Charles Fluhme was the baker on the Valencia and survived on the second liferaft picked up by the City of Topeka. He is mentioned very little in newspapers reporting on the Valencia. The San Francisco Chronicle wrote a brief article about him on January 26th, 1906:
The Valencia Disaster
1. The Valencia 2. The Voyage 3. The Boats 4. The McCarthy Boat 5. The Bunker Party 6. On the Valencia 7. The Rafts 8. The Turret Raft 9. The Rescue Ships 10. The Aftermath 11. The Survivors 12. The Lost
The West Coast Trail
Prologue 1: The West Coast Trail 2: When to Hike & Fees 3: Trailheads 4: Getting There 5: Considerations 6: Campsites 7: Shipwrecks 8: Routes 9: Sights & Highlights
"Charles Fluhme ship's baker has had a rather unfortunate career on the high seas, having been on four different ships which met with accidents within the past few months, the City of Topeka, City of Puebla, Roanoke and Valencia. Fluhme is a young German, who came to this country a few years ago and went into the baking business at Phoenix. From there he drifted to San Francisco and has been employed by the Pacific Coast Steamship. Company for a year or more. He lives at the Winchester Hotel when in town, and it is believed that his intention was to return to his home at Dortmund, Westphalia, Germany, as soon as he had acquired sufficient means. His friend, Frank Lipe, was strongly against his sailing on the Valencia, but. Fluhme laughed at his superstitions and left, in buoyant spirits. He is a powerful young man and will probably recover from his experiences."
Valencia's Second Liferaft
In an interview First Assistant Engineer Thomas Carrick described the horrific scene on the Valencia before he jumped overboard to get on the raft,
“The raft we left on was the last thing aboard the ship for anyone to get on. The Valencia was broken up and the two parts of her were ten to fifteen feet apart, the stern working toward the shore. The foremast was standing, but there was no one in the rigging. The only persons washed overboard that I saw were a woman and her child. The seas were very heavy and knocked us down unless we had something to hold to. There was only about fifteen feet of the hurricane deck left for us to stand on, and I should judge that there were fifty to seventy-five persons on this.”
Valencia Second Officer Peterson Barely Survives
The raft was then boarded by anyone brave enough to leap from the ship into the churning ocean and climb aboard. Peter Peterson, second officer on the Valencia described those moments well, “We had great difficulty in keeping the raft out of the whirlpool at the vessel’s side. The water was washing over the smokestack of the vessel, and at times the raft was tossed in the air. When the captain gave the word, I made a jump, and succeeded in grabbing a line to attach to the raft. I was already weak from hunger and exposure, and it was all that I could do to hold on. I finally succeeded in pulling myself aboard the raft.”
Valencia Messman Raymond Nearly Drowns
Walter Raymond, a messman on the Valencia remembered nearly drowning in his attempt. “I made a jump for the raft, and it seemed to me I would never again reach the top of the water. I had just sense enough left to not breathe and all the time my lungs kept paining until I thought they would break. Everything got black to me. This I know now, I was losing consciousness when, all of the sudden I popped up into the air, and, oh, what a relief it was. I someway did not seem to realize my position. When I did I looked for the raft and it was fully fifty feet from me. I gave up then for the first time since the Valencia struck. I was numb through and I never could have swum the distance. I was lifted by a gigantic wave and fiercely hurled through the air. I landed squarely on top of the boys on the raft and they grabbed me.”
Valencia's Second Raft Departs
Thomas Carrick, first assistant engineer recalled, “When we put off from the ship on the raft I called to my oilers in the rigging to come with us, but they refused. All the forward part of the vessel was under water at this time.” On the Valencia all the passengers crowded to the rail and wished them Godspeed and Thomas Carrick recalled the last words Captain Johnson said to him, “Goodbye Tom. For God’s sake try to save your passengers and crew.” The raft was packed with at least twenty men and set off about twenty minutes after the first. It is unknown how many men boarded the raft in the hectic moments where they were jumping off the ship and piling on board. It appears that at least one man was on the raft as it departed, but then disappeared when they hit the breakers. It is possible others fell of and drowned as well. What is known for sure is that nineteen were on board after they cleared the breakers and rowed into the open ocean.
