The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1914-06-05
EMPRESS OFIRELAND
CARRIES OVER 900
TO ICY DEATH

from quebec for Liverpool, 954 were
lost when the liner was rammed by
the Danish collier Storstad and sank
Is minutes later off Father Point in
the st. Lawrence river before day
light today, according to revised fig
ures late tonight. Only 433 are known
to have been saved
Of the 81 cabin passengers the late
figures show 20 to have been saved.
OF the 153 in the second cabin 20
were rescued; of the 715 third class
passengers there were 101 survivors,
while 237 of the crew of 432 were
brought to shore.
These figures account for the 396
survivors landed here and taken by
train to Quebec, where they arrived
tonight. There remained here 81 res
cued persons, inclassified completing
the total of 433 known survivors.
About 300 bodies of dead from the
Empires sof Ireland lie tonight in the
sheds at the wharf here. Some have
been identified and claimed. One of
the bodies is that of a woman, a child
tightly clasped in her arms.
Looming up through the river
mists, as the Empress of Ireland was
lying to, waiting for the fog to lift
or day to break, the Danish collier
Storstads crashed bow-on into the. side
of the big Canadian liner, striking
her about midway of her length and
ripping he side open clear to the stern
The crash occurred not far from
the shore off Father Point, $50 miles
from Quebec, which the Empress of
Ireland left yesterday afternoon
bound for Liverpool, and ten miles
from this point on the St. Lawrence
In reality, therefore, although the
liner was heading for the sea and the
collier coming in from it, the disaster
was not one of the ocean but Of the
river. Unlike the Titantic's victims
the Empress of Ireland's lost their
locked waters.
Calls for Help.
Immediately the ships crew recov-
cred from the shock of the collision
and it was seen that the liner had
received vital blow a wireless as
o. s." call was sounded.
The hurried appeal was picked up
by the government mail tender Lady
Evelyn here and the government pilot
boat Eureka at Father Point and
both sent out to the rescue. So deep
was the hurt of the Empress, how
ever, and fast the thrush of waters
that long before either of the rescue
boats could reach the scene the liner
had gone down. Only floating wreck
age and a few lifeboats and RATS
from the steamer, buoyipg up less
than third of those who had set sail
on her, were to be found. The rest
had sunk with the liner, had been
crushed to death in the Storstad's i'm
pact with her, or had been forced
from exposure in the ice chilled wa
ters to lose their hold of bits of
wreckage and had drowned.
StOrstad Badly Crippled.
Only a few persons were picked up
by the Storstad, which was badly Grip
pied herself, and these were brought
here by the collier, together with
those saved by the Eureka and Lady
Evelyn. Twenty-Five of the rescued
died from inquiries or exposure. The
others, most of whom had jumped
into the boats or plunged into the
water from the sinking liner scantily
clad, were given such clothing as the
town could supply, and later those
that could travel were placed on
board train and started for Quebec
where they arrived tonight.
Accounts agree that in the brief
space of time-not more than ID min
utes-.between the shock of the COL
lision and the sinking of the liner,
there was little chance for systemat-
ic marshalling Of the passengers. Ev-
everything indicates that hundreds
probably never reached the decks.
Few women were among the saved,
not more than dozen, the lists make
1t appear.
Couldn't Rouse Sleepers.
"The stewards did not have time to
rouse the people from their berths,"
one survivor told Capt. Bollinger Of
the rescue ship Eureka. "Those who
heard the frenzied calls of the off,
GERS for passengers to hurry on deck
and rushed up piled into the boats,
which were rapidly lowered and row.
ed away. Many who waited to dress
were drowned"
The horror of the interval during
tie time the Empress was rapidly fill
ing and the frightened throngs on
board her were hurrying every ef-
fort to escape before she sank was
ly followed the collision. Accordiny 2
TO one of the rescued, the explosion,
probably caused by the water reach.
ing the boilers, bulged the liners
sides and catapulted persons fron,
her decks out into the sea.
The ships heavy list as water pour
ed in made the work of launching
boats increasingly difficult and when
she sank scores still left on her decks
were carried down, only a few being
able to clear her sides and find sup
port on wreckage.
From all accounts Capt. II. G. Ken
'ddall of the Empress of Ireland bore
himself like true sailor. lie re.