgrove's- rest her
/ song and prayers must have gone with
me ] was lifted by a gigantic wave and
/ fairly hurled through the air. I landed
I squarely on top of the boys on the raft
and they grabbed me. I knew no more
until I found myself hauled aboard the
/ Topeka.
Women Would Not Leave.
But don't think for a minute we left
those women Of our own free will. There
/ were only six left when I quit the ship.
and Captain Johnson begged them all to
go. III admit some of the men maybe
wouldn't have been as considerable, but
what could they do when officers with
/ drawn revolvers insisted that the women
/ be given the first chance?
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 in the
offing could not reach us. They kept
/ saying help would surely come so they
[ chung to the rigging and went down in
! the end. The Valencia couldn't have
lasted a half hour after we left her.
Might Have Been Rescued.
Now, I don't want to blame any one.
| I know every person who came to our as
sistance did everything they could but I
/ will go co my grave convinced that if the
effort had been made line could have
/ been shot aboard us. OF course, the cap
tains of the rescuing ships did not know.
| but they could with perfect safety have
/ come within 200 feet Of US. They had
deep water, and plenty Of it, up to that
/ distance. All we wanted was line and
/ yet they did not come anywhere near US.
/ "Of course, they didn't know, but we
/ did, and when the Queen finally turned
and sailed away-well. to my dying day
| will hear the Wailing of the women and
the curses of the men.
Heroines, Every One.
Now, just want to say a word for the
women. They were heroines, every one
Of them They were the bravest on board
and at no time did hear a murmur from
any OF them. Captain Johnson was calm.
| collected and cool through it all. He was
! everywhere, doing everything he could.
/ He had a revolver In his pocket and he
would have used it, too. if the women
/ had accepted the chance to go on that
/ last raft and the men had crowded for
ward to prevent them from doing So"
! -s-s--s-
All frst-class restaurants and homes
have Vienna bakery bread.
! -s-~s-s------
/ FAITH OF GERMAN EMPEROR