South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1914-05-30
Struck by Collier Storstad Which Backs Away
Allowing Water to Pour Into Hole In Side
of Ship-Many In Berths go Down to
Their Death. 1916 are Saved

QUEBEC. May 30.-A train with 396
survivors OF the lost Canadian Pacific
steamship Empress of Ireland arrived
here from Rimoush shortly before
o'clock Friday night. Thirty-seven
wounded were left at Rimouski.
These are all that live Of the 1876
who sailed out of Montreal Thursday
afternoon bound for Liverpool on the
queen vessel Of a famous fleet-sailed
put OF a sunlit harbor into the fog off
Father Point where the ripping PROV
Of the collier StOrstad struck the death
blow In the dark.
The lost number 943.
OF the living, 237 are members of
The crew.
OF the living only 20 are women;
TWO are children
Thus the story of the most terrible
disaster IN the history OF Canadian
navigation is written more grimly.
more vtvidly in hard figures than it
could ever be IN words
How the hundreds OF strong men of
The crew escaped while the hundreds
Of weak women and children persisted,
only the imagination can fathOm now.
Not even the survivors can fully
picture the 14-minutO death thrOe OF
he r!ven ship-the passengers waken-
I'd in the dead Of night either TO be
crushed by the invading prov of the
5tOrStad, drowned in the rush of wa
tiers or TO drag themselves TO the list
Ing deck where panic reigned, where
shrteks OF terror and of pain made an
Inferno under the shrouding mist.
The battle that surged about the life
boats that had not been shattered in
The crash, the cruel triumph Of the
strong over the weak-let the hard
figures tell 1t. They alone can.
StorStad Backs Out.
One Of the matters on which the
rescued agree Is that Captain Ander
son OF the StOrstad backed his vessel
PIT OF the grave she had dug into the
her own pent prov despite the shout
I'd pleas OF Captain Kendall that he
hold fast to the wreck.
As the collier backed away the
water rush listed the Empress so that
all her life boats on the port side
were put out of commission.
The Storstad, moreover, having no
mortal damage and plying in a river
that was ruffled only by the strewn
forms OF the drowning, the wounded
and the dead. picked up but a few Of
those who We're taken to the hospital
Others Rush to Rescue.
IL was the government mail
steamer Lady Evelyn and the pilot
boat Eureka which had 10 run all
the way from Father Point that did
the big work Of rescue.
A strict investigation is TO be i'm
mediately begun.
There was no time" That is the
phrase used by every survivor in try
Ing to tel something OF what happen
ed. There was no time TO rouse the
people; no time TO cry Women and
children first"
Fourteen minutes was the time be-
tween the crash and the sinking. In
that time there were life boats 10
launch panic to contend with. In
that time the wireless must flash its
calls for help.
The IS o. s picked up by many
ships near and far brought response
too late to save even third OF the
human cargo.
Captain Kendall one OF the most
able and trusted shippers Of the line
q man who had captured DR.. Crippen.
the murderer, and had served for
many years without a mishap at sea
stood on the bridge during those Il
minutes-aEd after.
Goes Down With ship.
He went down with the ship, but
was dragged aboard a life boat as he
chung 10 a piece OF wreckage. He was
still cool enough 10 take command OF
the little rescue craft But after
wards he collapsed from injuries and
exposure
The survivors have no blame for
him. His vessel was hove 10 as a pre-
caution against collision in the fog.
She had lain practically still early in
the night. Her passengers slept peace
fully under the slow sway Of road
stead waters. Only the watch and the
captain were on deck.
Some say that the giant collier.
her battering power doubled by 1000
tons or coal in her hold came out Of
the mist at full speed-Camc silent
came with only her pinnacle lights
agleam. The men OF the Storstad say
she moved slowly with sirens shriekins
and all lights Ht
Certain IL Isl that the impact was
fearful The steel prov Glove more