Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1914-06-05
KENDALL TELLS STORY
CAPTAIN OF EMPRESS OF
IRELAND BLAMES COLLIER.
Says He Saw Storstad Two MiIes
Away and That Many Sig
nails Passed Between Boats
in Fog.

R1mOusk1, Qubec, June Capt.
Kendall of the wrecked Empress of
Ireland, testifying before Coroner Pr
nault Saturday, told the following story
of the sinking of his vessel and the
accompanying loss of 1,032 lives:
.'The Empress of Ireland left Quebec
at AGO p. m, May %. After the pilot
was dropped at Father Point, the
weather being clear at the time we
proceeded full speed. After passing
Cock Point gas buoy sighted the
steamer Storstad. At that time saw
slight fog bank coming from the
land, not knowing it was going be-
tween the Storstad and myself. The
Storstad was then about two miles
away. Then the fog came and the
Storstad's lights disappeared.
Ships Exchange Signals.
Il ordered full speed astern on my
engines and took the way off the ship
so as to stop quick. At the same time
! blew three short blasts on my whis-
tie, meaning: I am going full speed
astern.' The Storstad answered with
the whistle, giving me one prolonged
blast.
II then looked over the side of my
ship into the water and I saw that my
ship was stopped. | then stopped my
engines and blew two long blasts,
meaning: My ship is stopped and has
no way upon her. 1t answered me
again with one prolonged blast.
"The sound was then about four
points on my starboard bow. It was
still foggy. / then looked to where
the sound came from About two min
utes after l saw his red and green
lights. He would then be about one
ships length away from me. / shout
ed to him through the megaphone to
go full speed astern as / saw collision
was inevitable.
Attempted to Start.
"At the same time put my engines
full speed ahead with my helm hard
apOrt with the object of avoiding a
collision if possible Almost at the
same instant the Storstad struck and
cut us down between the tunnels.
81 then shouted to the Storstad to
keep his ship full speed ahead to fill
the hole he had made. He then backed
away. The Empress then began to
fill and listed over rapidly.
when the Storstad struck us / had
stopped my engines. / then rang full
speed ahead when I saw the danger
was so great. My object was to try to
run her ashore to save the passengers.
Almost Immediately the engine stop
ped, the ship filing and going all the
time to starboard.
Orders Distress Call.
IT saw the chief officer rushing along
to the bridge and told him to tell the
wireless operator to send out distress
signals at once. He then told me this
had been DONE Then said: Get these
boats out as quickly as possible That
was the last saw of the chief officer
"In from three to five minutes after
that the ship turned over and founder.
ed. | was shot into the sea from the
bridge and was taken down with the
suction. The next thing / remember
| / was Selling a piece of grating. How
long / was on it do not know, but
| heard some men shout from lifeboat:
| There's the captain. Let us save him.
| They got to me and pulled me into
| the boat.
Returns to Rescue.
Seeing we could not possibly save
any more, we pulled to the Storstad
which was then about mile and a
half away. / then got all these people
| put on board and then left the Storstad
with six of the crew and went back
| and tried to save more. When we got
there everybody had gone.
There was no panic. | had full con
troll of the crew. They fought bravely
i to the end. There was no panic ir
passengers or crew. Everybody be
haved splendidly"
| $50 Bodies Found.
Only $50 bodies have been recover
i ed, according to wireless dispatches
received from the scene of the tragedy
| Most of these are to arrive here on the
Lady Grey, a government boat, which
is bringing them from Father Poin
and Rimouski.
\ Most of the dead recovered were
found floating in the water, some o
them by the Storstad's boats and 9th
ers later by the boats of the Lady Ey
elyn and the Eureka.