Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1914-05-30
CONTINUED From Page ~
had made the life boats but we're fat

had made the life boats but were fat
ally hurt.
Wreckage strews the st. Lawrence
for a long distance near the spot
where the Empress sank. The sun
shone brightly during the forenoon.
Though the water Is still icy the tenn
perature today was not low enough to
increase the suffering of the survivors.
The vast majority of the saved were
members of the ships crew Early
estimates here indicated that not more
than sixty passengers were saved. Be-
sides Captain Kendall. the first and
second engineers and the ships sur
geon were rescued.
The captain was too overcome to
give at first any extended account OF
the disaster. He had sent wireless
to his line after the vessel was struck,
saying:
"Ship gone"
All Doctors on Hand.
The residents Of Rimouski, which
has 5000 population, came silently to
the dock where the dead and exhausted
living were being landed, and under
the direction OF the mayor. H. r. Fiset,
gave aid where ever possible. Every
doctor in the town was on the scene,
and many Of the injured were taken
to private homes.
When the rescue boats, Eureka and
Lady Evelyn, reached the point where
the Empress sank they found the sur
vivors tudd1ed in the life boats dazed
and moaning. some dying OF injuries
sustained in the crash or in the rush
CT leaving the sinking vessel. Few
could give anything but incoherent
accounts of what had happened
]. L. Black and wife Of Ottawa said
they jumped together into the river.
They were picked up by a boat from
the Lady Evelyn. Another survivor
was Mrs. Patten Of Sherbrodke, Que
bee.
Reports that the collier Storstad
had also sunk proved incorrect. Her
bow was badly damaged but she was
able to keep afloat. Some reports said
she had about $50 survivors. This,
If true. would reduce the death list
from more than a thousand to less
than 700. Among the survivors here
thirty-four were from the Empress
second cabin.
The Empress of Ireland was valued
at $2,OOO.000 and with her cargo. val
ued at $25O,O0o, was fully insured.
At low tide today the top Of her fun
nels could be seen. She is lying in the
channel. 1t is thought by navigators
that it may be possible to raise her.
At present the wreck is menace to
navigation.
Very few women and children were
saved. They were asleep in their
cabins when the ship sank and the &C
cident occurred SO quickly that they
could not be rescued.
One woman. who was CARRIED only III
vest, jumped overheard and swan to
the Lady Evelyn She was so exhaust
ed however, that she died few min
utes after she was taken from the
water. Her identity has not been es-
tablished. Bot hthe first and second
marconi operators Of the Empress
were saved. Edward Bomford, the
second operator, was coming on duty
wher, the boat began to sink. he
caught the Father Point Marconi sta
ton and called for assistance. BON.
ford was saved by falling into life
boat. The other operator, Ronald D..
Ferguson. had to swim for the boat.
Both operators came back to the Kim
ouski port on board the pilot boat
Eureka.
Passengers were loud in their praise
of the captain and the pilot OF the
Lady Evelyn and Captain Belanger OF
the Eureka and their crews.
All Of them displayed the greatest