Omaha daily bee., 1914-05-31
FOWLER SEES SHIPS STRIKE
Sergeant Looking Through Port
Hole at Moment Of Collision.
CAPTAIN KENDALL WAS COOL
Few Minutes before Crash Came he
Had Said 60 Passenger that IL
Looked Like For Was
Coming.

MONTREAL May S0-Exhausted sur
vivors OF the Empress OF ireland, wear
ing misfit clothing supplied by the people
OF Rimouski, arrived In Montreal today.
In the party was a remnant OF the SAL
walton Army band. more than 100 OF
whom perished. The survivors include!
Messrs. Mcintyre, Measures Green
away, staff Captain McAmmond, Lieu-
tenant Keith, James Johnson Major and
Mrs. Atwell, L. Green, Captain spooner.
little Grace Hannagan, Miss Bales, all
OF Toronto; Mrs. Cook and Rand Ser.
geant Fowler Vancouver. and Miss Will
mot OF winnipeg
Il was looking through the port hole
in my cabin ainidshlps." said Band Ser
geant Fowler, when I saw a big black
shape loom up out OF the darkness II
seemed only few feet away.
Then came the JOLT Il could not be
called a crash. because It was more OF a
grindng sensation. Before realized
what had happened my cabin began to
fill with water rushed cut OF the cabin
and up the main companionway. l saw a
girl with n baby In her arms and a little
child following her, The girl begged me
TO put lifebelt on her. so 1 stopped long
enough to do this"
ship Listed ouIckly.
by this time Fowler had reached the
deck. he said, the ship was listing badly
and the passengers had to cling to the
rail to keep from going over the side
Fowler Jumped.
II went down until I thought my lungs
would burst" he said. Bodies bumped
into me One man threw his arms
around me and I had TO fight 10 break his
grip. l swan several hundred feet and
was almost exhausted when a boat picked
me up"
Resident survivors not in the Salvation
Army, who arrived here included Messrs.
Kent, Ferguson, Duncan. weinrauch and
Miss Grace Kohl. Those from Toronto
included Mrs. o'Hara, Miss o'Hara. Miss
Lee, Dr. Hunt and Thomas Smart
Captain Was Cool.
| Smart says he believes he was the last
man TO speak TO Captain Kendall before
the collision. II was sitting out on the
upper deck" he said, when the captain
walked past about i;s0 and said II lS
a nice night, but II looks 10 me as though
a fog is coming. You never know how
soon a fog will drop on you at this part
OF the river "
When the crash came, Smart says, he
saw Captain Kendall on the bridge. He
was holding onto the rail, shouting
orders TO the crew. leaning over and
waving his hands. He heard him say.
Keep your heads. there and don't get
excited"
When boat dropped sideways into the
water. the captain seemed to realize tina,
the liner was lost, for he shouted; Hurry
up. there everybody. There Ia not a
minute TO lose. Get the stewards through
the corridors. II there are doors locked
break them in. Get the people out and
don't forget that the women and children
must come fret"
HE spoke through q mesaphone," sale
Smart, but there was so much scream,
ing and moaning that his voice wal
drowned. But he stuck to his post to tn,
very last
When ! got onto the Lady Evelyn
saw him stretched out there and they
we're giving him brandy. When he wal
able TO speak, he looked around and
asked, Where's the ship?' A passenger
who looked like a DOCTOR told MIN tn,
boat had gone down. On hearing this
Captain Kendall buried his face In
piece OF tarpaulin and cried as though
his heart would break"