The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson, S.C.) 1914-1917, 1914-06-19
EMPRESS STORY
IS TOLD AGAIN
STATEMENT AND CAPTAIN
kENDALL'S TESTIMONY
PLACING THE BLAME
Hearing in Disaster of St. Law
renee River Begun Before the
Royal Board Of Inquiry.
{By Associated Press,


Quebec. June 1G.--I;viIencc ampii-
Tying the known conditions in regaru
10 the disaster to the Empress of Ire
land at Father Point in the St. Law
renee. May 20. was brought out ut to-
dny'3 opening session OF the Dolnfn.
| ION investigating commission. Of which
| i.1r Mcrsey, OF tie British House of
Peers. is chairman
30 FAR the main arguments of Cap
tain Kendall. of the Empress, that he
was stationary when rammed by the
collier Storstad. and Of the owners of
the collier that the Empress piled her
SCH III front OF the Norwegian vessel,
which had the right OF way. were only
enpha1izcd.. Captain Kendall. was OH
Tie stand for several hours and gave :
straightforward account of the disast-
or. along the lines OF his testimony ut
the Rimouski inquest
New chapter illustrating the lor-
ror of the disaster were added by Cap
tain Kendall in his testimony. the
most startling being description OF
how Il sheet OF flame burst from Tho
Empress after she was rammed, the
prov Of the collier evidently pcnctrat-
Ing clear through to her boilers.
No agreement could be had from the
testimony today as To the whistles
blown b. the vessels. though Lord.
Mersey discovered, when examining
the Storstud's first officer. that he had
blown signal indicating that the col
lier was stopped md Immediately af-
tcrwards had given al order to go
ahead slowly.
Captain Kendall also acknowledged
that although he knew a collision wa.,
inevitable when the Storstad came ut
the Empress In the fog. It was not I'm
til after 1t had occurred that the or
der to close the war-tight compart-
inents was given by which time three
! compartments had been exposed TO
the sea.
Captain Kendall, of the Empress OF
Ireland, was the first witness called.
Kendall liInped to the witness stand,
still suffering from injuri lie ~
ceivcd In the disaster. Examination
of witnesses was preceded by the In
PRODUCTION of brief summaries of the
facts by counsel representing the own
ers Of the two vessels.
Counsel for the Storstad declared
that when she first sighted the En-
press the latten was off the Storstad's
port. Two minutes later. tho fog shut
down, tho Storstnd s,gnalled by whiss
tic that she was under, way and keep
ing her course, heading west by sOll:..
kendall', Story.
Captain Kendall testified that tho
| accident happened at 1:55 n. m.. six
and one half miles cast of Father
Point.
"Whilo the weather, was clear and
fine" continued tho captain. Il got
one bell saying something. way Un our
starboard bow. There were two mast
head lights then about Fix miles away
of our starboard bow. There was then
no fisk of collision ! still stood on
until Father Point was nbeam. that
altered the course to 70 magnetic. the
right course Tor an outward bound
vessel.
"The Storstad lights were then one
point OFF our starboard haw, and in
tended TO puss her on my ctarboard
| side There was then no risk Of danger.
The Storstad was SHOWING her star
board side and goiitg clear and pro-
+ taetlcd ON the course.
81 then noticed a big hank or mist.
coming off the south shore and the
Sto:wtad's lights getting misty. /
| stopped chip, ran full speed. astcrn,
reducing the ships headway and L
blew three short blasts, suddenly
lot the StOrRtad's lights and blew
II second three hlasts. The last lights
saw were the two masthead lights and
her green light about one point off
by sterboard bow The only thing
that would bring her into my course
was porting her helm. ran to stop
the engines. ~ y ss
~ heard y prolonged blast from
the other ship. In tho midst OF my
three blastc from about two points to
my starboard bow When the second
three were given heard another long
blast saying sfe was underway. This
was four points on tho starboard bow
When the Eecond three were given. !;
heard another long blast saying s.e
was underway. Thia was four points
on the starbonrd bow. This was st,i!
safe for passage. ystarboard to star
board
blew two blasts TO lot tho other
ship know had. stopped and in re-
turn got one long blast from hcr.
Then l give two. more, but 1 got no
reply. got three whistles, the third
OF which was about six points OF my
starbCard how. sSsss.ss' IS! !. 4 y. - az
i sighted his lfarwgr1 masthead and
green and red ltghts only, about. 100
feet away. She was bearing at right
angles to my course and going fast,
as foam n her bow showed Her
captain must haycsput his helm hard
eport." l'sr ~ ..I 4
|T.fSiii B0OzERs fi0NyICTEn :sa