The evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1914-1922, 1914-06-17
First Officer of Storstad Gives
Entirely Different WESTON of
Happenings Just Before En-
press was Struck.
DECLARES HE DID NOT
HEAR ANY SIGNALS
Admits He Disobeyed Orders
In Failing to Call His Cap
tain when Collier Ran Into
Fog.


Quebec. June l1.-The captain ana
the first officer OF the collier stoi
stad testified today al the Empress
of ireland wreck inquiry and contra
dictcd in several particulars state
mrnts made ON the stand ycsterd AZ
10y Captain Kendall ui the lost liner
The first officer Alfred Iuftcncs
who was iu command of the collier
when the collision occurred, insisted
that there WAS no explosion and uo
sheet OF flame from the side of the
Empress when she was struck, az
Captain Kendall had declared.
The first officer admitted ne had
not uheycd Instructions IN failing to
cali his captain from below when the
fog shut down just before the Colli-
sion. II Was the speed Of the Em-
press he explained, which caused the
Storstads bow Ia sink twelve feet
into the side of the passenger ves-
sci. Tuftencs said he did not know
whether the master Of the stprstrd
gut a bonus for speedy trip with
coal for the Dominion Coal company
between sydney ana Montreal cap
tain Anderson of the Storstad, who
was sitting ~ the rear Of the court
was asked about II and replied In tho
negative.
The witness admitted that the ship
was unluadcd at night at Montreal
Time is apparently important
then commented the attorney.
Tuftcucs conceded that IL seemed
to be He denied that the storstad
was uayisstcd in the fog for one
hour and half previous Ia first see
ing the masthead light of the Em-
press. When the light came into
view, he said the Empress was about
six miles away aud one and hail
points ON the Stnrstad'a port bow.
She was pursuing course across the
collier's bows.
Tuftencs said he ordered the helm
aport ana little later hard aport.
Did you stop when the Empress
blew two long blasts said Aspin-
wall
II did not hear them"
THAT would mean she was stop
ping
"Did you expect your ship would
answer that hard uport helm g"
81 did"
why didn't IL"
THE engines were not working
long enough to give her hcadWuy
The witness said the Empress when
she came out of the fog was two
ships lengths away lie agreed that
if the Empress was goiuE ton knots
an hour aud the -torstad only one
knot an hour as he said thry were.
- looked to him now as % they
should have cleared safely
Il thought that was entitled 90
keep my course and speed said the
witness.
seriously" said Mr. AspinWau
''as "a sailor, is IL your hcli,f that YOU
are entitled to do that jon fog?"
PROV iding that ! don't go full
speed. but moderate speed said the
witness
Your Instructions were 60 call the
captain directly fos appeared"
"Ycs"
why didn't sou obey instruc-
/ tipns7' asked Lord Mersey
81 did not think 30 necessary"
Captain Anderson iHrced NIth hs
{ mate as tu the speed of the two fcs-
sells
captain Kendall says the Empress
was stopped, You say she was going
/ fast. put in Lord Mcrscy "Clu you
/ explain th8t""
| % cannot replied Anderson.
what 90 yuu think"
She mus have gone run speed
hstern ana then rull speed ahead to
cross our bow. We have discussed o.,
but cannot get any truth