The Anderson daily intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson, S.C.) 1914-1915, 1914-06-17
EMP PRESS STORY
IS TOLD AGAIN
STATEMENT AND CAPTAIN
kENDALL'S TESTIMONY
PLACING THE BLAME
Hearing in Disaster of St. Law.
renee River Begun Before the
Royal Board Of Inquiry.
l}y Associated Prcss.)


Quebec. June lG--E Evidence ampli-
fying the known conditions i'm regard
I" the disaster 10 the Empress of Ire
land at Father Point i'll ,;c st. Law
renee. May %. was brought out at to-
days opening session G. 80 Domin-
! ION 'nvs stigat Ing commission. of which
| l-nr' Mersrv uf tie British House OF
Pror". iS chairman
So far The rlain arguments OF Cap
tain Kendall. Of the Empress. that he
was stationary WHEN rammed by the
collier StOrt.tad, and of the owners OF
the collier that the Empress piled her
self i'll front Of the Norwegian vessel.
which had The right Of way. were only
emphasized Captain Kendall was on
the stand for several hours und gave Ia
straightforward account Df the disast-
GER. along tho lines of his testimony at
| the lsimoush: inquest.
New chapter Illustrating the hor-
ror OF the dis tstcr were added by Cap
tain Kendall in his testimony. the
| most startling icing a description of
| Empress after she w6a ramined, the
Prov of the collier evidently penetrat-
ing clear through to her boilers.
No agreement could be had from the
testimony today as to the whistles
| blown by the vessels, though Lord
| Mersey discovered when examining
the Storstad's tlrst officer, that he had
| blown signal Indicating that the col
lier was stopped and Immediately af-
terwards lad given an order TO go
ahead sfow.y. ,>
| Captain Kendall also acknowledged
I - In VNlI Int,
inevitable when the Storstad came ut
I'll after 1t had occurred thnt the Of.
der to close the, war-tight- oompartr
ments WAS given by which time three
con- pnrtments had been exposed to
| the sea. q
! Captain Kendall. of the Empress of
| ireland. was the first witness called.
| Kendall limped to the witness stand,
still suffering from injuries he ~.
| ce!ved In the disaster. Examination
| OF witnesses was preceded by the In
PRODUCTION Of brief summaries of the
facts by counsel representing the own
| ers of the two vessels. Eig
Counsel for the Storstnd declared
! tllYt when she first sighted the En-
press the latter wns off the Storstad's
port. Two minutes later the fog shut
| down. the SiOrstad signalled by |hiS-
F! tie thar she was under way and keep
; ing hcr course. heading west ny sOurh.
! KrndaII's Story.
Captain Kendall testified that the
ucci,Ieni happened at Ih5 q. NJ. six
and one half miles east OF Father
Point.
While the weather was clear and
fine continued the captain. Il got
one bell saying something was on our
starbOard how. There were two mest-
head lights then about six miles away
off cur starboard how. There was then
no risk OF collision. / still stood on
until Father Point was abeam. that
altered the course TO 73 magnetic. the
right course for an outward bound
vessel.
"The St0rstad lights were then one
point of our starboard baw. and in
tended to pass her on my starboard
side. There was then no risk Of danger.
The Storstad was showing her star.
board side and going clear and pro-
ccetled on the course.
II then noticed big bank of mist.
coming on The south shore and the
StOrstad's lights getting misty.
stopped ship. ran full speed. astern,
reducing the ships headway and I
blew three shor. blasts. suddenly
lost the Storatad's lights and I blew
u second three blasts. The last lights
saw were .hc two masthead lights and
her green light ,.bout one point Off
by starbCard how. The only thing
that would bring her into my course
was porting her helm. ran to stop
| the engines.
~ heard prolonged blast from
the other ship. In the midst of my
three blasts from about two points to
my starboard bow. When the second
three were given I heard another long
blast saying she was underway. This
was four points on the starboard bow.
When the second three were given, T
heard another long blast saying she
was underway. This was four points
on the starboard bow. This was still
safe for passage, starboard to star
board.
| blew two blasts to let the other
ship know had stopped and In re-
turn l got one long blast from her.,
Then l gave two, more. hut I got no
reply. I got three whistles. the third
Of which was about sfx points OF my
starboard how. Is
| sighted his harvard masthead and
green and red lights only about 100
feet away. She was bearing at right
angles TO my course and going fast, I,
as foam at her bow showed. Her
captain must have put his helm hard
apcrt."