The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-05-30

been asleep awoke too late to scramble
TO the decks. They were crushed or
mangled by the bow Of the Storsdad,
injured by splintered tlmbers or over.
whelmed in the terrific rush of water.
1t Is probable that scores were killed
instantly, but hundreds perished while
feebly struggling for doorways, while
trying for footing on sloping decks
The terror and confusion OF the few
minutes while the Empress staggered,
listed and sank can hardly be put In
words. The survivors themselves could
not describe those minutes Adequately.
They came ashore at Rimouski stunned
mentally as well as physically.
The proportion Of the crew saved
far outnumbered the proportion of pas
sengers rescued. That Is explained.
however. by the statement that an I'm.
usual number Of the officers and crew
were on duty when the collision oc-
CURED and that it was impossible for
them, In the brief time they had, to
arouse and save the passengers. Very
few OF the seventy-seven in the first
cabin were alive when the little relief
steamships the Eureka and the Lady
Evelyn found a wreckage strewn river
and nine overcrowded lifeboats. Only
handful from the BOG in the second
cabin managed to get into the llfeboats
or be picked up by the relief steamers
and the Storsdad. The loss Of life
among the 5O4 third class passengers
was very heavy.
The s = call was licked out by
Edward BOmford, the Junior wireless
operator. Bomford had Just come on
duty to relieve his friend Ronald Fer
gusson when the Storsdad rammed the
Empress. Both young men were thrown
to the deck. They heard as they
picked themselves up the chorus Of the
disaster, the cries, groans and screams
Of injured and drowning passengers.
An officer came running to the wire
less house with orders from Capt. Ken
dali, but BOmford at the key did not
have to walt for orders. lie began to
call the Marconi station at Father
Point, very near by as wireless com
municatiOn goes. and kept at It des-
perately until he had the ear of the
Father Point operator. Then young
Bomford tuned his wireless to search
the news Of the Empress's fate for 200
miles oceanward. Many steamers picked
up the call. hut they were hours away.
They started for the position given, but
long before they had made any progress
the Empress and the greater part of her
ships company were under seventeen
| fathoms Of wator.
Survivors Unable to Talk.
The details of the quarter Of an hour
while the Empress was sinking and of
the hours wait the survivors had to
endure while they sat half naked and
terrified waiting for help cannot be told
adequately until tomorrow. There Is
hardly man or woman who came
ashore who Is able to express what he
or she went through. One thing that
was particularly dreadful was the help
! lessneSS or the women ana cniiuren
Trapped as they were in their berths,
many of them imprisoned in staterooms
whose doors had jammed. many more
unable to climb to the decks, they were
overwhelmed by the terrific rush Of
water. Hardly more than a dozen
women Of the scores that took passage
on the Empress were alive after the
ship had sunk. There were many chill
dren. some Of them babies In arms.
among the passengers. A few Of these
were saved because OF the courage and
unselfshness Of men who risked their
own lives for the sake Of childs, but
most died.
Bomford and Ferguson of the wire
less, J. w. Longley. "a British Columbia
rancher. and several Of the Salvation
Army officers who were brought TO
Rimouski did what they could to make
clear the story Of the collision and sink