Jackson County journal. (Sylva, N.C.) 19??-19??, 1914-06-05

That silence told the re1c lers miles
away more potsntly than bugle that
doom had overtaken the ship.
Only SIX hours before this fatefui
collision the passengers sang as
goodnight hymn God Be With You.
Tell We Meet Again. played by the.
Salvation Army band on hoard.
Last Cali for Aid.
That last IS. O. s." wireless cry for
aid from the crippled and sinking
liner was trumpet call to those
ashore. It was heard by J. McWill-
Jams, the wireless operator at Father
Point, who repeated It along the coast
to point after point after he had tried
in vain to get another message from
the Empress.
When he failed he knew that the
wireless was wrecked and tho ship
probably sinking.
He repeated his fears to other wire
less stations and urged the need OF
haste to save the passengers and crew
OF tne.yessel.
On board the steamers Lady Evelyn
and Eureka that cry for aid was heard.
and getting the position OF the EN-
press Of ireland from Operator Will
Jams, they put on extra stokers, called
their full crews to quarters and began
a race to save life.
That this race ended Just too late
to save the majority of those on the
hapless liner is no fault Of the OFF,
GERS and crews OF these two rescuing
vessels.
Relief vessels and trains equipped
with doctors and nurses and every
medical and surgical supply were
rushed to Rimoush to care for the sur
vivors.
Survivors Tell Of Fog.
It was foggy, according to survivors.
when the Empress of ireland, a steel
hulled, steel-bulkheaded ship OF more
than eight thousand tons left Quebec
at 4:S0 Thursday afternoon In COM
mand of H. G. Kendall of the Royal
Naval Reserve, one of the most skilled
Of transatlantic navigators.
Forest fires also obscured the at
mosphere and the big ship, In charge
Of pilot, proceeded slowly on her
way to sea. At midnight the pilot left
near Father Point. shouting merry
bon voyage" as he went down q lad
der to his waiting boat.
The darkness at this time was In
tense and the chip under the slowest
speed possible with steerageway held
her course. Her decks were deserted.
The passengers had all sought their
be-ths with no thought of impending
death.
Out of the darkness, on the port
side, soon after 2:30 in the morning,
there doomed the little Norwegian col
Tier, not half the size of the Empress,
but fated to be her destroyer
Not until the collier was almost
abeam Of the big liner was the danger
known on either ship The fog had
blotted out the "steaming" lights as
well as the port and starboard lights
of both ships.
Quick orders trumpeted on both
vessels were heard. But they came
| all too late.
The steel-pointed prov Of the Stors
tad struck the liner amidships anC
then forged aft, ripping and tearing
its way through the Empress of Ire
land.
Clear to the stern of the Empress OF
Ireland was this great steel shaving
| cut from her side, from the top of the
hull to far below the water line. Into
that rent the water poured with the
force Of Niagara.
The bow OF the Storstad smashed
Its way through berths on that side
OF the ship, killing passengers sleep
/ Ing In their berths and grinding bodies
to pieces
Reaching the stern of the big liner
the Storstad staggered OF in the dark
ness. her bow crumpled by the impact
Her commander was ready few min
utes later, when he found his shil
would float, to aid the crippled ant
Sinking Empress, but he was too lat.
to save the majority of those OF
board.
The Empress Of Ireland recoiled al
most on her starboard beam ends from
the blow of the collier and passenger
were flung from their berths agains
the walls Of their staterooms.
Many were stunned and before the
had time to recover were carried t
the bottom with the ship.
The vast torrents pouring into tn
great cash on the port side, aft, file