Omaha daily bee., 1906-01-26

from Port Angeles at $3.50 a. m. that the
rescue ship City Of Topeka picked up a
life raft at 1 o'clock yesterday afternoon
six miles of Cape Beale with nineteen sur
vivors OF the Valencia board. The men
were In a pitiable condition and almost
dead from exposure.
The condition of the survivors was
pitiable. They were half frozen and prac-
tically unconscious from exposure. The
raft was sighted about - o'clock, but ow-
ing to the thick weather 1t was supposed
to be nothing but log. At last, by the
aid of a powerful glass, its true nature
was determined.
A terrible sea was running. One minute
the raft was poised on top of a wave and
the next 1t would be lost from view in the
gully formed by the mountainous breakers
The nineteen men together on their
frail support battled bravely with pair
OF oars to reach the City of Topeka
which, owing to the dangerous condition
of the coast could not run in any closer
to them. Within a mile OF the raft boat
was lowered from the Topeka, in charge of
Second Mate Burke, who with much diff
nculty. succeeded in making fast line to
the raft.
The work OF rescuing them was most
dangerous. Inc men were 10 exhausted 10
even tie rope about themselves.
| When the raft was sighted a cry went
up from the steamers deck. Orders were
shouted and the men on the raft screamed
and called fruitlessly for aid. For minute
| 1t looked as though the old man with gray
hair was gone, when the raft gave a sudden
lurch, but the prompt work OF Mate Burke
and his men in the boat finally got him on
darl WA gaf 10 "
another fainting form was swept away and
was only rescued by quick work on the part
of the boats crew. The next man to be
swept from the raft managed to grasp a
line and cling to it until he was hoisted
half way UP the ships side, when his
strength gave out and he fell back. He was
picked up by the boat.
story of q Survivor.
| The following is the story OF G. Willets.
one of the passengers and one of the men
rescued from the raft:
| The ship struck at 1907 on the morning
of Tuesday, January e. i was on deck at
1 the time smoking cigar and was looking
at my watch when the first crash came.
3 In an instant all was excitement. There
were the shrieks of the frightened men and
/ women the wall of little children and the
hoarse orders of the officers OF the ship,
| The vessel reeled like a drunken man, slid
over the reef and struck again.
The command to back off was given and
IL went astern at full speed, put II was too
| late. The water was pouring in like mill
the beach and its head to the waves This
/ saved many lives, as IL was then swept
back to the shore. and struck once again IN
such a position that IL remained partly
above the water and on an even keel
| Every wave now washed Clear over the
vessel and many people, who hastily rushed
on deck, went to their deaths without time
| to murmur a prayer.
The order was given to get out the boats.
be- apd we're Se ,hs like
as soon as they struck the water. Then
came the attempt to get out the lee boats.
Parser O'Farrell took charge Four
women and number OF men went into
/ the boat. don't know how many, but IL
was practically full. Just as they were
leaving the rear davitts broke and the stern
OF the boat fell to the water, while the bow
| hung in the air.
Every one was precpitated into the sea
and swept away in an instant. For sec
| ond or two caught a glimpse of an agon-
! lied face, then another, and yet another. as
| they were washed by me. 1t was awful.
The waves dashing over the. ship started
breaking 1t up; They swept the deck loose
and every swell lifted it, We chung TO the
| rigging and deck house.
Tries to Get Line Ashore.
| Then an attempt was made to get line
ashore. A fireman named Cigales agreed
to swim ashore. He was in the water fully
half an hour. but was unable to make the
is directly at the foot Of a precipitous BLUM
that comes sheer to the waters edge one
was on Small rock sos
to him and he then tried to climb the Cliff,
but he fell and was killed before our eyes.
that of a little boy about 5 years of age.
His father, mother and two little sisters
put Of in one Of the boats The boat was
fellow waded arouno the deck crying for
his parents. The last I saw of him he was
clinging 10 the rigging. There were many
similar cases. lame officer from the
Concord. accompanied by his two sisters,
was also in the rigging,
ried away portion Of the ship and the
and 1t was impossible to stay on deck
was sunk to about the level OF the hurri-
cane deck.
| In the morning another sad calamity &C.
CURED. About fifteen or twenty persons,
among them one two women, had taken
refuge in the foretopmast. They appeared
| to be in the safest place, as II was removed
from the wash Of the waves, although the
flying spray dashed over their heads. Sud
denly. without warning, the mast tottered
and there came shrek from those on II.
carrying its load of human freight to a
| terrible death. l don't think there was a
single one saved. Their bocies were washed
| from the ship and we could see them
dashed against the rocks.
To add to our misery. the last of our
food was washed away. We had no water
| wind and rain, combined with the sea, soon
| nuinbed us. Every little while one OF
| those in the rigging would lose his hold
and be swept away TO the sharp rocks.
! When we saw the Queen In the morning
we thanked God for saving US, but when
it, in company with the tug, sheered on
and sailed away IL was followed with moth
ing but curses. i suppose II was too dan
| gerous for them 10 attempt to save us,
| When the Topeka finally hove in sight
| We determined TO make an effort TO reach
| Il in the life raft. Few of the men cared
| TO make the attempt, as II appeared to be
| certain death to even try to cross the
| breakers. But eighteen Of US were willing
! and we started. With only pair OF oars
| ,he struggle against the wind ana sea was
almost too much for us.
! Part of the time we were under water and
were almost drowned but we were impelled
bV desperation and fought and fought
against the elements like demons.
| we held one man upright in the center OF
the raft and had him wave a shirt on a
nole When we saw the steamer turn We
thought IL had overlooked us and was COINS
away. II il had we would have died right
there.
| The waving of the shirt on the raft re-
| minds me that when the Queen was first
sighted the women III .ac rigging even re-
moved portions OF their ciothing 10 wave
as a signal for help from their positions In
When we left the ship on the raft we
tried TO get some Of the remaining women
reach them before morning, and the shtT
will have then gone to pieces. II was
breaking up when we left II could not
possibly have held together more than q
few hours afterward II lies directly In
such position that there Is no hope II