Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-05-31
OWN VESSEL STOPPED
TO PREVENT COLLISION
Request That Collier Steam Ahead
to Stop Hole Ignored.
OTHER WITNESSES ALSO HEARD
Bear Out Story That Danish Craft
Failed to Fulfill Duty-In-
quiry Adjourns for
Week,

R1MOJSkI. Quebec. May 3O-While
final tabulations of the casualties In
the sinking of the ill-fated steamer
Empress of Ireland were being made to-
day showing that 403 of her passengers
and crew had been rescued and 964 had
perished. Capt Henry George Kendall of
the liner was telling his story of the
disaster at an inquiry by Coroner Pinault
here.
Capt. Kendall in substance declared
that he had taken all possible precautions
against a collision. His Ship had been
stopped. he gave the requisite signals
when the Danish collier Storstad. which
dealt the blow which sent the Empress
to the bottom. was still two miles away.
but the collier had kept on through the
fog which settled down soon after the
two veseis sighted each other, and had
rammed the Empress of Ireland while
the latter was virtually motionless. Then.
despite his plea to the master of the col
lfer that he run his engines full speed
ahead to keep the hole in the liners side
plugged with the Storstad's bow, said
Capt Kendall. the Danish vessel backed
away, the water rushed in and the EN-
press sank.
Tells of the Accident.
Capt. Kendall, who stuck to the bridge
bf his ship to the last, and after being
ptcred up by a lifeboat aided in saving
D boatload Of drowning persons from the
wreck. took up his story of the disaster
from the point at which the Empress Of
ireland. bound from Quebec for Liver
pool. had dropped her pilot Thursday
hight at Father Point, near which the
disaster occurred
I'VE then proceeded full speed" con-
11nued Capt Kendall. After passing
Rock Point gas buoy 1 sighted the steam
br Storstad, 1t then being clear.
The Storstad was then about one point
twelve degrees on my starboard bow. At
that time / saw a slight fog bank COM
ing gradually from the land and knew 1t
was going to pass between the Storstad
and myself. The Storstad was about two
miles away at that time. Then the fog
came and the Storstads lights disap-
peared. I rang full speed astern on my
engines and stopped my ship
''At the same time l blew three short
blasts on the steamers whistle meaning
I am going full speed astern,' The
Storstad answered with the whistle Civ
ing me one prolonged blast.
Saw Ship Was Stopped.
II then looked over the side of my ship
into the water and I saw my ship was
stopped. I stopped my engines and blew
two long blasts. meaning my ship was
underway but stopped and has no way
upon her He anwered me again with
one prolonged blast. The sound was then
about four points upon my starboard
bow.
1T was still foggy. ! looked out to
where the sound came from. About two
minutes afterward l saw his red and
green lights. He would then be about
one ships length away from me.
shouted to him through the megaphone to
go full speed astern, l saw the danger
of collision was inevitable at the same
time l put my engine full speed ahead
with my helm hard aport. with the object
of avoiding if possible the shock. AL
most at the same time he came right in
and cut me down in line between the
tunnels
speed ahead to fill the hole he had made
He then backed away. The ship began
to fill and listed over rapidly. When he
struck me | had stopped my engines.
then rang full speed ahead again. when
saw the danger was so great, with the
object of running her on shore to save
passengers and ship. Almost Immediately
the engines stopped. the ship filling and
going over all the time. starooard
Ship Sinks Quickly.
Il had in the meantime given orders
to get the lifeboats launched. I rushed
along the starboard side of the boat
deck and threw all the gripes out OF
Nos. 1. 8. 5 and boats: then I went
back to the bridge again. where ! saw
the chief officer rushing along to the
bridge. ! told him to tell the wireless
operator at once to send out distress sig
nails He told me that this had been
done. ] said: Get the boats out as quick
as possible That was the last | saw of
the chief officer. Then. in about three
to five minutes after that. the ship turned
over and foundered. l was shot into the
sea myself from the bridge and taken
down with the suction. The next thing
/ remember was seiZing a piece of graf.
ing. How long l was on 1t l do no,
know, but l heard some men shout from
a lifeboat: There is the captain, let US
save him.
Helped to Save Others.
They got to me and pulled me into
the boat The boat already had aboui
thirty people in it. did my best with
the people in the boat to assist in savinf
others. We pulled around and picked uy
twenty or twenty-five more In the boat
and also put about ten around the sid,
IN the water with ropes around theil
wrists. hanging on Seeing that We coult
not possibly save any more We pulled I,
the Storstad. which was then about
mile and half away. l then got al
these people put on board the Storstat
and then left her with six of the crew
&nd went back and tried to save more
When we got there everybody had gone
We searched around and could not Sc,
anybody alive. SO then We returned I,
the Storstad."
What was the cause Of the collision ?.
asked the coroner.
THE Storstad running into the En-
press. which was stopped" was tn,
answer.