The Detroit times., 1914-06-01

OF a wealthy wool manufacturer OF
this place
The collier Storstad. which
hurled a thousand souls into Watery
graves that terrible night, saved
mere handful OF lives among them
Mrs. Patton.
AS soon as Mrs Patton was landed
by the Storstad al Quebe. she was met
by her husband, her brother r. o
Grundy, and her l0-year-Old son An.
drew, and rushed by special train
back TO her home in Sherbrooke.
She had hardly recovered from the
shock and bruises ef hbF terrible eN
periences. but she received me new
ertheless in her bedroom and, propped
mp on pillows, told me her story OF
the wreck
Il was awakened by the blowing OF
the fog horn Mrs, Patton said; Ill
began 70 blow several minutes before
the impact and did not cease when
the collision came.
Il was not ia the least alarmed, as
i thought We had merely grounded
on some ice; but got up, put on
skirt and this blue negligee | am
wearing now, and stepped out on the
HtNN.~ ny OdoAh was Oh NAC upPSA
deck
There, people were running about
aud calling TO each other that there
had been an accident. but | felt that
Whatever had happened | would rath-
or be alone and quiet than part OF
that mass of already terrified human
beings
so | returned 10 my room, put on
my stockings and shoes and a fur
coat | sat there dressed as | was
for 10 minutes, then ! realized that
the vessel must have listed consider
ably, because the drawers suddenly
began 10 tumble out OF the dresser
and clatter onto the door. but my
lights were burning and sat there.
II was thinking about my little boy
and telling myself that il couldn't pos
sibly be true that would never see
him again
Well, ii was not true, said little
Andrew, who stood beside Mrs Pat.
on,s bed and now squared his shoul-
ders, probably as though defying the
elements 70 take his mother from
him
AS | was sitting there feeling very
numb and quiet. really drugged by
a narcotic sense OF inevitable fate,
the door OF my cabin was flung open
and a man cried out Come out at
once IL you expect to be saved
VIII | have time 70 save any
thing?' | asked.
Only your life he answered, and
clambering up seized two lifeDelts on
an upper berth aid fiinging them at
me disappeared
Beside my bed was this little pink
silk workbag with my needles and
thread and scissors in II, and an extra
pair OF glasses am helpless with
out my spectacles. | grabbed that
bag and rushed on deck.
The scene there was one OF indie
scribable horror The boat had list
ed so much that she was lying on
her side and the captains bridge was
almost in the water.
up the sharp incline plane OF the
tilted deck human beings crawled like
enormous ants and chung 10 the top
rail. every now and then some hand
clutching that rail would be loosened
from weakness or forced away by the
feverish grasp OF stronger hand con-
tending for the rail, and It's owner
would roll down towards the water
again. only TO start that cat-like crawl
back TO the rail
IL could not do that, SO ! just stood
waiting for whatever might Happen
and really not trying TO save myself
Il was stupehed with horror You
could not understand my feelings un-
less you had heard pounding In your
ears as | did wave upon wave OF in.
articulate human agony and despair.
There were no words, just terrible
groans and means. Not separate
sounds, but one unified tremendous
vail oh oh OH on as If some
dying giant was calling upon the gods
for help"
yet one thing | remember, it was
the sound OF mans heart breaking
as his wife's body disappeared over
the rail Oh, my darling" And all
that men have ever dreamed of life
and death went out in that cry.
During all the time stood on deck
saw no boat launched man hurled
against me breaking my spectacles.
AS more and more people crowded
around me | stepped on the captains
bridge, now flooded with water, and
saw that some men were just launch
ing small collapsible boat
II simply threw myself from the
bridge and landed in the boat AL
most the next moment ! turned TO
look al the Empress There was
loud explosion and she was gone
AS suddenly as a fish that leaps
into the sunlight and disappears In
one moment, everywhere, everybody
was nowhere.
There was hardly any suction.
The water was calm, treacherously
calm almost smiling
The men in the boat with me were
nearly all OF the grew ! think they
were not seamen because they
seemed not 70 know how TO handle
The boat NJ but stokers or some
thing like that.
Everyone IN the boat was tremb.
ling with emotion. You could feel
tense vibration not OF the water but
OF human nerves
A few people were swimming about
us and ! was able to pull one man
aboard
Then We made for the Storstad.
When We were alongside man I'm
the bow said. Ladies FIRST aud
though J am very stout woman and
thought l. could never do IL. climbed
up the side OF the ship like an aero
bat
All the women we're placed in one