Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1914-06-04

glve aid wherever possible. Every
doctor in the town was on the scene,
and many Of the injured We're taken to
private homes.
From cedar chests and closets the
townspeople brought garments of all
descriptions for those who had lost
their belongings. Two headquarters
were established-at the wharf and at
the station of the Intercolonial rail-
way. At the station those injured and
not removed 10 homes were cared for
The rescue boats Eureka and Lady
Evelyn. found on reaching the point
where the Empress sank scene SINH
lar to that which greeted the liners
which rushed TO the Titanic's aid.
They found the ship sunk and the sur
face of the water, fortunately calm,
dotted with lifeboats and smeared
with floating debris.
In the lifeboats were huddled the
survivors, dazed and moaning, some
of them dying of injuries sustained In
the rush of leaving the sinking liner.
Few could give anything but incoher-
ent, almost hysterical. accounts OF
what had happened.
]. l.. Black and Mrs. Black of Otta-
wa said they had jumped together into
the river. They had been reused by
the shock OF the collision and, unable
to get into a lifeboat. had risked the
leap. They were picked up by boat
from the Lady Evelyn.
OF party of 40 Salvation Army
members only twenty were rescued.
They had left Quebec. bound for the
army's international conference in
London. Among the Salvation Army
passengers on the liner were the sew
enty members of the territorial staff
band. one of the largest bands of the
Salvation Army.
Description of the Ships.
The Empress of Ireland was a sister
ship to the Empress of Britain. She
was built at the Fairfield Shipbuilding
company's works. Glasgow. She was
$40 feet long and CO feet G inches beam.
The disaster recalls the accident
which happened to a sister ship of the
Ill fated vessel. the Empress of Brit
ain, which two years ago rammed and
sank the collier Helvetia in almost the
same spot in which the Empress of
Ireland collision took place.
She was built to accommodate $50
first cabin, $50 second cabin and 1000
third class passengers. She was 1880
tons register and about 10000 tons
displacement and was classed as an ex-
press steamship. There were five pas
senger decks, with boat deck above.
The upper deck was famous among
travellers. affording walk Of about an
eighth Of a mile.
She had been plying In the service of
her owners between st. Johns and
Quebec and Liverpool, and especially
during the summer months carried
large numbers of passengers.
The Storstad, screw steamer, Cap
tain Anderson. was built in 1910 at
Newcastle, England. by Armstrong.
Whitworth & Co., for A. F. Klaverness
& Co. Her registered home port was
Christiania. Norway. and she steamed
under the Norwegian flag. She was
40 feet long. So feet l inch beam and
had "a feet @ inches depth Of hold. The
Storstad was a craft Of 1851 tons,
with triple expansion engines.
One Of the features Of the Empress
Of Ireland was the daily magazine pub
lished during the voyage. the news be-
ing received by Marconi wireless. Be-
sides her wireless apparatus the EN-
press of Ireland was equipped with
submarine signals to insure safety as
far as possible. The big steamship
was equipped throughout with cleo
trical devices to add to the comfort OF
her passengers