New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-05-31
CAPTAINS STORY
BLAMES COLLIER
Charges Storstad Ran Into
Empress While Liner
Was MotionleSS.
EVERYTHING DONE
FOR PASSENGERS

Kendall Tells of Own Rescue and
Efforts to Save Lives In
His Care.
Rimouski, Quebec, May 30.-captain
Henry George Kendall of the Empress
OF Ireland told his story Of the disaster
to- day at an inquiry conducted by
Coroner Pinault here. He declared that
he had taken all possible precautions
against a collision.
His ship had been stopped. he main
tanned. and he gave the requisite Sig
nails when the Danish collier storstad
was still two miles away, but the collier
kept on through the fog which settieo
down soon after the two vessels signteo
each other. The Empress was strucH
while she was virtually motionless.
Then. despite his plea to the master
of the collier that he run his engines
full speed ahead to keep the hole IN the
liners side plugged with the Storstao ;
bow. said Captain Kendall, the Dah'sn
vessel backed away.
Captain Kendall took up his story OF
the disaster from the point at which
the Empress Of Ireland. bound from
Quebec for Liverpool. had dropped her
pilot Thursday night at Father Point.
Clear When Sighted Collier.
I'VE then proceeded full speed" con-
tinued Captain Kendall. After pass
ing Rock Point gas buoy sighted the
steamer Storstad, it then being clear
"The Storstad was then about L
no,nt 10 degrees on my starboard DOW
At that time I saw slight fosoahh
coming gradually from the land ana
knew it was going to pass between 'he
storstad and myself. The Storstad "as
about two miles away at that time.
Then the fog came and the Storstad
lights disappeared. / rang full speed
astern on my engines and stopped my
ship.
AT the same time I blew three snort
blasts on the steamers whistle. mean
ing am going full speed astern' Inc
Storstad answered with the WHISTLE
giving one prolonged blast.
II then looked over the side OF my
ship into the water and ! saw my snip
was stopped. blew two long pissts'
meaning MY ship was under way, but
stopped, and has no way upon her. he
answered me again with one prolonged
blast. The sound was then about =
points upon my starboard bow.
"It was still foggy. l looked out 10
where the sound came from. ABOUT
two minutes afterward ! saw his req
and green lights. He would then De
about one ships length away from me.
I shouted to him through the mega
phone 10 go full speed astern, as saw
the danger Of collision was inevitable;
AT the same time put my engines fu!l
sneed ahead. with my helm hard-a-
port, with the object of avoiding, IL
possible. the shock. Almost at the
same time he came right in and cut me
down in a line between the tunnels.
Urqed to Plug Rent.
/ 81 shouted to the Storstad to keep
full speed ahead to fill the hole he had
made. He then backed away. The
shin began TO fill and listed over rap
idly. When he struck me j had
stopped my engines. I then rang full
speed ahead again, when l saw the
danger vas so great with the object Of
running her on shore to save pas
sengers and ship. Almost Immediately
the engines stopped, the ship filing and
going over all the time starboard.
IT had in the mean time given orders
TO get the lifeboats launched. ! rushed
along the starboard side OF the boat
deck and threw all the gripes out of
/ Nos. !, 3, ) and boats. Then l went
hack 20 the bridge again. where l saw
the chief officer rushing along to the
bridge. | told him TO tell the wireless
operator at once TO send out distress
signals.
HE told me this had been done
said Get tho boats out as quick az
possibla.' That was the last / saw II
the chief officer. Then in about three
TO Eve minutes after that the shir
turned over and foundered. l was sho,
into the sea myself from the bridge
and taken down with the suction. The
next thing l remember was seizing a
piece Of grating. How long I was on
IL do not know. but heard some men
shout from lifeboat: There is the
captain; let us ave him.
"They got to me and pulled me in the
boat. The boat already had about
thirty people in it. I did my best with
the people in the boat TO assist in saw
ing others. We pulled around and
picked up twenty or twenty-five more
in the boat, and also put about ten
around the side in the water with ropes
around their wrists, hanging on.
Seeing that Va could not possibly
save any more we pulled to the Stor-
stad, which was then about q mile and
a half away. ! then got all these peo-