The Detroit times., 1914-06-17
CAPT. KENDALL
STICKS STOUTLY
TO FIRST STORY
StOrstadt's Counsel Also Ad-
here to Their Version of
Empress Disaster
INJURED SEAMEN
COLLAPSE ON STAND
Liners Commander COllapses
Under Strain of Testimony
Before Commission

QUEBEC, June 17,-Captain II. q
Kendall OF the Inflated Empress OF
ireland collapsed last night after an
hours grilling by the royal commits
sion inqHiring into the disaster Cap
tain Kendall is still suffering from in
Juries received during the wreck. He
viii be further questioned later. Both
Captain Kendall and officers of the
Storstad adhere TO their original
stories concerning the accident. Capt
Kendall's story follows:
II intended 20 pass the Storstadt
on my starboard side There was no
risk OF danger The Storstad was
showing her starbOard side and going
clear, and ! proceeded on the course
Il then noticed big bank of mist
coming of 10 the south shore and the
Storstad's lights getting misty.
stopped ship, ran full speed astern,
reducing the ships Roadway and blew
three short blasts Suddenly | lost
the Storstad's lights, and blew a
second three blasts The last lights
] saw were the two masthead lights
and her green light about one point
OF my starhoard bow She was green
to green The only thing that would
bring her into my course was porting
her helm. | rang to stop the engines.
II heard prolonged blast from
the other ship. In the midst of my
three blasts. from about two points
on my starboard bow When the Sec
ond three were given. heard another
long blast SAYING she was under way.
This was four points on the starboard
bow. This was still safe for passage,
starboard 10 starboaraq,
II blew two long blasts. to let the
other ship know was stopped and in
return | got one long blast from her.
Then | gave two more but | got not
reply. | got three whistles the third
OF which Was about six points off my
starboard bow
II sighted HIS forward mast ahead
and green and red side lights only
about 100 feet away She was bear
ing at right angles to my course and
going fast, as foam at her bow show.
ed. Her captain must have put his
helm hard aport"
Kendall told how he walked up 10
Captain Anderson, OF the Storstad,
after his rescue by one OF the Stor.
stad's boats, and said "You have
sunk my ship. You were going full
speed"
Soon after this testimony Captain
Kendall collapsed and said he could
remember no more pertaining to the
accident.
Counsel for the Storstad declared
that when she first sighted the En-
press the latter was of the Storstad's
port Two minutes later the fog shut
down. the Storstad signaled by wins
tie that she was under way and keep
ing her course, heading west by south.
Their statement continues:
When the whistles OF the Empress
were heard again. the mate in charge
OF the Storstad put his wheel TO port
while the ship slowed up The wheel
was put hard TO port and when she
did not answer 1t assistance was Civ.
on by steaming up sufficiently. Two
long blasts were given to indicate
that the vessel had lost steerage
way. About the same time the en-.
CINE room was ordered to 20 slow
come unmanageable. The captain
7F4iifc, had gone below called HR- by
the mate. He asked. Can you see
Father Point?' and the mate said II
had just been shut out by the fog. He
made no mention of the Empress and
called the captain because he had
asked to be called II it got foggy.
When the captain got on deck he
saw the flashlights OF the Empress
three points TO port He Immediately
ordered full stream astern. The YES.
sells were then about 500 feet apart
The green light of the Empress ap
peared. Three minutes later the YES,
sells came together. The master OF
the Storstad heard hail from the
Empress telling him 20 keep going
ahead He had ordered this but found
he could not keep the Golfers pose
in the Empress wound. The Stor
stad was swung around until she was
parallel with the liner and the col
lier's master was afraid hts ship would
be struck on the port side by the
starboard quarter OF the Empress. He
had To swing around in a complete
circle and I'm the meantime the EN-
press disappeared.