The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-05-31
BLAMES COLLIER
FORFATAL CRASH
Captain of the Empress Of Ireland
Tells How He Tried 60
Avoid Collision.
TESTlFIES BEFORE CORONER
Storstad, Despite Signals, Kept
on Through Fog and Rarnmed
Motionless Steamer.
TEsTlFIES BEFORE CORONER

ing that i03 of her passengers ana
crew had been rescued and o64 had per-
ished. Captain Henry George Kendall.
of the liner. was telling his story OF tho
disaster at an inquiry conducted by
Coroner PinauIt here.
Captain Kendall, in substance Do
clarod hc had taken all possible pro-
cautions against collision. His ship
had been stopped and he gave the re-
qulsite signal when the Danish col
Her Storstad. which sank the Empress.
was two miles away. but the collier
had kept on through the fog that set
tied down soon after the two vessels
sighted each other. and had rammcd
tho Empress OF Ireland while the lat
ter virtually was motionless Then.
despite his plea to the master OF the
collier that he run his engines full
speed ahead to keep the hole In tho
liners side plugged. with the Stor-
stad's bow. said Captain Kendall. the
Danish vessel backed away, tho water
rushed in. andtho Empress sank.
Captain Kendall took up his story
OF tho disaster from the point at which
the Empress of Ireland. bound from
Quebec for Liverpool. had dropped her
pilot Thursday night at Father Point.
STORST.AD Is SIGHTED
ABOUT TWO MILES AWAY
1--WE then proceeded full speed" con-
timed Captain Kendall. after passing
Rock Point gas buoy. l sighted the
bl
Tho Storstad was about one point,
twelve degrees on my starboard bow.
] saw slight fog bank coming grad
ually from the land and knew 1t would
pass between tho Storstad and myself
The Storstad was then about two miles
away. Then tho fog camo and the
Storstad's lights disappeared. ! stopped
my ship"
At tho same timo Captain Kendall
said he blew three short blasts on his
whistle, meaning II Am going full
speed astern." Captain Kendall added
with ono long blast. Soon after. no
blew two long blasts on his whistle,
meaning my ship was under way. Dus
stopped. and has no way up on her.
This whistle signal was also answered
by the Storstad. Two minutes later.
the captuin said tho Storstnd star
hoard and port lights doomed out OF
the fog.
The Storstad was ships length
away. Captain Kendall said he shout
ed through his megaphone Mt the
Storstad to back water, and mt the
same time had his vessel go full speed
nh cad to try to avert n collision AZ
ter the Storstad's bow had cut into
the Empress Of ireland between her
tunnels, Captain Kendall asked the
Storstad to keep full speed ahead to MI
up tho hole he had made. but the
Storstad backed away. and the water
rushed in Captain Kendall then tried
to beach his vessel. Water. however.
put the engines out OF commission three
minutes after the collision.
WIRELESS OPERATOR
SENDS OUT SIGNALS
IT had. In tho meantime. given or
ders 10 get the lifeboats launched"
the captain continued. Il told tho
chief officer to tell tho wireless opera
tor to send out distress signals. He
told mo this had been done. l said:
Set the boats out IA quick as possible
That was the last / saw OF the chief
officer. In about three to tive minutes
after that the ship turned over and
foundered I was shot into the sea
myself. and taken down with the sue
ton. The next thing 1 remember was
SELLING n pieco OF grating. Some mon
pulled me into lifebont. which al
ready had about thirty people In It.
"We pulled around and picked up
twenty or twenty-five more and put
about ten passengers around tho side
In the water with ropes around their
waists. I got all on bonrd the Stor-
stad. and then left her with six OF tho
crew and went back When wo got
there erybody had gone"
What cnused the colllstonr ask ed
tho coroner.
The Storstad running into the EN-
Kendall. Captain Kendall said when
he shouted to tho Storstad's captain to
stand fast. he received no answer IT
was impossible for him not to have
heard. no added.
Il shouted nve times: I also shouted,
Keep ahead" said Captain Kendnll
and II no did not hear me- he should
have done II anyway. ms seaman
should have known that. 1t wac quite
still"
ENOUGH IITEBOATs TO SAVE
EVERYBODY ON STEAMER
"Ilow many boats were there on the
Emprcss?"
Between thirty and forty. There
Were boats FOR everybody Sho had
boats for 1000 people. There was no
panic among the passengers or crew.
About four boats were launched AS
the ship sank these boats nontcd away.
The people who wero saved were saved
by the Empress boats and tho wreck
age
THE storstnd. with three or four
boats pulled around. took people Off
the wreckage. We did not get many
l passed Il couple of his boats and he
only had three people in them"
James Rankin. n passenger from Van
| couver. B. c.. and n marine engineer
said: 81 was aroused by tho noise and
ran out. There was a big pitch to tho
deck. | cannot tell how tho accident
| occurred. j heard the whistle blow
when l reached tho deck. Five min
utes after the collision. n heavy fog
lifted Four or five boats got away
and saved many people.
II think that II the collier had kent
her bow in the hole she made In the
Ircland's side she would have been able
to make the shore and probably have
| saved every ono. Tho officers on the
Empress did everything they could. The
engineers remained below until they
could get no moro steam and the lights
went out"
TESTIMONY OF IsNGINEER
TAKEN AT HIS BEDsYDE
Chief Engineer Sampson was too i'll
to appear. His testimony was taken
| ut his bedside IT was In the engine
room until tho lights went out and
Continued On Fifth papnA