American Falls press. [volume] (American Falls, Idaho) 1907-1937, 1914-06-04
CANADIAN LINER
SUNK BY COLLIER
PASSENGERS DROWNED IN SIGHT
OF SHORE WITHOUT HAVING
A CHANCE TO ESCAPE.
OF . Total Of 1897 Persons on Board
But 433 Were Saved, Many OF
Those Rescued Suffering Fright
fuI injuries.

Rimouski. Quebec.-Of a total OF l.
ss7 persons on board the Canadian
Pacific liner Empress OF Ireland when
she sailed May 2S from Quebec for
Liverpool, 954 we're lost when the lin
er was ramed by the Danish collier
Storstad and sank on Father Point In
the 81. Lawrence river before day
light May 20.
OF the ~eighty-seven first-class
passengers. the late figures show
twenty-nine to have been saved. OF
the 1853 in the second cabin, twenty.
mine we're rescued OF the tbs third
class passengers there are 1e1 sur
vlyors, while 237 OF the crew Of 1872
were brought ashore.
These figures account for the 396
survivors landed here n taken by
train to Quebec. where they, arrived
Friday night. There remained here
thirty-seven rescued passengers, un-
classified. excepting the 433 known
survivors.
81 deep was the cash In the strick-
en- liners side inflicted by the sharp
prov OF the heavy laden collier and
40 fast was the thrush OF the sea. that
although the first rescue steamer
reached the scene within twenty min.
utes after the meeting OF the two yes
sells the liner already had gone
down.
The wireless could hardly have
worked to better effect OF the re-
sponse been prompter. Yet within
sight Of shore. In ~land-locked waters.
with help close at hand, nearly 1000
persons lost their lives when fog OBJ
scured the vision OF the river naviga-
tors and the vessels. one virtually at
a standstln as a measure OF precau-
ton. and the other. from all accounts,
moving at not more than moderate
speed. crashed together.
Investigation OF the cause OF the
disaster is to be started promptly.
The story OF the Storstad. which. af'
der picking up a few Of the survivors
and landing them here, resumed with
crumpled bow her way up the river,
has not been told. From the evidence
of officers on the Empress. however,
the liner had come to a halt in the fog
and was blowing her whistle as a
warning of her presence.
The fate OF the smartly equipped
and speedy liner. the queen of her
fleet. seems TO have been fastened by
the ~unintentional withdrawal OF the
1t.w.4u4fn l,nf V.Ar. H.. zach che
had inflicted In the passenger vessels
side. AS the waters rushed In the
liner quickly inclined sldewise 1T a
sharp angle. the sea enveloped the
boilers and an explosion followed that
ripped apart still further the vessels
sides and sealed her doom.
Passengers who had crowded tn,
upper works. hoping for rescue. were
blown into the water, many beeing la
stantly killed. Others who had Is
capped death or injury IN the splinter
ing OF wood and smashing Of steel
met their fate below decks. withou
a chance for their lives, Most Of tn
passengers were asleep when the cras
came. When the warning was sounl
ed many could not realize that dan
ger was present. with the steamer sti
Ia river waters. the surface calm an
the shore near at hand.
Some turned over In their berth.
survivors stories indicate. and starto
20 20 10 sleep again. But soon th
sudden listing OF the steamer a-ou
on them. too late even to get out {
their staterooms. much less to gal
the decks and reach the lifeholts.
when the survivors were brougl
sshnre here by the rescue cran-th
Eureka and the Lady Evelyn, bot
government yessels-the town opene
It's arms 10 receive and succor then
The French Canadians literally turn,
their homes inside out TO give ever
possible aid TO the ~scantily clad rer
nant OF the liners human cargo.
Captain Kendall OF the ill-fats
steamer stod on his bridge as n
ship vent down. One OF the boa
from the liner picked him up al
be directed It's work OF saving othe
until the craft was loaded. The ca
tain was injured In the crash and 81
fered from exposure. but his spee'
recovery - expected.
Three Brothers Meet Tragic Deaf
Chicago-Hugh and August c. Bee
er. brothers. were ~electroeuted as tn.
stepped from a florists. where IN
a. a. g.