Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1914-06-10
TOLDBY SURVIVORS,
Vivid Stories of Awful Dis
aster to Liner Empress
of Ireland.

are told by survivors of the disaster
that overlook the 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 companionway
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 both
could swim. Whirled about the water,
they finally were picked up by a boat
from the Storstad.
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 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 had a
premonition that something dreadful
was going to happen. I lay there
thinking Of it, and then / heard the
whistles going and the men running
on deck. That woke my husband up,
too. We saw that we we're 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 / thought we never
would see each other again. But we
were picked up by boats from the
same vessel"
5eIIboy 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
time, because when | reached there
the water was two feet deep and l
could hardly get through it. / know
two of the boys were drowned there.
l and another, Samuel Baker, we're the
only bellboys saved out of the dozen
on the vessel.
After / woke up the boys below
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. 1t was going very fast. One
of the tunnels toppled into the water
and almost fell on a lifeboat. When
the boat made a final lurch / Owed
into the water because l felt l could
get somewhere.
Saved by Captain Kendall.
when / 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 we're
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
op0,1oh o1Ofhoc for no 60 We tnOL ha O q
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 us
warm.
THE bulkheads were closed for
ward After l yelled to the boys to
close the bulkheads, l 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.
]. H. Price, ordinary seaman, who
was recently awarded a medal for gal
lantry for jumping into the water from
the Devonilan to save a Volturno pas
senger, told this story:
1--WE 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 / reached the break of the
deck under the bridge saw the Stor-
stad bearing down on our starboard
bow. l could see it's masthead lights
then, but neither of its side lights It's
course was somewhat across ours, and
l heard our bridge signal it to star
board it's help. He did the same with
our engines and stopped our head
way.
Then / saw the Storstad sheer away
and it's 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. l
should think it went into us by the
No. / forward stokehold and then