Evening capital news. (Boise, Idaho) 1901-1927, 1914-05-31

Rimouski, Quebec, May 30.-Respon-
sibility for the death of nearly 1000
persons who perished when the collier
Storstad rammed and sank the great
Canadian Pacific liner, Empress of Ire
land, was placed here squarely on Cap
tain Thomas Anderson, of the collier,
by Captain II. G. Kendall of the lost
vessel
Captain Kendall, testifying before
coroner's jury this afternoon, detailed
at length the story of the disaster.
Failure of the Storstad's captain, he
said. to observe whistled signals caused
the collision. Neglect to hold the
Storstads nose in the hole in the En-
press killed the last hope of rescue.
Shaken and weakened Captain Ken.
dali told plain unvarnished tale of the
sea tragedy. He fronted jury Of
French-C c n dian Sailor- fishermen,
headed by Dr. ]. Pinault, coroner. and
with p H. A. Carron magistrate of the
district, acting as foreman. Spectators
in oilskins, lumbermen and farmers
iostled elbows with Andrews Allen,
millionaire president of the Canadian
Shipping Federation, and with Captain
Walsh, marine superintendent of Ca
madam ines
Departure Is Described.
Kendall first described the departure
of his ship from Quebec and told of
speeding down the river until the pilot
was dropped at Father point, near
which place the disaster came. He
said he saw the Storstad first when she
was two miles away. Then a fog
drifted out from the river banks, the
Storstad's lights vanished and the En-
press was ordered stopped.
The Empress lost all way while
whistles advised the Storstad of the
liners movements. Twice Captain
Kendall said the liners blasts signaled
warning and twice came answers from
the oncoming collier. The last blast
from the Storstadt. said Kendall was
about four points on my starboard
bow"
about two minutes after" he con-
tinued, Il saw his red and green lights.
He was then about a ships length
away | shouted to him through the
niegaphone to go fun speed astern as
saw the danger of collision was inevi-
table. At the same time I put my
engines full speed ahead with my helm
hard aport. Almost at the same In
stant, the Storstad struck us between
the tunnels.
Storstad Backed Away.
Il then shouted to the Storstad to
keep the ship full speed ahead to fill
the holes he had made. But she backed
away. The Empress then began to fill
and listed over rapidly
Kendall described how he ordered the
wireless s. o. S.. how he loosed the
grips on four lifeboats and how in
about three minutes the ship turned
over and foundered," and he was shot
into the sea.
Captain Kendall devoted only a few
words to his struggle in the water. He
told how he was pulled off piece OF
wreckage almost exhausted, into q
boat from the Storstad, how he aided
to save others, how they were put
aboard the collier and how he then
with aid, returned to the scene of the
Empress sinking.
when we got there" he said. "ev-
erybody had gone. We could not see
anybody alive, SO we returned to the
Storstad,
No Panic on Board.
utEc as no ptlilS. iletu Auli t0fi-
troll of the crew. They fought to the
end. Everybody behaved splendidly,
Four boats were launched. These were
the four on which I had loosened the
grips as the ship sank and as the water
rose these boats floated away. The
people who were saved were saved by
the Empress's hoats and by the wreck
age"
Several passengers followed Captain
Kendall on the stand Their stories
of the disaster developed nothing new
but one and all praised warmly the ac-
tion Of Kendall and his crew. The in
quest developed rather along the lines
of marine investigation. the coroner
evidently believing it was his duty to
Lxove the fun cause OF the collision