Pine Bluff daily graphic. (Pine Bluff, Ark.) 1893-1942, 1914-05-30
IN "A MINUTES after
COLLISION Vessel sinks
WITH 934,PEOPLE
Continued from Page u

One of the matters on which the
rescuers agreed is that Captain
Anderson Of the Strosdat backed his
vessel out of the grave he had dug
in the Express side and drew OIL
nursing her own bent PROV, despite
the shouted pleas of Captain Kendall
that he held fast to the wreck.
Life Boats Smashed.
As the collier backed away, the
water rush listed the Emperess so
that all her boats on the port side
were put out of commission. The
Storsdat, moreover, having no mortal
damage and lying in a river that was
ruffled only by the forms OF the
drowning, the wounded and the dead
picked UP but a few of those who
were taken to the hospital.
1t was the government mail steam
er, Lady Evelyn, and the pilot boat
Eureka. which had to run all the way
work of rescue.
sphere Was No Time."
A strict investigation is to be i'm
mediately begun.
''There was no time,' That is the
phase used by every survivor in try
ing to tell something of what hap
pened. '"There was no time to rouse
the people; no time to cry Women
and children first!'''
Fourteen minutes was the time be-
tween the crash and the sinking. In
that time there were life boats to
launch, panic to contend with. In
that time, the Wirless must flash it's
call for help.
The IS o. S." picked up by many
ships near and far brought response
tool ate to save even a third of the
human cargo.
Captain Goes Down With Boat.
Captain Kendall, one of the most
able and trusted shippers of the line
man who had captured DR.. Crippen,
the murderer, and had served for
many years without mishap at sea
stood on the bridge during those IA
minutes-and went down with the
ship, but was dragged aboard a life
boat as he chung to piece OF
wreckage. He was still cool enough
to take command of the little resG1e
craft, but afterward he collapsed
from injury and exposure.
Survivors EXOnerate Captain.
The survivors have no blame for
him. His vessel was heve to as a
precaution against collision in the
fog. She had lain practically still
since early in the night. Her pass
engers slept peacefully under the
slow way of those dead waters. Only
the watch and the captain were On
deck.
Some say that the giant collier,
her battering power doubled by 1000
tons of coal in her hold, came out of
the mist at full speed-same silent
came with only her pinnacle lights
agleam. The men of the Storstal say
she moved slowly with sirens Shrek
ing and all lights lit.
PiOw Clean Through.
Certain it is that the impact was
fearful. The steel prov Glove more
than half way through the Empress
of Irelands port side amid ships
then tore it's way stern like hugh
reading tooth. -s-
1t had killed many in their berths,
Wounding scores. 1t had hurled many
OF the wounded out into the waters,
and now it backed away and tn de-
eluge followed the battering ram into
the ships vitals. AS the water struck
the boilers they exploded, breaking an
upward rift through the middle of the
deck, length-wise.
The explosion swept the people
from the deck like powder Jared
from a table. The screams from the
ship were echoed by screames from
the water.
Some of those who fell were plung-
ed into the bows of the boat where
the water was raging now and were
drowned there.
Nine of the life boats were got
away under the cool but desperate
direction of Captain Kendall They
were filled with men for the most
part; and most of the men were men,
bers of the crew.
Inc boats were scarcely away
when a wild sucking roar, like the
death cry of living thin. the vessel