The Watertown weekly leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1912-1917, 1914-06-02
lNDALL TELLS STORY
CAPTAIN OF EMPRESS OF
IRELAND nLAMES COLLIER.
Bays Ne Saw storstad Two Miles
Away and That Many Sig
y, mails Passed Between Beats
In Fog.

Rimouski, Qubsc, June Capt
Kendall Of the wrecked Empress Of
ireland. testifyins bsfoxe corsner Pr
lauft Saturday, told the following story
pf the sinking of his vessel and the
accompanying loss of 1,o32 lives:
"The Empress Of Ireland left Quebec
It %:2o p. M. May 28. 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 lat time saw
slight fog bank coming from the
land, not knowing It was going be-
tween the Storstad and myself. The
Bterstad was then about two miles
away. Then the fog came and the
gtorstad's liEhts DISAPPEARED.
Ships Exchange Signals.
II 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 geing 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 saw that my
ship was stopped. then stopped my
engines and blew two long blasts,
meaning: My ship Is stopped and has
again with one prolonged blast.
The sound was then about four
points on nay starboard bow. It was
still foggy. / then looked to where
the sound came from. About two min
utes after I 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
60 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 q
collision If possible. Almost at the
same instant the Storstad struck and
cut US down between the tunnels.
/; II then shouted to the Storstad to
keep his ship full speed ahead to I'LL
the hole he had made. He then backed
away. The Empress then began to
fill and listed over rapidly.
When the Storstad struck us I had
stopped my engines. I then rang full
speed ahead when I saw the danger
was SO great. My object was to try to
he hnr RI ho
Almost Immediately the engine stop
ped. the ship filling and going all the
time to starboard
Orders Distress Call.
II 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 l remember
/ was seizing piece of grating. How
long I was on it I do not know, but I
heard some men shout from a 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 I 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
to tho end. There was no panic In
passengers or crew. Everybody be-
haved splendidly."
$50 Bodies Found.
Only $50 bodies have been recover
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 Point
and Rimouski.
Most of the dead recovered were
found floating In the water, some OF
them by the Storstads boats and 9TH
ers later by the boats OF the Lady Ev-
elyn and the Eureka.