Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 38, Number 40, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 2 February 1906 — WRECK OF THE VALENCIA. [ARTICLE]

WRECK OF THE VALENCIA.

Disaster Adds Another Traarrdy (• the Annals of ‘the Sea. The Wreck of the stcanler Valencia off the west coast of Vancouver island adds to the annals, of the sfca a tragedy that will long, be remembered. All but fifteen of the 150 persons on board wefe drowned. The lcrsUofTife, was not so great #s that in a number of wrecks of Vitoliar character, hut the peculiarly dramatic apd. cruel cireum-. (dances of the disaster heighteu its horrors. As in the case of many illfated vessels wrecked tn that vtebiHy, the Valencia, steering by dead reckoning in a fog, got off its course and struck a reef. Threatened with" sink.-, ing, the captain chose to hurl his ship against the coast, which at this point is a precipitous wall of rock! From an early hour Tuesday morning until sometime* Wednesday the mop and 'women huddled on the deck, of the Valencia confronted the prospect of nimost certnin death with 'dry iaftd and safely lying apparently almost within a stone's throw. The’ heavy sea which kept pounding the vessel against the rocks prevented Ihe use of lifeboats, those lowered baing beaten to pieces against the side of the ship. Two sailors managed to gain, the . shore and cUmbßd up the cliff for some distance, only to reach a point wrece they..eTLlXffQ:. cced nor retreat A.s they were below high-water mark, this added horror, enactcd Uefore the eyes of the passen--gera. showed. the hopelessness of es-g cape In that direction. Even the vessels which were sent to make u belated attempt at rescue succeeded only In raising false hopes, Various 'reasons are advanced for the fact that the Valencia was out of its course. The fog, the difficulties of navigating tho channel leading into Juan de Fuea strait, and the powerful ocean currents doubtless combined to deceive the nnd bring tire -ship- Into danger. It remains -to Ireseep whether a measure of responsibility dyes’hot also test Upon the Canadian' government for its failure? to ma-itttain lights mid boll buoys and other protective devices on a treacherous shore which lias caused the destruction of fifty-six vessels and the loss of 711 lives within forty years. At least the absence of coast guards and lines seems to have been responsible for the long interval that elapsed before news of the vessel’s predicament reached the nearest port' and an attempt at rescue was made possible. The deadly “west, coast’', of .-Vancouver island is one of the world’s most famous marine graveyards. In forty years fifty-six vessels and 711 lives have been lost, all within a few miles of the scene of the wreck of the Valencia. In addition to the Valencia the King DaVfil and Pass of Melford have been wrecked in the past month. With the King David seven lives wore lost; white twenty-six perished on the Pass of Milford. In the last forty years tire following wrecks, in which more tlmti lives were lost, have occurred on the same coast: When. Lives Vessels. lost. lost. John Bright. bark.... 1807 14 Pacific, steamer 1875 206 Grace Darling, 5hip....... 1878 15 Malleville, bark 1882 20 Sierra Nevada, ship 18S0 13 Harvey-Mills, ship ...1880 18 Eldorado, bark 1887 15 St. Stephen, ship 1887 122 Ivanhoe, ship 1804 20 Mont Serra, ship ..1804 30 Keevveenah, steamer 1804 31 Jane Grey, schooner 1 S'.iS " ,34 Coridor. British warship.. .1002 SO Triumph, schooner ........ 1001 32 Lamoma, ship 1901 2ti