Custer County Republican. (Broken Bow, Neb.) 1882-1921, 1906-02-08
Wreck Of Steam
ship Valencia
Horrible Loss of Lite and
understandable SUI
fering.

In the gloom and darkness OF
midnight, with the wierd wailing
of a hurricane wind, while
the Scathing, hurrying waves
we're running mountain high,
carrying 40 precious souls, the
Valencia, under full steam and
without warning was suddenly
dashed against the bleak and
merciess rocks of Cape Bcalc, i'll
Vancouver Island, and 49, men,
women and children were sent to
eternity.
The Valencia sailed from San
francisco at II IA. III. Saturday,
January Goth, bound for Seattle.
After sailing twenty-four hours
in good weather she encountered
a hurricane storm and heavy seas
which lasted to her final destruc-
ton. A dense fog which hung
heavy and low on the fatal night
added to the terrors of the storm
and caused Capt. Johnson to lose
: his bearings and lie ran past
Cape Flattery and the entrance
to the Straits Of Iaun de tuca
without knowing il,
Being III the night, amid the
awful rush of Il mad and uncon-
quored sea, the terrific shock
when the boat struck the rock
sent a death chill through the
company of passengers and would
have created al uncomfortable
panic had. ii not been for the cool
and considtratc action Of Captain
Johnson.
The officers soon realized that
! the crash had opened a hole in
the boats bottom through which
the water was rushing like "A mill
race. The water soon drove the
engineers from the throttle and
, word was at once sent to the Cap
tain that the boat was doomed.
/ Orders to back, turn around and
J run stern ashore as quickly as
( possible were obeyed as the only
chance to save life. There was
= no time to even look for a favor
able landing, as the water front
was guarded by precipitous rocks
and the boat fast sinking. The
second crash was under full
head OF steam and here, between
fifty and one hundred yards from
an inaccessible shore, the steam.
er with ITS human freight went
down and to pieces. This was :
terrifying and awful moment
! No time to be wasted. AS soor
as the brave Captain saw that
the last opportunity had arrived
he ordered the small boats lower
ed to the rail. The first boa
was lowered and By order of The
officers il was at once filed will
women and children, they little
dreaming that in a moment the
would be beyond the reach of tn,
terrible Catastrophy. In the anN
ietV and excitement the rope
Suspendiug one end of the small
boat were cut without official or
ders and like shot every sou
was plunged into the raging, tur
bulent sea, while the boat WA
ground To bits against the side o
the big steamer.
The second boat, as it wa
lowered, was swept by the mad
dened waves into the foamin
sea. suffering the fate OF the hrs
boat. Every soul was washe
out into the sea and all exceI
one persisted. The exception wa
that of T +. Carrick, first assist
. ant Engineer, who relates thai
When | felt myself swallowe
) by the sea | cried to God in N
misery, 1t seemed ages that
> was being hurled and crashe
: about by huge breakers. Some
j how ] grasped a line thrown owe
q the side and was hauled aboar
g the steamer,
4 Five other boats were loware
8 ana ii Is certain that three ,
3 them were dashed 10 pieces an
4 their prerlou, freight Of humaj
4 ity all lost, as evidenced |
9 wreckage and dead bodies whiC
Il have been found strewn alor
n the shore.
a In the early part of the nigl
4 when the engine room was iillC
II with water which covered Ii