The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-05-31
TOTAL NUMBER OF DEAD
ON WRECKED SHIP is 694
iContinucd From First Pagco


Empress passengers.
Tho StorBtad is badly damaged. hav-
ing a hole some fifteen foot square In
hcr bow. Sho Is waiting for orders
to say whether sho will dock hero or
go to Month III.
sTORIES OF DISASTER
SHOW TERRIBLE TRAGEDY
Stories of tho disaster brought to
Quebec IS survivors gnvo vivid de-
tails OF tho most terrible Tragedy In
tho annals of tho st. Lawrence. Some
compared II to tho sinking OF the II
tan!c, but pointed out that In tho case
Of tho Titanic there was tino to pre-
pare for death. while with those who
persisted on tho Empress there was lit
tie timc for reflection or prayer. From
the accounts Of tho savcd It seems that
soon after tho ship was rainmed sho
carcencd until her deck stood at right
angles TO the water. She slid slowly
into the water. and II was only possible
to launch i've boats In the brief in
tcrral before sho finally sank.
Captain Kendall was on the bridge
when tho collision occurred When
tho steamer sank he was washed away.
later TO be picked UP by one OF the
boats. apparently to his great regret
Thus far he has vouchsafcd no public
statement. except to say that he would
haNo preferred to 20 down with his
ship. Passengers speak In his praise.
end declare he did his fun duty.
Chief Officer Stecd. It IL seated. was
killed b. a boat falling on him while
working to help the passengers escape.
Laurence Irving. author ana actor,
and son OF Sir Henry Irving. accord
ing TO survivors. died while trying to
save his wife. 3Ir. and Mrs. Irving
were last seen on deck embracing ono
another as II In farowoll. They wont
down with tho ship. locked in zach
others arms
INNINGS 60 To DEATH
LOCKED IN EACH OTHFIus ARMS
J.. j.. Abbott. OF Toronto. Was the
last man to see Mr.. Irving alivo
II met him first In tho passa9cway,"
he sntd. and no said calmly. Is the
boat going DOWN. I said II looked i.ke
It. 'Dcaric,' Irving then said to his
wife, hurry. There Is no time to lose
Mrs. Irving began to cry. and as
tho actor reached for a lifebelt tho
thrown against the door of his cabin
HIS face was bloody and Mrs. Irving
became frantic.
Keep cool he warned her. but she
persisted in holding her arms around
him. He forced the lirebelt over her
pushed her out OF tho door. and prac
ticaily carried her upstairs. asked IL
could help, and Irving said, Look
after yourself first, old man. but God
bless you ali the same"
Abbott got on deck and d!ved over
hoard. He caught hold OF a piece OF
timber and rs he noatcd saw Irving
on deck Kissing his wife as tho ship
went down.
NJ d. a. Darling. n survivor here.
was saved hy l!febelt that might
have saved Sir Henry Seton-Karr. My
cabin was opposite Sir Hcnry's" said
Darling TODAY. and when opened
my door we bumped into each other
IN the passapcway lie had life
belt and he offered It TO me. refused
il. but ho said Go on. man. take It,
and l VIII gct another l told him to
save himself, but he got angry and
actually forced the belt over mo 10
then hurried mo along tho corridor to
tho door. Apparently he went back for
another belt. but moment or two at
TOR he had left me tho ship went down
l was picked up"
Investigation into tho responsibilities
Tor tho collision in tho st. Lawrence
River early yesterday which sent the
Canadian Pacific steamer Empress of
ireland to the bottom with the loss
II more than 900 lives. was begun to-
day.
BEFORE a coroncrs jury In RiIsotski
Captain VI. u. Kendall. OF tho sunkcn
liner, and others gave testimony In
tended 20 show that blame was not on
the liners officers. but on tho uaviga-
tors OF tho Danish collier Storstad.
which dealt tho liner its deathblow
STORY OF GOLFERS
MASTER NOT YET TOLD
The collier tonight. after passing
Quebec. was on her way 10 Montreal
TO land her cargo. and the story OF her
master has not been told. nor has the
time and manner of its telling been
decided.
While the coroncr's inquiry was go
Ing on in Rimouski tho bodies OF I75
victims Of tho disaster that hcl been
recovered we're placed aboard the gov
crnmcnt vessel Lady Grey for trans
port here. The Lady Grey was expect
cd II n late hour. a mortua-y cham
bier at the wharf was in readiness for
tho bodies. Special police we're on
duty 10 guard the bodies and control
the thronSs.
While preparations were being made
for the reception of the dead. the sur
vivors were we'll cared for. With the
exception of about two score most OF
them In tho Rimouski hospital from In
Jurics. all had been brought TO this
city yesterday. To-day all those hero
had been provided with clothing and
funds. and several left for Montreal
Few seemed willing to continue their
Journey Europeward Just now. al
though thcy were offered ncoommoda-
lions on tho Canadian Pacific steamer
Alsatinn. one passenger, Cox Edwards,
OF Yokohama, died from exposure to-
day ut Rimouski.
The Canadian Pacific's list of pas
senScrs given out tonight showed that
226 camc from tho United States Near
~ all wero of foreign birth or extrao-
ton, and were on their way back TO
Europe y large number OF them wcre
saved.
Throughout tho day thousands of
messages OF syrapathy continued to