Agonizing Hours on the Raft
First assistant engineer Carrick described the scene on the Valencia’s second raft after two agonizing hours, “Some of the men began blubbering and many were frothing at the mouth. It seemed that many were losing their minds." Valencia passenger Joseph McCaffrey recalled, "There were two or three men on the raft who kept up the spirit of their companions by cheering them on and holding out every hope of rescue within a short time." McCaffrey goes on to describe, as Carrick did, how the men were being driven insane by the conditions on the raft. Freezing cold, drenched in seawater and likely no hope of finding another ship. "If we had been an hour longer on that raft I believe every man would have gone insane." He could tell by the looks in the eyes of his companions that, "reason was departing. Just touch some of the men and they would growl like some trapped animal."
Valencia Second Life Raft January 24th, 1906
Finally a Ship is Sighted
Carrick remembered the moment the City of Topeka was sighted. "An incoherent shout from one of the passengers drew our attention and following his pointed finger we saw what afterwards proved to be the Topeka.” Freight clerk Frank Lehn recalled the excitement at that moment. “How we did work at the oars; every man strained at them for his life. The cold waves washing over us and the sleet beating on our heads was forgotten. Nearer and nearer we came to her and we shouted with all our strength, but as the wind was against us we could not make ourselves heard. The steamer was stopped and let drift with wind and current. Suddenly she started and turned out to sea. We almost gave up. If she had gone away, we would have died right there. But she came nearer us every moment. We had one of the men standing in the centre waving a boat hook with a shirt on it. At last their whistle blew as a token that they had seen us. How we shouted for joy. But by that time we could hardly move. The cold went through us and the rain seemed to pierce our very marrow. Finally, the steamer put out a boat, and when they at last made fast a rope and started to tow us to safety, I think I must have collapsed like everybody else on the raft.”
Valencia Second Life Raft January 24th, 1906
McCaffrey described the delirious exhaustion as they approached the Topeka. "When we sighted the boat putting away from the Topeka one fellow on the raft broke forth into a song. But the words died in his throat, his heart was too full. I don't know the words of that song he sang. I was too stupefied to remember." McCaffrey remembered pulling on the oars with, "a poor fellow whose strength was about exhausted. He would work like mad for a few moments and then his head would drop on his breast and his hands would relax their grasp. 'Keep on working,' I would urge. 'If you want to get out of this and reach the ship, pull, for God's sake, pull.' Then he would rise again to the task and in that manner we succeeded in reaching the boat crew from the Topeka."
Close to Death Before Rescue
Carrick also remembered how desperately close to death they were. “It seemed as though her arrival was a merciful messenger from God. In a few minutes she was alongside, but some of the men lay inert and powerless to grasp lines cast from the Topeka. Finally, all were hauled aboard and every attention was shown us by the rescue party. If the Topeka had not arrived when she did we would probably have been lost, all of us were rapidly succumbing to the intense cold.” The nineteen men picked up by the second raft, which became known as the Topeka Raft were: Charles Fluhme, passenger Cornelius Allison, first assistant engineer Tom Carrick, fireman William Doherty, passenger George Harraden, passenger A.H. Hawkins, waiter Charles Hoddinott, third cook John Johnson, coal passer W.D. Johnson, first assistant freight clerk Frank Lehn, passenger Joseph McCaffrey, waiter Patrick O’Brien, second officer Peter Peterson, fireman Paul Primer, messman Walter Raymond, quartermaster Martin Tarpey, waiter John Walsh, passenger Grant L. Willitts and fireman John Segalos.
Some of Valencia's Crew on the Topeka
