The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1914-06-05

l saw the chief officer rushing along
to the bridge. l told him to tell the
wireless operator at once to send out
distress signals. He told me that this
had been done. | said: Get the boats
out as quick as possible That was
the last l saw of the chief officer.
Then, in about three to five minutes
after that. the ship turned over and
foundered.
Went Down Himself.
81 was shot into the sea myself from
the bridge and taken down with the
suction. The next thing l remembered
was Selling piece Of grating. How
long l was on 1t l do not know, but
heard some men shout from lifeboat.
There is the captain: let us save him.
They got to me and pulled me in
the boat. The boat already had about
thirty people in it. did my best with
the people in the boat to assist in
saving others. We pulled around and
picked up twenty or twenty-five more
in the boat, and also put about ten
around the side in the water with ropes
around their waists, hanging on.
Seeing that we could not possibly
save any more, we pulled to the Stor-
stad, which was then about a mile and
half away. l then got all the peo-
pie put on board the Storstad and then
left her with six of the crew and went
back and tried to save more. When
we got there everybody had gone. We
searched around and could not see
anybody alive, so then we returned to
the Storstad."
What was the cause of the col
lision?" asked the coroner.
THE Storstad running into the EN-
press, which was stopped" answered
Kendall.
Captain Kendall, in answer to
question by Il juror said that when
he shouted to the Storstad's captain
to stand fast he received no answer.
1t was impossible for him not to have
heard, he added.
Shouted Five Times.
"I shouted five times; l also shouted
Keep ahead" said Captain Kendall,
land if he did not hear that lie should
have done it as a seaman should have
known that"
There was wind p
at was quite still"
when he backed away shouted to
him to stand by. l did not hear any
explosion, but when ship goes down
like that there is bound to be a great
deal of air and the air pressure causes
that"
How many boats were there on the
| Empress"
Between 80 and 40. There were
boats for everybody. She had boats
for over 1000 people,"
There was no panic. l had full
control of the crew, but they fought
to the end. There was no panic among
the passengers or crew. Everybody be-
haved splendidly. About four boats
were launched; these were the four Of
which I loosened the gripes. AS the
ship sank and the water rose these
boats fioated away. The people who
were saved were saved by the Empress
boats and by the wreckage.
THE Storstad had three or four
of his boats and he pulled around
and took people off the wreckage. He
did not get many. l passed couple
of his boats and he only had three
| people in them"
An Engineers Story.
James Rankin, a passenger from
Vancouver, B. c., and marine engi-
neer, said:
Il was aroused by the noise and
ran out There was big pitch to the
deck. l really cannot tell you how the
accident occurred. heard the whistle
| blow when | reached the deck. There
was heavy fog and you could hardly
see so yards Five minutes after the
collision the fog lifted. The boats on
the lower side were in the water and
four or five of them got away and
saved many people.
81 think that if the collier had kept
her bow in the hole she had made in
the Ireland's side, she would have
been able to make the shore and prob
ably have saved every one"
Chief Engineer Sampson, who re-
manned in the engine room until the
fires were drowned and the lights ex-
tinguished, was too i'll to appear and
his testimony was taken at his bed
side.
81 was in the engine room until
the lights went out and there was no
! more steam" he said. II had great
difficulty in reaching the decks, owing
to the great list of the ship. No sooner
had | got on deck when the boats of
the port side, which had broken loose
swept down on top of us and carried
US under water. When | came to the
surface l found myself under life
boat and entangled in wreckage.
Wireless Operators Story.
William James, wireless operator at