Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1914-06-17
NAVIGATOR ADMITS
D|S0B[Y|NG ORDERS
WRsr OFFICER OF COLLIER sToR.
srAp TEsTIF,Es IN EMPRESS
DISASTER HEARING.
FAILED TO CALL CAPTAIN
AS HE HAD BEEN INSTRUCTED
BAYS He Did Not Hear Empress Sig
nal She Was steppins-confaietin
Theories 40 to Responsibility For
Disaster Hold by Officers Of Two
Ships in Collision.

Quebec, June 1.-THE captain and
the first Office Of the collier storstad
Testified today at the Empress of Ire
land wreck inquiry and contradicted
in several particulars the statement on
the 81 Ind yesterday by Captain Ken
dali, Of the lost liner. The first offi-
Ger. Alfred Tuftenes, who was in COM
mand Of the collier when the collision
occurred. insisted that there was no
explosion and no sheet Of flame from
the side of the Empress when she was
struck, as Captain Kendall had de-
scrihed
The first officer admitted ne had not
obeyed Instructions, in failing to cali
his captain from below when the fog
shut down just before the collision. 1t
vas the speed of the Empress. he ex-
planned, which caused the Storstads 8
DOW to sink twelve feet into the side
If the passenger vessel.
Quebec, June 17.-Alfred Tuftenes.
first officer of the collier Storstad, took
the witness stand again today when
the Empress of Ireland wreck inquiry
was resumed, and Butler Aspinwan be-
gan his cross examination on behalf OF
the Canadian Pacific railway, owners
of the Empress. The witness was in
charge of the collier Immediately prior
to the collision.
Tuftenes said he did not know
whether the master Of the Storstad got
a bonus for q speedy trip with coal for
the Dominion Coal Company between
Sydney and Montreal. Captain Andef-
sen, Of the Storstad. who was sitting
In the rear of the court, was asked a0ut
1t and replied In the negative. The
witness admitted that the ship was
unloaded at night at Montreal
Time Ii apparently important then.'
commented tho attorney.
Tuftenes conceded that It seemed to
be. He denied that the storstad was
nayigated in the fog for one hour and
a half prior to first seeing the mast
head lights of the Empress. When the
lights came into view. he said. the EN-.
press was about six miles away and
one and half points on the Storstads
port bow. She was pursuing course
across the GOLFERS bows.
Didn't Hear Signals.
Tuftenes said he ordered the helm
aport and little later hard aport.
did you stop when the Empress
blew two long blasts?" said Aspinall.
II did not hear them"
THAT would mean she was stop
ping?"
1T would"
Did you expect your ship would
answer that hard port heinz"
: IT did"
"Why didn't it?'
"The engines were not working long
enough to give her headway."
Thought Hs Had Right Of Way.
The witness said the Empress, when
she came out Of the fog, was two ships
length away. He agreed that IL the
Empress was going ten knots an hour
and the Storstad only one knot an
hour. as he said they were, it looked
to him now as II they would have
cleared safely.
II thought that was entitled to
keep my course and speed" said the
witness.
seriously" said Mr.. Aspinall, 'as a
sailor, 1t Is your belief that you are
entitled to do that in a foS?"
Providing that don't go full speed
but moderate speed" said the witness.
Your instructions were to call the
captain directly as the fog appeared?"
Yes
why didn't you obey instructions? ?"
asked Lord Mersey.
II did not think 1t necessary"
Conflicting Theories.
Some very definite theories as to the
real cause of the collision which re-
suited In the sinking Of the Canadian
Pacific liner Empress Of Ireland and
the loss Of more than 1000 lives in the
st. Lawrence river in the early morn
ing of Friday, May 20. were developed
at the official investigation which
opened here yesterday.
The contention on the part Of the
Canadian Pacific Railway Company,
the owners Of the ill-fated Empress IS
that the officers in charge OF the Nor
wegian collier Storstad, the vessel
which ssnk the Empress, formed
mistaken impression Of the relative po-
s!ticn Of the vessels in the fog and or
dered his helm hard a-port, wrongly
surmising that this would give tho
Empress more room to pass.
On the other hand, the suggestion
Is made by counsel for the owners OF
the Storstad that the Empress i'm
properly attempted to cross the bows
Of the Storstad. which, as an incoming
vessel. was entitled to the right Of way
and that officers aboard the Empress
blundered. one giving an order to put
the helm a-port and another subse-
quently ordering it hard a. starboard.
Lord Msrsey prssidss.
On the commission, which began its
sittings ut 10 o'clock, were Lord Mer-
sey, chairman: Ezekiel Mcleod. Judge
OF the admiralty court Of New Bruns-
wick, and Judge Routhier of Quebec.
Captain Kendall Of the Empress re-
peated In fuller detail the story he told
at the inquest entering. however. more
fully into technical points OF naviga-
tion. This emphasized the fact that
when ne last saw the lights OF tho
Storstad before the fog hid the vessel