Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1914-06-10
T1I'OILDBI||Yi'.S'ii'UIj|RViIIVI'Ol'|R||I;S
Vivid Stories Of Awful Dis.
aster to Liner :! Empress
:.. Z. s Of Ireland. y

s.t.,: y EsEE,5&-2 he - Is -. ~.
Montreal, Que., June 1.--Excitint
and vivid stories Of their experiences
are told by survivors OF the disaster
that overlook the liner Empress O
Ireland. 1879 a., y; 4 M,
Mr.; and Mrs. Henry Freeman O.
J. Wisconsin at the Chateau Frontenat
. told OF their dash for safety after thu
Empress was smashed by the collier
3 Mr.. Freeman jumped from his berth
and, Selling a sweater, he threw Il
around Mrs. Freeman, In the darl
they struggled up the companionwa,
and made their way to the port side
where the ..unmanageable lifeboati
were. 4 = 7 -; - slss /
The boat keeled, and, determined t.
die together, they jumped into the
water. They we're separated, but botf
could swim. Whirled about the water
they finally were picked up by boa
from the Storstad. % 5.. ~, VI.
Woman Tells Of Rescue. .,...@
Following the sinking OF the ship
Mrs. Freeman said, I'VE were both
dragged down. We became separated
but we were fair swimmers anC
thought we could help ourselves q lit
tie bit. When we came up could not
see my husband and he could MOI
see me. Il ~. .$ 5=A s.sg ) 4 \ !, !: .lt,.
Gust before the collision had 8
premonition that something dreadful
was going to happen. lay there
thinking of it, and then I 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 OF the liner and we locked
arms and jumped into the black cold
water just before the boat turned.
Z when / felt my husbands hands
torn from mine thought we never
would see each other again. But we
we're picked up by. boats from the
same vessel" NJ, ,s.s; .s;8 5s-s Z:
eeiiboy Tells Vivid story. = :. +
Charles Spencer. a 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. 1 ".
when the crash came Iran down
to the steerage to wake up the boys
there and get them to 60 to the bulk.
heads and turn them. They are closed
by hand wheels: did not have much
time, because when Preached there
the water was two feet deep and
could hardly get through 1t. I know
two OF the boys were drowned there.
I and another, Samuel Baker, were the
only bellboys saved out Of the dozen
on the vessel. b :;s tls
After Invoke up the boys below
ran up to boat deck where men were
trying to. put the lifeboats overheard.
The Empress had a 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 Anal lurch l dived
into the water because / felt could
get somewhere. Va EN- :..4,si1,s
B Saved BY Captain Kendall.
When came up Capt. Kendall was
near. me. Hescaught ! 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 III y.s 8 ,.5 t =
They. took care Of us when they
put in at Rimouski. They did not have
enough clothes for us, 50 we took bags
and cut holes in them for our arms
and legs. They gave US all kinds OF
socks and old slippers and old shoes
that could not be matched, but we
were glad to- get anything to keep u
warm. Il <s II. h 4 l5@ IS 25 +. ~
B "''The bulkheads were closed for
ward After&I yelled to the boys to
close the bulkheads. Il saw Harry
Baker and Charley Turnstall, two Of
my chums, standing by and closing
the doors. They were both lost rs they
never got on deck." 1ss& !,
volturno Hero Among Saved.
~. H. Price, ordinary seaman, who
was recently awarded . medal for gal
lantry for jumping into the water from
the Devonilan to save q Volturno pas
senger, told this story:
had just put the pilot on In
his boat. He had climbed down the
starboard gangway into his tender and
I had just got the sea ladder ready for
carrying forward for stowage.
AS I reached the break OF the
deck under! the bridge l saw the Stor-
stad bearing down on our starboard
bow. II could see its masthead lights
then, but neither of its side lights. Its
course was somewhat across ours, and
i heard our bridge signal 1t to star
board its help. He did the same with
our engines and stopped our head
way. e /; X. 4 .s
Then saw the Storstad sheer away
and Its starboard light showed. But
1t kept coming on. and 1t was clear
1t was going to hit us. It struck up
just about the starboard gangway. I
should think it went into us by the
No. / forward stokehold and then
ripped aft in the engine room.
''As the crash came Itheard 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
I think thatsreally 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.
Sing God Be With You" on Ship
sa Montroov Ono Nav 2O-wha,, ~.