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Ray Ogle, the eldest child of Milan Newton “William” Ogle and Margaret “Maggie” Elizabeth Miles Ogle, was among the youngest victims of the SS Valencia maritime disaster of January 22–23, 1906. This tragic shipwreck off the rugged west coast of Vancouver Island, British Columbia, claimed approximately 136 lives when the coastal passenger steamer ran aground in heavy fog and broke apart in pounding surf. All women and children aboard perished. Ray’s story stands out in survivor testimonies for the haunting image of a small boy left aboard the wreck, crying for his mother and clinging to the rigging, as well as the quiet heroism of those who tried to comfort him in his final hours.

The Ogle Family and Ray’s Early Life

Ray Ogle was born in August 1899 in Washington state. He was the oldest of three (or possibly four, per some survivor recollections) children traveling with his parents from San Francisco to Seattle aboard the Valencia. His younger siblings were Neita Ogle (born 1901) and Carl Ogle (born 1904). The family had recently lived in Washington, where his parents had married in 1898.

The Ogles represented one of the most complete family losses in the disaster. William and Maggie Ogle, along with their children, attempted to escape in a lifeboat shortly after the ship struck the rocks. Contemporary accounts suggest they were likely in lifeboat #1, which met a catastrophic end when its stern falls broke during lowering, spilling its occupants—including women and children—into the boiling surf.

Survivor Accounts of Ray’s Final Hours

After the failed lifeboat launch, Ray became separated from his family. Several survivors described a small boy—almost certainly Ray—wandering the deck in the chaos, crying for his mother. Grant Willits, a Valencia survivor, recalled one of the most pitiable scenes:

“One of the most pitiable incidents was that of a little boy of about five years old. His father, mother and two little sisters put off in one of the boats. The boat capsized and all were drowned. The little fellow walked around the deck crying for his mother. The last I saw of him he was clinging to the rigging.”

Other accounts, including from Sam Hancock (a survivor who reached shore on a makeshift raft), noted that when the parents and most of the children had been lost early on, one little boy remained aboard. Ray was described as the oldest of the Ogle children in later reports.

In the agonizing hours that followed, as passengers huddled in the rigging or on the hurricane deck amid freezing conditions and crashing waves, Ray received care from Miss Laura Van Wyck, a San Francisco woman traveling to visit family. Known as the “girl with the gray coat,” she and the stewardess worked to cheer and comfort passengers. Van Wyck kept the little boy with her, trying to keep him warm and singing hymns through the night. George Henry Jesse, another passenger, reportedly stayed in the rigging to assist Van Wyck and the child rather than seeking his own escape on a raft.

Tragically, Ray and Van Wyck did not survive the final breakup of the Valencia around noon on January 24, 1906. The ship disintegrated under the relentless surf, sweeping away those still clinging to it.

Recovery, Identification, and Burial

Bodies from the disaster were recovered over several days and transported to Seattle and Victoria. Identification was challenging due to the conditions. Early reports expressed uncertainty about some of the children’s remains thought to belong to the Ogles. William’s brother, James Ogle, visited the morgue and initially doubted the identifications.

By early February 1906, the bodies of Carl and Neita Ogle were confirmed. Their joint funeral was held on February 6 at the Bonney-Watson undertaking parlors in Seattle, with a large attendance of friends. The children were interred together at Lakeview Cemetery in Seattle.

A February 9 report announced the recovery of “another of the Ogle children, the oldest boy”—Ray—brought to the city aboard the Princess Beatrice. He was buried from the same parlors alongside his siblings at Lakeview Cemetery. Memorial records on Find a Grave document the graves of Ray, Neita, and Carl Ogle. The bodies of their parents, William and Maggie Ogle, were never recovered.