Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1914-06-04

and was surprised when afterwart
came to realize the awful conse
quences OF the crash. When we go
on deck there were very few persons
to be seen. in fact, the people on the
deck were SO few that they were hard
| ly noticeable.
The reason for this is that wber
the boat had listed to one side the
stairs from the sleeping apartments
up to the boat decks were very diff
cult, almost impossible to mount.
did not see the hole in the side of oul
| ship rs | rushed for the stairs, but
| did see the water entering in sucl
volume that it threatened to drown US
before we could mount the stairs"
Salvation Army Mans Story.
A. Mcintyre was in the second cabin
with most of the other Salvation Army
passengers. He told a vivid story OF
his own experiences and of what he
| saw as he swan to safety.
Virtually every leading officer OF
the Salvation Army in Canada is
gone" he said. commissioner Rees
and his wife and the children sank anG
only three of this family survive. Out
of our Salvation party of $50 on board
probably less than twenty were res
cued.
Il was on the upper deck and there
fore had a better chance to get to
safety than those In the lower berths.
The water came in through the port,
holes of the lower decks before the
passengers there realized their danger
or that there was danger at all.
Il was aroused from my sleep by
the impact and awoke the others in
my cabin. l could then hear plainly
the rush of water, and l felt sure that
something serious had happened. !
also heard the machinery of the boat
running. 1t did not stop Immediately
after the crash, but continued until
the explosion occurred.
Gave Woman His Life Belt.
Il grabbed a life preserver and went
out to the deck. On deck there were
no life belts and quite a number of
people were standing about apparently
unable to determine what to Go. l
gave my belt to Mrs Foord, one Of our
party. l tied the belt on her myself
my three comrades went to the bot
tom. l swan in the direction of the
vessel that ran US down and was
pulled into lifeboat of the collier.
he
where the Empress foundered. 1t was
all lighted up.
when l was taken on board I saw
many men rescued, practically I'M
clothed. | was almost in a state of
nakedness myself, and the rest of
those on board were shivering and in
bad state from the icy water of the
river and the chilly morning air. Soon,
however, we were attended to by those
on board the collier and made warm
and comfortable.
Heard Boilers Blow Up.
"As I swan through the icy waters
l heard the dull explosion caused by
the water reaching the engines of the
sinking ship. It was followed by a
burst of steam that spread to all parts
of the vessel. Then came a quick
listing of the liner and she turned
over. 1t looked to me as if she turned
turtle
81 don't think theze were many first
class passengers saved. l saw only
one of the first-class boats lowered.
'The weather was virtually calm
and there was plenty of light on the
water when l came on deck. I saw no
fog.
81 thought at first we had hit a rock.
Some officers of the vessel came along
and said that the ship would not go
any further, for bottom had been
struck.
Praise Liners Crew.
"The behavior of the crew was, on
the whole, good, though it must be
said that the men hardly had time to
collect themselves or to effect rescues
in any systematic way.
1.-THE boat was really sinking before
the crew or anybody else realized it
OF COulu w any tuluS.
Those of the crew who got to the
deck tried to launch boat on the up
turned side of the vessel but this was
impossible, because the list was such
that the boat could not be put into the
water and landed on the side of the
vessel
1.-THE decks were almost perpendicu-
lar, so that many passengers in order
to escape had to slide down from the
higher side to the lower or water
side''
Another Tells of Explosion.
A story that there was a tremendous
explosion on the Empress of Ireland
after it was hit by the Storetad was
told by Philip Lawler, a steerage pas
senger from Brantford, Ont. He was
on the way to England with his wife
and son Herbert, aged fifteen.
When the collision came the EN-
press listed under the severe shock
and water rushed into the steerage
quarters. A few seconds later there
came an explosion that shook the yes
sci. This probably was when the wa
ter reached the boilers, Mr.. LawIer
said.
People were simply shot out of the
ship into the sea by the explosion"
Mr.. Lawler added. Il was pushed over
board with my wife and boy. The boy
could swim, SO l tried to take care of
my wife, but somehow she slipped
from my grasp and sank"
CAPTAIN OF EMPRESS OF |