The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1914-05-29

graves N THE WAVES FOR HUNDREDS
WHEN BIG SHIP GOES TO THE BQZl0M

would be brought Z special train
this afternoon to sec.
With her bows se in by the i'm
pact with the Jess. the Storstad
passed Father Point upriver, shortly
after daylight. She had on board
tsome survivors and some dead but q
wireless from her failed to say how
many.
| The Storstad was low by the head
The tug Strathcona was sent to her
assistance, She will arrive here to-
night or tomorrow.
| Not word Of positive information
had been received mere at noon as to
the rescued or their identity. Wheth-
er women and children first" prevail
ed at the wrec is yet unknown. Stories
OF individual experiences in the dis
aster will not be told until survivors
reach here and until close scrutiny is
made Of the ships passenger list and
| it is compared with list Of survivors
there would be no way definitely to
estimate how many lives were lost.
! Early Morning Report.
/; MONTREAL. Que, May 29.-More
than 100 passeng :rs of Canadian Paci-
fic liner Empress Of Ireland are be-
lieved to have perished early today
when the great vessel sank ten miles
EAST Of Father Point. Que, In dense
fog. The Empress OF Ireland went
down in ten minutes after collision
with the Storstad, q coaler bound
for Montreal. Ths Storstad Is re-
ported not to have sunk and to be
floating, although badly damaged.
s. O. s. calls for aid came from the
stricken linsr directly after the crash
at 1880 o'clock this morning. Gov
ernment steamers at once rushed to
the rescue, Among those saved was.
Capt. Kendall commander of the lin.
er Whether any OF his crew W zre
saved was not known at daylight.
Kendall was picked up out of life
boat after his vessel had sunk be-
meath his feet. More than LOO souls,
pass sngers and crew were aboard the
Empress OF Ireland when the crash
came.
Among them was a big contingent
o. Salvation Army members on their
way to an international conference
in England The first news OF the
disaster came in telegram from the
Marconi station at Father Point. 1t
announced the fact Of the collision
and the fact that the Empress was
sinking. The liners s. o. s. were i'm
mediately responded to by the Eu-
reka, Canadian government steamer
and by the Lady Evelyn, mail ten
der stationed at Father Point They
put out at once, full steam ahead an0
rushed to the sinking giants aid.
Wirsless messages to Father Point
declared 339 persons were saved by
the Canadian government steamers
which rushed to the rescue OF the
Empress.
Under command of Captain Ken
dali, who is a lisutenant of the Brit |
ish Royal Navy Reserve, the En-
press Of Ireland left Quebec at 4:20 !
D. m. yesterday for Liverpool with
II first; 206 second, and 504 third
class passengers. With her crew
there probably ware more than LOO
persons aboard. The Empress of ire
land was built in 1906. She was a
twin screw steamer, 54S feet long
with all modern equipment, including
wireless and submarine signaling
Persist snt reports here from Faith
er Point off which the Empress Of
ireland went down in collision early
today are that more than 800 Of the
1900 passengers and
crew of the liner perished. It was
said, although without POSITIVE conf1r.
nation as Y ct that 339 persons saved
by government steamers Lady Evelyn
Of the disaster. i
How Wreck Occurred.
FATHER POINT, Que. May %
Wireless messages to the Marconi
station here from Captain Kendall. OF
he Empress of Ireland both before
md after the liner went down, and
rom the Stors.ad, which rammed the
,essel. as pieced together here early
oday. gave the following story cf how
he wreck occurred. The Empress,
.ccording to these messages, was
losing her way through the thick fog.
ghen about 2:30 o'clock the siren of
he Storstad was heard. At once
,aptain Kendall ordered the liner
ove to. The great density of the
mist, 1t is believed, prevented the po-
ition Of the on-coming collier from
eing accurately determined and while
he ht1 naaaeneor vosco4 ~ao etsy