Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1914-06-18
EMPRESS CAPTAIN
GOES ON STAND

Quebec, June 1G.-Evidence simplifying
the known contentious in regard to the
cause Of the disaster to the Empress of
Ireland at Father Point in the st. Law
renee on May 20 was brought out at to-
days opening session of the investigating
commission of which Lord Mersey of the
British House of Peers is chairman.
So far the arguments of Captain
Kendall of the Empress that he was
stationary when rammed by the col
Her Storstad inc of the owners of the
collier that the Empress placed herself
In front of the Norwegian vessel,
which had the right ofway, were only
emphasized. Captain Kendall was on
the stand for several hours and gave
a straightforward account of the dis
aster along the lines of his testimony
at the Rimouski inquest.
Questioned by Lord Mersey as to why
he stopped his ship when he had turned
his green light to that OF the Storstad,
in conformity with navigation rules, he
claimed he took the step as a safeguard
ing measure owing to the fog. He could
not be induced by the lawyer for the Stor-
stad, c. S. Haight, Of New York, to admit
that his boat could have drifted in front
of the Storstad, unless the collier had
changer her course after the fog hid her
from him, which was the case, in his opin-
ion.
That the collier had not changed her
course after first sighting the Empress,
though ahortive attempts had been made
to port her helm after She had been
slowed down, and that the Empress was
crossing her bows, We're the principal
paints in the tetimony Of Alfred
Tuftenes, first officer of the Storstad,
who was examined during the afternoon.
Mr.. Haight supplemented the evi.
dence Of Tuftenes. at the request OF
Lord Mersey. by giving as his explain
alton of the disaster a belief that tn,
big liner thought she could cross tn,
bows of the s~low-going collier anc
that her helm was ordered ported b,
one officer and starboarded by an
other, suggesting a confusion of or
ders that Captain Kendall indignant,
r%epudiated.
New chapters Illustrating the horro
of the disaster were added by Captain
Kendall in his testimony, the mos
, startling being his description of how
n sheet of flame burst from the En-
press after she was rammed, the prov
Of the collier evidently penetrating
clear through to her boilers. The frs
authentic account was also given o
n distressing scene enacted when Cap
tain Kendall on the verge of a col
=, lapse, met Captain Andersen of tn
collier. when the former reached tn
I Storstad. Apparently, until Captain
Kendall was taken away insensible, h
, vehemently argued hat the collier ha'
2 rammed him at full speed. while Cap
tain Andersen contended that the lin
= er was at fault.
No agreement could be obtained fror
the testimony of the two witnesses hear
, to-day as to the whistles blown by tn
vessels, though Lord Mersey discovere
. when examining the Storstad's first Off
Ger that he had blown a signal indicat
ing that the collier was stopped and ha
Immediately afterwards given an orde
n to go slow ahead.
Y Captain Kendall also acknowledged tina
8 although he knew a collision to be ir
evitable when the Storstad came at tn
s Empress In the fog it was not until afte
1t had occurred that the order to clos
=: the water tight bulkheads was given, b
t which time three compartments had bee
exposed to the sea.
& George j. Gibson, who represented tn
sailors and firemen, suggested to tn
court that there We're not sufficient abb
seamen on the liner,
He claimed there were only Is in a
and that this was not enough to take car
= of the 43 boats which were on the We,
sci. Lord Mersey turned to Capital
e Kendall and questioned him on this poin
The captain declared the boats We're go
Is ten out quickly and that they We're M
short handed.