The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1914-06-10
Was NOT TO BLAME
CAPTAIN OF sEoRsTAD SAYS BE
DID NOT CAUSE ACCIDENT.
TRIED TO STAND CLOSE

O2AD ~ ~ A2A4~ SSoUA
Captain Andersen Says Accident Was
Due to Effort on Part Of Empress
of Ireland to Cross HIS Track
Did All in His Power to Avoid Col
ision and Save Passengers.
With her bows crumpled In and
twisted around at an acute angle to
port and a gap showing on the port
side only foot or so above the water
line, in mute evidence of the tragedy
in which she figured, the collier Stor-
stad limped into the harbor of Mon
treaI, Canada, Sunday. Capt. Ander-
sen denied that he moved mile or
so away from the Empress after his
vessel struck the liner. The Storstad
had not moved. It was the Empress
which had changed position, he de-
cIared.
According to the report made by
Capt. Andersen to the owners imme-
diately after the collision occurred,
he heard Capt. Kendall calling on
him not to pull away. 81 wont, ;"
shouted the Storstad's captain as
loud as he could. After that the En-
press disappeared from the Storstad's
view. The statement based OF Capt.
Andersen's report, follows:
t'The fact that the Storstad has
only Sunday reached port had made
it impossible heretofore to give an
authentic statement on her behalf.
All connected with the Storstad de-
pIore most deeply the terrible acci-
dent which has resulted in the loss
of=so many valuable lives. It is not
with any desire to condemn others,
but simply because it is felt that the
public is entitled to know the facts
that the following statement is put
forward:
"The vessels sighted each other
when far apart. The Empress Of Ire
land was seen off the port bow Of the
Stcrstad. The Empress Of Ireland's
green, or starboard, light was visible
to those on the Storstad. Under
these circumstances the rules of nav
igation gave the Storstad the right OF
way. The heading of the Empress
then changed in such manner as to
put the vessels in a position to pass
safely. Shortly after fog enveloped
first the Empress and then the Stor-
stad.
Fog signals were exchanged, the
Storstad's engines were at once slow
ed and then stopped. Her heading
remained unaltered. Whistles from
the Empress were heard on the Stor-
stad's port bow and were answered.
The Empress Of Ireland was then
seen through the fog, close at hand
on the port bow of the Storstad. She
was showing her green light and was
making considerable headway.
"The engines of the Storstad were
at once reversed at full speed and
her headway was nearly checked
when the vessels came together. It
has been said that the Storstad
should not have backed out Of the
hold made b. the collision. She did
not do so. AS the vessels came to-
gether the Storstad's engines were
ordered ahead to hold her bow
against the side of the Empress and
thus prevent the entrance Of water
into the vessel.
"The headway Of the Empress,
however, swung the Storstad around
in such way as to twist the Stor-
stad's bow out of the hole.
"The Empress at once disappeared
in the fog. The Storstad sounded
her whistle repeatedly in an effort to
locate the Empress, but could obtain
no indication of her whereabouts un-
til cries were heard. The Storstad
then was manoeuvred as close to the
Empress as was safe in view Of the
danger Of injury to the persons who
we're in the water.
''The Storstad then lowered every
one Of her boats and sent them to
save passengers and crew Of the En-
press, though she was herself in Sc
rious danger of sinking. When two
boats from the Empress reached the
Storstad, the Storstad's men also
manned these boats and went In
them to the rescue. Her own boats
made several trips and in all about
$50 persons were taken on board and
everything the ships stores contain
ed was used for their comfort.
"The statements which have ap-
peared in the press, indicating that
there was the slightest delay on the
part of the Storstad in rendering
prompt and efficient aid, do a cruel
injustice to the captain, who did not
hesitate to send out every boat he
had, in spite OF the desperate condi-
ton Of his own ship"
The owners of the Storstad ask Of
the public that, in all fairness to
both vessels and their commanders,
judgment as to where the blame for
the terrible disaster should rest, be
until an impartial tribu-
nal has heard the evidence on both