The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1914-06-03
CRIES, STIFLED
ASjSR|P SINKS
Darkness Hides Scenes Of An
guiSh Aboard Vessel
CRASAPU OUT LINERS LIGHTS

Survivors Tell Of Their Experiences
and Their Good Fortune In Being
Saved-SeveraI Jumped Overheard.
Suffering dreadfully from their ex-
periences there is hardly a man or
woman who was saved from the En-.
press of Ireland who can give lucid
account Of what occurred on the i'll
! fated steamer between the time of
the delivery of the death blow by the
Storstad and the final submersion of
the ship.
That quarter of an hour was ter
rible one and the hours wait for help
by the half naked survivors was hard
to endure. Although the survivors
are unable to detail what they went
through they say the helplessness OF
the women and children after the
crash came was particularly terrible.
Hardly more than dozen women of
the scores that took passage on the
Empress were alive after the ship had
sunk. There were many children,
some of them babies in arms, among
the passengers. A few of these were
saved because of the courage of men
who risked their own lives for the
sake of a child's but most died.
The few survivors who could tell
of their experiences agree pretty ac
curately that nearly everybody save
officers and members of the crew were
asleep at few minutes before 2
o'clock.
There was a terrific shock as the
Storstad hurled her ponderous weight
against the Empress-a shock that
threw passengers from their berths.
Then there was long, grinding,
rending crash as the Storstad's bow
cut deep into the liners vitals.
Instantly, it seemed to those who
told tie story, there was a nightmare
of sounds, cries of fear and agony
that was too awful. All lights went
out at the first crash. More than
1,400 persons were fighting for life in
the black darkness. Those who man.
aged to find way to the top deck
saw scores leap into the sea. Pas
sengers who could not get to the few
lifeboats in time seized chairs, any
thing loose they could find and leaped
into the river. Very many persons
perished in the cold water while
clinging to bits of wreckage and pray.
ing for help.
Mr.. Longley, rancher Of British
Columbia, explained quietly that he
had made up his mind that he had to
die. The boats had gone. He could
find nothing that promised to support
him in the water. He made his way
to the rail of the ship and waited
until she sank. AS she went down
he held his breath, held 1t for an age,
it seemed to him, but finally he came
to the surface and luckily near life
boat. A sailor hauled him in.
w. Davis of Montreal said that he
and his wife were asleep and were
not awakened by the crash. They got
out Of their berths when the water
began to come in and were able 10
make their way to the boat deck. The
Empress was listing and it was i'm
possible for him and other men on
the top deck to get one of the boats
launched. They gave it up.
AS the Empress sank Davis put his
arm around his wife and told her not
to cling to him. They were sucked
into the whirlpool as the ship went
down and Mrs. Davis was wrenched
from his grasp. He kept his nerve
and swan to her, grasped her by the
hair and supported her and himself
upon piece of timber until they
were rescued. Mrs. Davis was uncon.
scious and near to death when help
got to them.
l.. E. Gossettin, a well known law
yer of Montreal, said that he was able
to get liferaft overheard and that
he clung to it with others until the
Lady Evelyn reached the scene. He
said he suffered terribly from the cold.
]. L. Black and his wife, who live
in Ottawa. jumped together before
the ship sank. They were awakened
by the crash, but they got on deck too
late to find places in lifeboat. They
declared they decided to jump and
take chances. Fortune was with them,
for it sent wreckage to Mr.. Blacks
hand and he kept his wife above water
until boat from the Evelyn reached
them.