Baraboo weekly news. [volume] (Baraboo, Wis.) 1912-197?, 1914-06-04
EMPRESS OF IRELAND IS
HIT BY COLLIER.
FEW PASSENGERS ARE SAVED
Ships Grew and Steerage Pas
SengefS in Life Boats.

Vacation voyagers-Son of Sir Ir-
wing Passenger-Lost Ship Went to
Bottom SpeediIy-Most of Passen-
gers Had Retired When Blow Came.
Quebec, May 30.-Unchecked speed
fn a fog cost 1,245 lives early Friday
morning when the collier Storstadt
sank the Canadian-Pac liner EN-
press of Ireland in the ST. Lawrence
river.
The death estimate is furnished by
survivors list which numbered only
1872 persons. 1t is possible that about
400 were saved from the whole ships
company of ], 437 crew and passengers,
but the verified list received here con-
tains only 1872 names.
Quebec, May 3O-The steamship
Empress of Ireland sunk in the
st. Lawrence in a collision with the
collier Storstad was the queen of the
Canadian Pacifc's Atlantic feet, a
magnificent liner, famous for size,
speed and luxurious accommodation. She
was not new, having been built TWEEN
ty-three years ago in Glasgow, but
she was classed as first rate express
steamship and the line considered ner
as staunch and safe as any modern
steamship could be. She had life
boat Accommodations for 1000 persons
and was equipped otherwise to meet
the requirements Of the British Board
of Trade. To hundreds or her pas
eengers she was an old friend. They
had crossed on her in former years
and they took passage on Thursday
with agreeable memories of her five
spacious decks, her wonderful promen-
ade, nearly an eighth Of a mile, and
of her speed and seaworthiness.
Scores of these, such as Mr.. and Mrs.
Lawrence Irving and Sir Henry Seton
Kerr, the big game hunter, were re-
turning to their homes IN England.
Hundreds from the Dominion pro-
yinces and the American states were
starting on their summer vacations.
There was hardly an English speak
ing country that was not represented
in the passenger list.
RimOuSki, Que, May 30.-The twin
screw Canadian Pacific liner Empress
of Ireland, carrying ,437 persons, pas
Sengers and crew, sank in the dark
ness before dawn in the st. Lawrence
River near here, with a loss of per-
haps 1000 lives. Early estimates of
the dead varied from 678 to more than
1000
The vessel bound from Quebec for
Liverpool, was cut wide open by the
collier Storstad, and sank within TWEEN
9y minutes in nineteen fathoms of wa.
ter. Of those saved the majority ap-
peared to be members of the crew or
from the steerage.
Many were badly injured and TWEEN
4y-two died after lc:nv r:cEed Up.
The crash occurred about 2 o'clock
Friday morning eff Father Point, Que
bee, village brought into prominence
when DR.. Crippen. the London MUIR
derer, was caught.
Tie collier, bound for Quebec,
struck the Empress of Ireland on the
port side about the middle of the ship.
She literally tore her way back
almost to the liners screws, leaving
a rent through which the water pour
ed in such a deluge that she sank
before many Of the passengers were
aware of what had happened
Brief wireless calls for help sent out
by the Marconi operator were heard
by the pilot boat Eureka here, ten
miles from the scene, and the Eureka
followed by the Lady Evelyn, mail
tender, put en- forced steam and made
all speed for the spot
3se Picked Up BY Rescue Boats.
1t was these two boats that found
Rf1oat the few lifeboats that were
launched from the stricken ship and
picked up the survivors they contain
cd. Three hundred and thirty nine
were saved by the Lady Evelyn and
sixty by the Eureka
Among those saved was Captain H.
G. Kendall of the Empress of Ireland.
Most of the frst-class passengers
apparently persisted. Among those in
the first cabin were Sir Henry Seton
Karr, noted English lawyer, and big
game hunter, and Laurence Irving.
son of the late Sir Henry Irving, and
his wife, Mabel Hackney.
Of a party of 40 Salvation Army
members on board, only 20 were res
cued. They had left Quebec Thurs