The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1914-06-05
ST0RSTAD SEIZED AT
MONTREAL FOR SINKING
EMPRESS OF IRELAND
Funeral Ship Reaches Quebec and Distressing
Scenes Attend Identification of Victims
C0RPSES so BATTERED
FEW Are RECOGNIZED

regularly together, had bodies OF ba-
bies. All had just arrived from RI
mousk.
Ranged along the shed, conspicuous
in the Louise Basin in the ST. Law
renee River because IL was draped
with black and the British flag, were
the scarlet coated marines from the
British cruiser Essex, acting as
guard of honor. Blue coated Quebec
policemen moved to and fro, while
Canadian Government officials stood
ready to give sympathy and help.
At the heads of those forty rows OF
coffins stood lines OF men and women,
many Of them survivors, looking for
relatives and friends. Each coffin lid
was lifted by one OF the searchers
while others crowded close to get a
glimpse at the body inside. The line
moved constantly. One lid would be
dropped with a low toned mo" and
the searcher would raise the lid OF
the next coffin, just dropped by the
person ahead.
Suddenly a low moan OF man or
the muffled scream OF a woman broke
the silence. "Oh, Mary!" my hus-
band!" or some name of endearment
was uttered.
A stalwart man bent forward and
kissed the gashed forehead OF his wife.
1t Is remarkable how many heads
were cut or bruised. A woman would
fall fainting on the lid OF the coffin
she had just raised. Thus II went
on all day long until forty-eight bo-
dies were identified.
A man would find the bodies OF his
wife and children. A woman would
identify the body OF her husband. In
the hunt for bodies OF the victims
there was no distinction OF class. Ev-
cry person, whether finely dressed or
roughly clad, took his turn in the line
that moved constantly from coffin to
coffin. The great majority OF persons,
however, were disappointed in their
search.
Lost His Entire Family.
At times a frantic man would hurry
from coffin to coffin looking over the
shoulders OF persons near 1t and try
ing to satisfy himself by quick
glance that the body was not that OF
the loved one-most of the bodies
were so marred that quick identified
tion was impossible-and then dash
to the next. The most pathetic Is the
experience OF c. w. Cullen, a candy
merchant of Montreal, who had sent
his wife, two children and maid,
Jennie Blythe. on the Empress of Ire
land for a summer trip to England
The maid alone survived.
A glance at the bodies taken In
walk along the line revealed the story
Of the collision and the incidents fol-
lowing. Almost all bore marks OF vio-
| lence inflicted by contact with parts
Of the wrecked ship or in struggles in
| the water. There were bodies OF wo.
men whose heads were split open or
gashed. II is possible that women
running from their staterooms in the
| darkness following the collision ran
against stanchions or were hurled
against the walls OF the sides OF the
corridors. The wounds also indicated
that some OF the women had been
crushed when the collier buried her
steel nose in the side OF the Empress.
officials in Rimouski have said also
that the bodies OF the women showed
that several OF them had been stab
bed, that bodies OF men had been
found with knives In their hands. AT
any rate. 1t was apparent by a glance
at the shrouds that had been placed
on the bodies OF both men and women
that there were other wounds not dis
closed on the faces.
In addition TO the 1SS bodies re-
ceived here twenty-one had been iden
tinsd at Rimouski and shipped to the
homes OF relatives. That makes 209
most 1000 victims II the Empress is
raised many other bodies trapped In
their staterooms will be obtained. but
the question as to whether the shiI
will be llfted-it seems impossible
that Il will not he raised-has no.
been decided In the stress OF circum
stances following the catastrophe.
Few Likely to BE Identified.
The bodies which are not identified
here viii be embalmed and kept for
few DAYS longer. Then they Will b.
photographed by representatives o
the Canadian Pacific and buried II
graves marked unknown"
The prospects are that few more vii
-