The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-05-31
Many Deeds Of HerOism in short
II Minutes Before
Vessel Sank.
CREW DID VALIANT WORK
No Blame on Them That More
Passengers Were
Not Saved.


narrowness of their escape from death
and by the physical tortures they suf.
fered. told something to-day of tbo ex.
periences they had yesterday in tho
fourteen minutes between the tim, .be
liner was struck by the collier Stors-
dad ana sank in the st. Lawrence of
Cock Point to the east of Father Point
In the luxurious hotel the Chateau
Frontenac, in the Seaman's Mission. in
the hospitals ard on ships where they
are being cared for and nursed they
spoke Of their dangers There were
stories OF self-sacrifice where men died
that women might live. of battle; in
the water and of lifeboats falling ON
struggling men and women in the
water
While many of the crew were saved
great number In comparison to the
number OF passengers who we're
drowned. there is no accusation against
members OF the crew. The decision Of
the surviving passengers is that the
boat sank so quickly after the collision
that there was no time for the crew to
do rescue work because those on deck
were tumbed into the water when the
vessel turned on her starboard side
Both Good svimmcrs-Escape
NJ and Mrs. Henry Freeman of Wis
consn at the Chateau Frontenac told n
vivid story OF their dash for safety after
the Empress was smashed by the collier.
Mr.. Freeman jumped from his berth and
selling sweater he threw IL around
Mrs. Freeman. In the dark they
struggled up the compa nionway and
made their way to the port side, where
the unmanageable lifeboata were. The
boat keeled, and determined to die
together they jumped into the water.
They were separated. but both could
swim. Whired about the water they
finally we're picked up by boat rom
the Storsdad.
Following the sinking of the shin"
said Mrs. Freeman. I'VE we're both
dragged down. We became separated
but We were fair swimmers and thc.ieht
We could help ourselves little bit
When we came up ] could not see nv
husband and he could not see me.
Just before the collision" said Mrs
Freeman, Il had a premonition that
something dreadful was going to han
pen. lay there thinking of 1t and then
heard the whistles going and the men
running on deck. That awoke my hus-
band too. We saw that we were going
TO be swept into the water and we
locked arms and jumped just before the
boat turned. When | felt my husba nd's
hands torn from mine | thought we
never should see each other again. But
We were picked up by boats from the
same vessel and taken To her."
saved by Capt. Kendall
'harles Spencer, bellboy on the Em-
press told of the manner in which Cant
hehddl saved him, Still hystericaI
rom the suffering he endured he cried
az no told of his experiences.
Nhen The crash came I ran dou,
'o the Storage to wake Up the bovs
mere and get them TO go To the buJl,
neads and turn them. They are closed
pF hand wheels. | did not have much
time because when reached thero tho
wafer was two feet deep and 7 could
harolS get through it, [ know two of
me boys were drowned there. and
another, Samuel Baker, were tho onIv
oeNooys saved out of the dozen nm ,ha
vessel, After woke UP the bows beIou,
ran up to the boat deck where mar
were trying to put the lifeboats oyer
BOARD. The Empress had a list m s,ar-
BOARD and the top deck was down IN
ne water She was sinking very fast
ohe OF the tunnels toppled into the water
and almost fell on lifeboat.
W men the boat made final hrcb 7
uNed INTO the water because I fel, 7
could get somewhere. When | came I'm
Sap,' Kendall was near me. He caught
nod OF me and helped me along
marry Baker was near us and the can
'a'n TOOK him too. He helped us along
euu we were In the water about twenty
MINUTES when we were picked up and
aNeh 10 me coal boat. We were not far
away when the port side blew out.
lhey took care OF US when they MI,
Us IN dt Rimouski. They did not have
enough clothes for us. so for us bows
mey took bags and cut holes in them
ior our arms and legs. They gave us all
hihds OF socks and old slippers an old
SHOES that could not be matched, but VIC
were glad to get anything 20 keey us
warm
The bulkheads were closed forward
Mter ] yelled to the boys 20 close the
uu'Kheads ! saw two of my chum.
s9Ndlng by and closing the doors. The,
were both lost, they never got on deck.
j. II, Price, ordinary seaman, who
recently was awarded a medal for gal
mh'ry for jumping into the water from
'he Devonian to save Volturno pas
sehger, told this story:
We mad Just put the pilot OF in hi.
BOAT He had climbed down the star
BOARD gangway into his tender and hac
!ust got the sea ladder ready for carry
'hR forward for stowage.
As ] reached the break Of the decl
under the bridge ] saw the Storsda,
bearing down on our starboard bow.
'ouId see her masthead light then, blu
neither Of her sidelights. Her coIrs,
was somewhat across ours, and hear'
our bridge signal them to starboar'
helr helm. The bridge did the SAM
WITH our engines, running fun asterl
anu stopped our Roadway.
Then saw the Storsdad sheer AVA!
and her starboard light showed. Blu
enc Kept coming on and II was clear sh
vas going 10 HIT us. she struck us JUS
eeor: the starboard sangwsy ] SHOULD
mink she went into US by the No. o