Putnam patriot., 1914-06-05
FUNERAL SHIP
At QUEBEC
DISTRESSING SCENES ATTEND
IDENTIFICATION OF EMPRESS
OF IRELAND VICTIMS.
C0RPSES BADLY MUTILATED

Quebec, June According to cor
rected figures $50 is the death record of
the collision in the st. Lawrence
River. when the collier Storstad
rammed the liner Empress Of Ireland
Of the Canadian Pacific Steamship
Co. Survivors OF the catastrophe
number 403, very few women being
among them.
More than 300 bodies have been
taken from the river, but about $50
corpses are held in the hulk of the
Empress or are drifting with wreck
age along the Gaspe coast below
Father Point. Two steamships and
the British cruiser Essex are sweep
ing the river with searchlights, search
ing for the dead.
The official statement Of the Can
adam Pacific Railway containing the
list of the living and the lost was
given out and it is believed to be
fairly accurate. 1t is as follows:
Lost, 957; saved, 403; total 1850
Passengers lost, TAG; crew lost, 211.
2O2.
Already investigation is under way.
| The first steps were taken at
Rimoush when Coroner J. Pinaull OBJ
tanned a statement from Capt. Henry
George Kendall, the commander of
the lost liner.
The captain testified that the EN-
press was motionless in shifting
fog and that he warned the collier
Storstad with whistle, bell. megaphone
and voice 70 keep her distance. He
saw the collier lunging forward and
sent his own ship astern, but could
not avoid the Storstad's bow, which
struck the Empress amidships, and
pierced deeply.
The most interesting point In the
official account of the disaster was
Capt. Kendall's statement that he
pleaded with Storstad's commander
to keep full speed ahead, so as to
plug the great hole torn in the En-
press's side. But the collier backed
away Immediately and the river rush.
ed into the sundered ship. The rail-
road officials believe that the EN-
press could have been kept above
water for perhaps an hour, maybe
| more, II the Storstad had manoeuvred
with her victim
Capt Anderson OF the collier de-
clined to say anything about the col
lision except, Il did my best"
With the Norwegian flag flying 1T
half mast at her stern the collier Stor-
stad came into port under her own
steam. She was badly damaged about
the bows, but so far as could be seen
this did not extend to more than TWEEN
ty feet from the stern. She was low
In the water except at the bows where
she had evidently been hghtened.
That the impact with the Empress OF
Ireland had been great was evident
by the way the vessels stem was
twisted to port, the hawse hole COM
pletely smashed, plates cracked, riv-
cts twisted or missing, while the heavy
anchor had evidently been driven
back several feet into the bows.
In anticipation of the arrival of the
NOTWbRldu COlllSI. MI. w. pSOh
Walker register OF the Admiralty
court, was instructed by Messrs.
Meredith, MACPHERSON, Hague,
Shaughnessy, Holden and Howard,
solicitors for the Canadian Pacific
Railway to issue documents for the
seizure OF the Storstad for damages
by collision to the extent OF two mil
Hon dollars. This amount can be
further augmented. The warrant was
executed by Acting Deputy Sheriff w.
8. Marson The GOLFERS captain
made demur when the Official tried
to board her, but the latter succeed
cd The warrant was nailed 70 the
mast accompanied by writ OF sum
mons in rem. The vessel cannot now
be moved without the deposit Of bail.
which will be arranged.