Mountain advocate., 1914-06-05
SURVIVORS
Vivid Stories Of Awful Dis
aster to Liner Empress
of Ireland.

and vivid stories OF their experiences
are told BY survivors Of the disaster
that overlook the liner Empress OF
Ireland.
Mr.. and Mrs. Henry Freeman Of
Wisconsin at the Chateau Frontenac
told of their dash for safety after the
Empress was smashed by the collier.
Mr.. Freeman jumped from his berth,
and, selling a sweater, he threw II
around Mrs. Freeman. In the dark
they struggled up Che, companionway
and made their way to the port side,
where the unmanageable lifeboats
were.
The boat .keeled, and, determined to
die together, they jumped into the
water. They we're separated. but both
could swim. Whirled about the water.
they finally were picked up by boat
from the Storstad.
Woman Tells Of Rescue.
Following the sinking of the ship,
Mrs. Freeman said, I'VE we're both
dragged down. We became separated,
but we we're fair swimmers ana
thought we could help ourselves lit
tie bit. When we came up could not
see my husband and he could not
see me.
Just before the collision ! had
premonition that something dreadful
was going to happen. | lay there
thinking of It, and then heard the
whistles going and the men running
on deck. That woke my husband up,
too. We saw that we we're going TO
be swept of the liner and we locked
arms and Jumped into the black cold
water just before the boat turned.
"When felt my husbands hands
torn from mine | thought we never
would see each other again. But we
were picked up by boats from the
came vessel"
eeIlboy Tells Vivid Story.
Charles Spencer. a bellboy on the
Empress Of Ireland, told of the man
ner in which Captain Kendall saved
him. Still hysterical from the suffer
ing he endured, he cried as he told
OF his experience.
when the crash came | ran down
70 the steerage to wake up the boys
there and get them to go to the bulk
heads and turn them. They are closed
by hand wheels did not have much
time, because when | reached there
che water was two feet deep and
could hardly get through It. | know
~ A
4 and another. Samuel Baker, were the
only bellboys saved out OF the dozen
on the vessel.
After I woke up the boys below
ran up to boat deck where men were
trying to put the lifeboats overheard
The Empress had a list to starboart
and the top deck was down to the
water. II was going very fast. One
of the tunnels toppled into the watel
and almost fell on lifeboat. Wher
the boat made a final lurch ! divet
into the water because | felt coul'
get somewhere.
Saved by Captain Kendall.
When | came up Capt. Kendall wal
near me. He caught hold OF me ant
helped me along. Harry Baker wal
near US and the captain took him, too
He helped US along. We were in tn,
water about 20 minutes, when we wer'
picked up and taken to the coal boat
We were not far away when the por
side blew out.
They took care of us when the.
put In at Rimouski. They did not hav
enou gh clothes for us, so we took bag
and cut holes in them for our arm
and legs. They gave us all kinds o
socks and old slippers and old shoe
that could not be matched, but W
were glad to get anything to keep u
warm.
The bulkheads were closed fol
ward. After l yelled to the boys I
close the bulkheads, l saw Harr
Baker and Charley Turnstall, two @
my chums. standing by and closin
the doors. They were both lost as the
never got on deck"
volturno Hero Among Saved.
J. II. Price, ordinary seaman. VIII
was recently awarded a medal for ga
lantry for jumping into the water froI
the Devonilan to save a Volturno pal
Benger, told this story:
I'VE had just put the pilot on !
his boat. He had climbed down tn
starboard gangway into his tender an
I had Just got the sea ladder ready fo
carrying forward for stowage.
AS reached the break OF tn
deck under the bridge l saw the Sto
stad bearing down on our starboar
bow. could see its masthead light
then. but neither OF its side lights. II
course was somewhat across ours, an
heard our bridge signal 1t to sta
board its help. He did the same wit
our engines and stopped our hea'
way.
Then saw the Storstad sheer aws
and it's starboard light showed. b.
Il kept coming on. and II was cles
It was going to hit us. It struck U
Just about the starboard gangway.
ia 49,.