Evening capital news. (Boise, Idaho) 1901-1927, 1914-05-30

tied the saving Of a large number of
persons taken out of the water who
probably would have persisted.
Gives Graphic Description.
graphic description Of the scene
on board the Empress of Ireland after
the collision was given by DIR. Grant.
II was in my cabin he said, and
knew nothing OF the accident until
the boat listed so badly that 1 turnbled
out of my berth and then rolled under
1t. / tried to turn on the light but
there was no power. When I finally
got out and reached the passageway
1t was SO steep due to the way the
ship had listed that my efforts to
climb up were rendered impossible.
II managed to get my head through
a port hole but was unable to get
my shoulders through It. At that
time the ship was lying almost flat
in the water on her starboard side A
passenger was standing on the plated
side of the ship, and he finally man
aged to pull me through the port hole.
About a hundred passengers were
gathered on the side of the ship at the
time, but a moment after / Joined
them the vessel took another list and
plunged to the bottom.
II found myself in the water and
swan towards the light Of the steamer
Storstad and when nearly exhausted
from the struggle and the exposure /
was picked up by a life boat. This
boat picked up a load of survivors and
| then took them on board the Storstad.
There we were wrapped in blankets
and I was provided with clothes.
When able I did what I could to help
the survivors. Some of them, how
ever, were in such exhausted condition
they died"
Experience Of Little Girl.
Only two children are known to have
been saved from the wreck. A thrill
| ing rescue was one of these-httle
eight-year- old Oracle flanagan, daugh-
ter of the leader of the Salvation Army
band. Her father and mother were
drowned. Oracle has not been told of
her loss.
| Asked how she was saved, Oracle re-
piled: ooh, saved myself"
| The little child was entirely uncon-
cerned, apparently not realizing. what
she had been through. No lifeboat was
near when she was thrown from the
Empress and she sank at once, but
rose to the surface in g. moment, saw
piece OF wood near her and seized
1t. Later she was pulled into a hfe-
boat. She had been benumbed to the
point Of exhaustion by the cold water.
Major Atwell of Toronto, and his
wife were among the saved.
Il got life belt for my WIFE," Ma
| jor Atwell said, land we jumped to-
| gether when we saw that the vessel
was doomed. We sank three times, be-
ing carried under by the suction of the
| laundering vessel. When we came up
the third time l saw life boat near
and began swimming, pulling my
wife after me. Then those in the boat
pulled US in"
X. A. Mcintyre was in the second
cabin with most of the other Saliva
ton Army passengers. He told vivid
story of his own experiences.
Salvation Army Leaders Lost.
VIRTUALLY every leading officer OF
the Salvation Army in Canada is
gone" he said. "Out of our Salvation
party of $50 on board, probably less
than 20 were rescued.
II 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.
II was aroused from sleep by the
impact and awakened the others in my
cabin.
Il grabbed life preserver and went
out onto the deck. On deck there
were no life belts and quite number
of people were standing about appar-
entity unable to determine what to do.
i I gave my belt to a woman of our
party. I tied the belt on her myself.
II swan in the direction of the ves-
sci that ran US down and was pulled
into a life boat of the collier.
when I was taken on board saw
many men rescued, practically I'M
clothed. l was almost in a state of
nakedness myself and the rest of those
on board were shivering and in a bad
state from the icy water.
"As I swan through the icy waters
heard the dull explosion caused by
the waters reaching the engines OF the
sinking ship It was followed by a
} burst Of steam that spread to all parts
u
: ing of the liner and she turned over
II looked to me as If she turned turtle
| THE behavior of the crew on the
whole WAS good. though II must be
said that the men hardly had time tc
collect themselves or to effect rescues
in any systematic way. The boat was
really sinking before the crew or any.
body else realized It or could do any
thing.
} "Those of the crew who got TO the
deck tried to launch a boat on the
: upturned 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.
The decks were almost perpen-
dicular, so that many passengers. II
ArdAr 70 ell