Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-06-28
c. S. Haight Tries to Show
Golfers Chief Was Not
Responsible.
CALLS ATTENTION TO
SERIOUS DISCREPANCIES
Attorney Implies Kendall and Wit.
nesses Deliberately Told False
Tale Of Disaster.

QUEBEC. Que. June 27.-Contentions
that the story submitted to the Empress
of Ireland wreck commission by Capt
Kendall and officers of the lost liner was
false, that the present heading Of the
sunken hull proves the Storstad's owners
convictions as to how the collision oc-
Cured. and that Capt Kendall of the
Empress, unnerved by the appearance of
the collier after his steering gear had
broken down. lost his head. formed the
main part of the address made this
morning by c. s. Haight, summing up
for the golfers owners. He attempted
to show that the Golfers captain was
not at fault for the collision. which was
stopped directly in the path of the Stor-
stad. His speech required four hours.
What man." asked the lawyer.
would be brave enough to face the
world and declare that on clear night
he had placed his vessel across the bows
of another?
Gives an Explanation.
IF the steering gear Of the Empress
broke down. continued Mr.. Haight,
there was an explanation for one Of
the most surprising movements ever
known at sea-"
no IeIeTfeQ 10 The teSllMOuy VI SdPI-
Kendall that when he met the fog he
had put his engine full speed astern
from full speed ahead.
IT submit" he said, that there Is an
explanation to be found for this sur
prising order II 1t Is true that something
had gone wrong with his ships steering
gear. There must be some emergency
to make him put his engines full speed
astern when the vessels were from two
to four miles apart and on safe and
clearing course.
There are some serious discrepancies
in Capt Kendalrs story" continued Mr..
Haight. He said that sheet of fire
burst from the side Of the liner; no one
else saw 1t. He claimed, too. that there
had been a terrible impact, while the
wireless operator said the. Jar was very
slight
He swore that the impact swung the
vessel around six points Of the compass
said that was impossible. He swore. too.
that the Storstad rebounded from the
side Of the Empress like a rubber ball.
while tho expert said that could not hap
pen Worst of all, he sWore that after
the impact tho Storstad eacked -aNay--a
NIL: mile and left thousand people to per-
Lord Mersey, addressing Mr.. Haight,
said: Il :.
"Your case involves the conclusion that
Capt. Kendall. and his witnesses have de-
hberately placed a story before us that
Is false"
That is the effect Of it." the attorney
replied.
He Sees Inconsistency. E..
Counsel for the Empress of Ireland ar
sued that the opposing counsel had tried
to prove both that Capt Kendall Of the
Empress was to blame and that the ma
chinery of the vessel was faulty. 10th
Of these things could not be true, he con-
tended.
Edmund l. Newcombe. acting on be-
half of the Dominion government. said
he thought the facts which had been
brought out in the hearing were not in
consistent with the belief that the OFF,
GERS of the Storstad and Empress were
telling the truth and were not attempt
ing to mislead the court.
Mr.. Newcombe was of the opinion that
there had been faults on both sides: that
the Storstad should not have ported her
helm, and the Empress should not have
stopped in the course of the Storstad
when she could have gone safely on.
The commission has now ended it's
labors as far as the hearing Of evil
dence and the addresses of counsel are
concerned. After a private hearing to
be held next week a finding will be rem.
dered.