LOSS OF S.S. VALENCIA.

Colonist, Volume XLVIII, Issue 11555, 16 February 1906, Page 4

LOSS OF S.S. VALENCIA.

? ACCOUNT Bi * A SAVED PASSENGER. The Pacific Coast Steamship Company's steamer Valencia, which left San. Francisco on January 20th for Victoria (R.C)., with 9<l passengers and a crew of 130, ran on the rocks dv,ring a, dense fog about midnight aa January 22nd, ani lies a total "wreck about 10 miles east of Cape fJeale.on the west coast of Vancouver Island. According to the stories told by the men who brought^ tidings of the disaster ashore, the Valencia encountered foul weather about twentyfour hours after leaving San Francicso. So thick was the fog that navigation was made only by means of reckoning, They were proceeding cautiously, and had no idea that Cape Flattery had been passed ; indeed, tbe officers believed they wero in the neighborhood of the lightship Umtilla when the vessel struck. A sounding shoitly before the disaster had disclosed 30 fathoms of water, and there was consternation aboard I when the officers and passengers heard the heavy grinding of the vessel's bow as she plunged upon the reefs. Being under slow steam she did not go far, and hence was able to back off. It was then that the worst fears as to the extent of the j accident wero realised. The men who were sant below came back with a report that she was filling. So rapidly did the vessel take in water that the engineers and firemen were soon driven from their posts. A consultation was held, Hud it was decided that tbe only chance for life was to vun the ship ashore. Thero was no time to choose a place to make a landing as the vessel was filling too rapidly, and the movement of the steamer through- tho water would increase this danger. The character of the beach was such, however, that their hopes in many respects were disappointed. The current and tide carried the vessel ! around, and left her head on to the sea, and about 30 yards from a high | bluff on shore. As the water crept up on the doomed vessel the passengers sought safety by moving up on I deck until the situation became i desperate. At last, just before daybreak, the water had risen over her main deck. Repeated attempts were made to lower the boats, and then, as in the case of the terrible disaster to the Clallam, near Victoria, two years ago, the greatest loss of life was encountered. Two boats filled with women and children which were first lowered were smashed alongside, and all the occupants were drowned. With these women and children also perished the men who had undertaken to pull the boats to the shore. By this time the ship's lights were all out, and the surviving passengers and crew were huddled forward on the saloon deck. The darkness added to the horror of the situation. In I all seven boats and two lifo-rafts were lowered, but only two have been heard from. Immediately on receipt of the news steps were taken to despatch relief to the ill-fated Valencia. One of the rescued passengers states:— "The shit) struck at 12 o'clock on the morning of Tuesday, January 23. I was on the deck at the time smoking a cigar, and was looking at my watch when the first crash came. In an instant all was excitement There were shrieks of frightened men and women, the wail 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 her off was given, and she went astern at full speed, but it was too late. The water was pouring in like a millrace, and with a sound which drowned all else. The wind swung the vessel's stern to the beach, and her head to the waves. This saved many livr«, as she was then swept lirvolr in tha qhnrfi. and stfcrilf»lr nnfifi

a^mn in such a position that she iemained partly above water, and on an even keel. Every wave now .washed clean* over her, and many who hastily rushed on deck, went to their deaths without time to murmur a prayefc The order was given to get out the boats. Two of them""! on the weatherside wore launched, and^were smashed like egg shells as,l soon* as they struck the water. Then f cam« the attempts to get out the lee^boats. The purser I took charge. "<#Four women and a number of men went in one boat* I do not know how many, but she was: priHJticaliy SulJ: ( „tfust 'as they were lowering th'6 other davits broke, and the 'stern of the boat fell to the water, while the bow hung in the air.