The Lancaster news. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1905-current, 1914-06-19
WRECK UF EMPRESS
INQUIRY OPENS UP
Master of Vessel That Was Lost
Gives His Version of Tragedy
HOW VESSELS COLLIDED
Captain Kendall Says When Only
100 Feet Away Storstad Was
Going Fast.

Going Fast.
Quebec, June 17.-Captain Ken
dali, Of the Empress of Ireland. war
the hrst witness called yesterday
when the government began it's in
Vestigation into the collision between
the Empress and the Storstad in the
lower st. Lawrence river, and the loss
of more than a thousand lives. Ken
dali limped to the witness stand, stiu
suffering from the injuries he receiy-
Led in the disaster. Examination OF
witnesses was preceded by the intro
Eduction of brief summaries of the
ldacts by counsel representing the
howners of the two vessels.
Counsel for the Storstad declared
that when the Golfers master first
sighted the Empress the latter was
off the Storstad's port. Two min
utes later the fog shut down, the
Storstad signalled by whistle that She
was under way way and keeping her
course, heading west by south. Their
statement continues:
sTORSTAD SLOWED UP.
When the whistles of the EN-
press were heard again the mate i'm
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 it. assis-
tance was given by steaming up suffi-
GENTLY. Two long blasts were given
TO indicate that the vessel had lost
steerage way. About the same time
the engine room was ordered TO go
slow ahead so that the vessel would
not became unmanageable. The
captain, who had gone below, vas
called up by the mate. He asked.
Can you see Father Point?" and the
mate replied that it 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 if it got foggy.
SAW EMPRESS LIGHTS.
When the captain got on deck he
saw the mast lights of the Empress
three points to port. He immedi-
ately ordered full steam astern. The
vessels were then about eight hun
dred feet apart. The green light OF
the Empress appeared. Three min
utes later the vessels came together.
The master of the Storstad heard a
hail from the Empress telling him to
keep going ahead. He had ordered
this, but found that he could not keen
the Golfers nose in the Empress'
wound The Storstad was swung
around until she was parallel with
the liner and the Golfers master was
afraid his ship would be struck on
the port side by the starboard quar-
ter of the Empress. He had TO swing
around in a complete circle and in
the meantime the Empress disap-
peared.
NO ANSWER FROM EMPRESS.
The Storstad blew signals to the
liner, but it did not answer. About
ten minutes afterwards the master of
the Storstad heard a chorus of cries
and proceeded toward them with
care, his four boats ready to launch.
The Storstad's boats saved several
hundred of the Empress survivors
and manned entirely an Empress boat
on its trip back to the scene OF the
wreck and another boat partially"
Captain Kendall said the accident
happened at 1855 a. M, six and one
half to six and three-quarter miles
east Of Father Point
CAPTAIN KENDALL'S STORY.
while the weather was clear and
line continued the captain, "I got
one bell, saying something was on
our starboard bow. There were mast
head lights then about six miles
away on my starboard bow. There
was then no risk of collision. stin
stood on until Father Point was
abeam, then altered the course to
north 73 magnetic to right course for
an outward bound vessel.
"The Storstad lights were then one
point off our starboard bow, and 1
intended TO pass her on my starboard
side. There was still no risk of dan
ger. The Storstad was showing her
starboard side and going clear and
proceeded on the course.
saw FOG COMING.
"I than nntjcad n h{or Ao.1- r -.