The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1914-06-02
STATEMENT Of
|. COLLIER s CAP TAIN
REFUTEs CHARGES MADE. DE-
MES HE BACKED SHIP AT Ten
COLLISION WITH EMPRESS.

Montreal. June With her bows
in and twisted around i'll an
acute angle to port and gap showing
on the port side only foot or so above
the water line, in mute evidence OF the
tragedy in which she figured the col
lier Storstad arrived at the harbor
here today.
A few minutes later a warrant OF ar
rest taken out by the Canadian Pa
ci6c Railway was nailed to her main
mast by order of W. Simpson Walker,
X. c., registrar of the Quebec admir-
atty.
by what authority do you come on
board my vessel and place it under ar
rest?" asked Capt. Andersen, com
mander of the collier.
"By authority Of the British En-
pire," curty replied the deputy sheriff
commissioned to execute the warrant.
Capt. Andersen, Immediately after
collier docked, conferred with capt
Owe Lange. American chief of the
Maritime steamship Company OF Nor
way. and John J. Griffin, attorney for
the company, both Of whom came from
New York to look into the situation.
Capt. Andersen Reticent.
Can't. Andersen at first declined to
discuss the disaster, declaring he
would make a statement later in the
evening. Subsequently, a statement
based on Capt Andersen's report, as
we'll as the reports of other officers,
to Messrs. Lange and Griffin was CIV
en- out.
According to the captain and oftic-
ers the Storstad did not back away
after the collision. On the contrary
she steamed ahead in an effort to keep
her bow in the hole she had dug into
the side of the Empress.
The Empress, however, according 10
the Storstad's officers, headed away
and bent the Storstad's bow over at an
acue angle to port. After that the EN-
press was hidden from the view OF the
Storstad and despite the fact that the
Storstad kept her whistle blowing, she
could not locate the Empress until
the cries of some of the victims in
the water were heard.
Denies kendalis Statement.
Can't. Anderson denied he moved
mile or so away from the Empress al
ter his vessel struck the liner The
Storstad had not moved. 1t was the
Empress which had changed position
he declared.
According to the reports made b!
Capt Andersen to the owners, imme
diately after the collision occurred, 1t
: heard Capt. Kendall shout calling oil
him not to pull away
I 81 won't" shouted the Storstad's caI
| tain as loud as he could. After that tn
Empress disappeared from the Stol
stad's view.
The statement reads
| THE fact that the Storstad ha
| only today reached port, has made
. impossible heretofore to give an a
: tentic statement in her behalf A
. connected with the Storstad deploi
| most deeply the terrible accide'
| which has resulted in the loss of
many valuable lives. 1t is not wi
anv desire to condemn others, b
| simply because it is felt that the pu
| lie is entitled to know the facts, tn
| the following statement is put forwar
| Statement by Andersen.
| "The vessels sighted each othel
| when far apart The Empress OF Il
lands green or starboard light W
visible to those on the Storstad.
Under these circumstances Il
-! rules of navigation gave the ST
. stad the right of way.
The heading of the Empress III
was changed in such a manner as
put the vessels in a position to pa
safely. Shortly after a fog envelop
first the Empress and then the st
stad.
Fog signals were exchanged,
Storstads engines were at once slow
and then stopped. Her heading rema
ed unaltered Whistles from the L
press were heard on the Storsta
port bow and were answered. The (
press of ireland then was seen throu
the fog close at hand on the port b
of the Storstad. She was showing
green light and was making consid
able headway.
Reversed His Engines.
THE engines of the Storstad were