The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1914-06-05
TOLD BY SURVIVORS
Vivid Stories of Awful Dis
aster to Liner. Empress
of Ireland.

Mr.. and Mrs. Henry Freeman OF
Wisconsin at the Chateau Frontenac
told of their dash for safety after the
Empress was smashed by the collier.
Mr.. Freeman jumped from his berth,
and, selling a sweater. he threw II
around Mrs. Freeman. In the dark
they struggled up the companlonway
and made their way to the port side'
where the unmanageable hfeboats
were.
The boat keeled, and, determined TO
die together, they jumped into the
water. They were separated, but potn
could swim. Whirled about the water
they finally were picked up by boat
from the Storstad.
Woman Tells of Rescue.
Following the sinking of the ship,
Mrs. Freeman said, I'VE were Doth
dragged down. We became separated,
but we were fair swimmers and
thought we could help ourselves lit
tie bit. When we came up / could not
see my husband and he could not
see me.
Just before the collision I had
premonition that, something dreadful
was going to happen. l lay there
thinking of 1t, and then heard the
whistles going and the men running
on deck That woke my husband up,
too. We saw that we were going to
be swept off the liner and we locked
arms and jumped into the black cold
water just before the boat turned.
when l felt my husbands hands
torn from mine I thought we never
would see each other again. But we
were picked up by boats from the
same vessel"
BeIlboy Tells Vivid Story.
Charles Spencer, bellboy on the
Empress of Ireland, told Of the man.
ner in which Captain Kendall saved
him. Still hysterical from the suffer
ing he endured. he cried as he told
of his experience.
when the crash came I ran down
to the steerage to wake up the boys
there and get them to go to the bulk
heads and turn them. They are closed
by hand wheels. did not have much
the water was two feet deep and /
could hardly get through it. I know
two Of the boys were drowned there.
and another, Samuel Baker, were the
only bellboys saved out Of the dozen
on the vessel.
II hn hn1 L
ran up to boat deck where men were
trying to put the lifeboats overheard.
The Empress had list to starboard
and the top deck was down to the
water. It was going very fast. One
of the tunnels toppled into the water
and almost fell on lifeboat. When
the boat made a final lurch dived
into the water because felt could
get somewhere.
Saved by Captain Kendall.
When l came up Capt. Kendall was
near me. He caught hold of me and
helped me along. Harry Baker was
near US and the captain took him, too.
He helped us along. We were in the
water about 20 minutes, when we were
picked up and taken to the coal boat
We were not far away when the port
side blew out.
They took care of us when they
put in at Rimouski. They did not have
enough clothes for us, so we took bags
and cut holes In them for our arms
and legs. They gave us all kinds of
old c1i nd nj oh
that could not be matched, but we
were glad to get anything to keep us
warm.
THE bulkheads were closed for
ward. After l yelled to the boys to
close the bulkheads, saw Harry
Baker and Charley Turnstall, two of
my chums, standing by and closing
the doors. They were both lost as they
never got on deck"
volturno Hero Among Saved.
J. H. Price, ordinary seaman, who
was recently awarded medal for gal
lantry for jumping into the water from
the Devonilan to save Volturno pas
senger, told this story:
I'VE had just put the pilot off in
his boat. He had climbed down the
starboard gangway into his tender and
had just got the sea ladder ready for
carrying forward for stowage
las l reached the break Of the
deck under the bridge saw the Stor-
stad bearing down on our starboard
bow. i could see its masthead lights
then, but neither of it's side lights. It's
course was somewhat across ours, and
| heard our bridge signal it to star
board its help. He did the same with
our engines and stopped our head
way.
Then saw the Storstad sheer away
and its starboard light showed. But
it kept coming on. and it was clear
it was going to hit us. 1t struck up
just about the starboard gangway. |
should think it went into us by the
No. l forward stokehold and then
ripped aft in the engine room.
''As the crash came / heard an or.
der from the bridge, all hands L
dropped the sea ladder and ran up
to the bridge to clear the emergency
boat, which swung overheard ready
for lowering. That was the only boat
think that really got launched from
the Empress If Ireland and there was
no one there to get into it.
Hard to Stick to Ship.
The ship was listing away over.
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Sing "God Be With YOU" on Ship