The Lancaster news. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1905-current, 1914-06-02
900 PERSONS PERISH
WHEN STEAMER SINKS
Canadian Pacific Liner Rammed
by Collier, StOrstad.
LARGE HOLE IN SIDE.

Steamer Goes Down Is Minutes
After Impact-Little Time for
women First"
Rimouski, Quebec, May 29.-Sink-
Ing in 80 feet OF water within Is min
utes after being rammed amidships
in the upper reaches of the st. Law
renee river early today, the Cana
dian Pacific liner Empress Of ireland
carried down with her more than 900
OF her passengers and crew. or the
1857 persons on board the liner,
only 432 are known to have been
saved, making the probable death list
934.
Looming up through the river
mists, as the Empress OF Ireland was
lying to, waiting for the fog to lift
or day to break. the Danish collier
Storstad crashed bow on into the
side of the big Canadian liner. strik-
ing her about midway of her length
and ripping her side open clear to
the stern.
CRASH NEAR SHORE.
The crash occurred not far from
the shore off Father Point. $50 miles
from Quebec, which the Empress Of
Ireland left yesterday afternoon
bound for Liverpool and 10 miles
from this point on the st. Lawrence.
In reality, therefore, although the
liner was heading for the sea and
the collier coming in from it. the dis
aster was not one OF the ocean but
of the river. Unlike the Titanic's
victims, the Empress of Ireland's
lost their lives within sight Of shore
in land-locked waters.
Immediately the ships crew recov-
cred from the shock Of the collision
and when it was seen that the liner
had received a vital blow a wireless
IS o. s." call was sounded.
HURRY TO RESCUE.
The hurried appeal was picked up
by the government mail tender LADY
Evelyn here and the government
pilot boat Eureka at Father Point.
and both set out to the rescue. So
deep was the hurt OF the Empress
however and so fast the thrush OF
waters. that long before either of the
rescue boats could reach the scene
the liner had gone down. Only float
ing wreckage and few lifeboats and
RATS from the steamer, buoying up
less than third OF those who had
set sail on her, were to be found
The rest had sunk with the liner
had been crushed to death in the
Storstad's impact with her, or had
been forced from exposure in the ice
chilled waters to loose their hold on
bits OF wreckage and had drowned
COLLIER DISABLED.
Only few persons we're picked up
by the Storstad. which was badly
crippled herself, and these were
brought here by the collier as were
those saved by the Eureka and the
Lady Evelyn. Twenty-Five of the
rescued died from injury or ex-
posure.
The others. most of whom had
jumped into the boats or plunged
into the water from the sinking liner
scantily clad. were given such cloth
ing as the town could supply, and
later those who could travel were
placed on board a train and started
for Quebec
Accounts agree that i'm the brief
space of time-not more than ID min
utes between the shock of the col
lision and the sinking of the liner
there was little chance for systematic
marshalling of the passengers. In
deed, everything indicates that hun
dreds of those on the steamer pro-
ably never reached the decks. Few
women were among the saved not
more than a dozen. the lists make it
appear.
NO CHANCE FOR WOMEN FIRST"
1T all happened so quickly we did
not really know what was going on
and nobody had time to cry Women
first, one OF the passengers told
Captain Bellinger OF the rescue boat
The stewards did not have time
TO rouse the people from their
Derths," the survivor added. Those