New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-05-31
have done It. as q seaman should have
known that"

have done Il, as q seaman should have
known that"
There was wind2"
1T was quite still"
when he backed away I shouted to
him 20 stand by. did not hear any
explosion. but when a ship goes down
like that there is bound 10 be great
deal OF air and the air pressure causes
that"
How many boats were there on the
Empress?"
Between thirty and forty. There
were boats for everybody. She had
boats for over 1000 people"
There was no panic. had full con-
troll 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 En-
press's boat and by the wreckage.
THE Storstad had three or four OF his
boats, and he pulled around and took
people of the wreckage. He did not
get many. / passed a couple OF his
boats and he only had three persons In
them"
Chief Engineer Sampson. who re-
NAMED in the engine room until the
fres were drowned and the lights were
extinguished, was too Ill TO appear, and
his testimony was taken 1t his bed
side.
Stayed While Steam Lasted.
81 was in the engine room until the
lights went out and there was no more
steam" he said. IL had great DIM
Guilty in reaching the decks. owing to
the great list Of the ship. No sooner
had got on deck when tho boats OF
the port side which had broken loose
swept down on top Of US and carried
W under water. When ! came to the
surface I found myself under . life-
boat and entsngled In wreckage. I
was finally pulled into one Of the boats.
and could see the collier about mile
and half away.
Immediately before the collision we
went full speed astern and then
stopped. Then / got the order full
speed ahead. but had only started the
engines when the crash came. We
then kept her full speed ahead to try
TO reach the shore. as long as we had
steam. Owing to the steam failing US.
and then the lights also, we could keep
the engines going for only few mo-
ments
There was no explosion OF any kind.
I saw no reason why the collier did not
keep much closer than she did, as. II
she had, there would have been many
lives saved. I am also Of the opinion
that had she stuck to us we should
have reached the shore"
william James, wireless operator at
Father Point. told Of being awakened
by his assistant at :55 a. m. by the
news that the Empress had been IN
collision with another ship. He then
took charge and forwarded tho word %
the Lady Evelyn and the Eureka The
Empress gave no reply further than to
say that she was twenty miles from
Rimouski.
Captain Belanger OF the Eureka told
Of the trip he had made to the scene
of the wreck. He was not sure on his
first trip Of the exact position where
she had sunk. On the second, how
ever he could tell from the boiling up
from beneath Of the muddy and dis
colored water where the wrecked ves-
sci lay He told Of gathering what
bodies he could And.
After a moments elaboration by the
jury 1t was decided TO adjourn the in
quest for one week. In the meantime
Coroner Pinault will consult with the
District Attorney with the purpose Of
determining what may be done toward
securing the evidence OF the captain
and crew Of the Storstad, which ar
rived at Quebec to-day and proceeded
to Montreal to land her cargo.
At 8 o'clock this afternoon the Cana
dian government steamer Lady Grey,
with ensigns half-masted, left here for
Quebec bearing 175 bodies in collins.
No other bodies have been found, and
1t is believed that the greater number
Of those lost were imprisoned inside the
hull Of the Empress.