The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1914-05-30
SANK TO BOTTOM
WITHIN Is MINUTES
Empress Was Lying to in
the Upper Reaches Of St.
Lawrence River Waiting
for Fog to Lift When She
Was Rammed Anidships
by the Danish Collier
Storsad.
BY ASSOCIATED PRESS.

Rimouski, Qubec, May 29-More
than nine hundred passengers and
crew of the Canadian Pacific liner
Empress of Ireland went down when
that vessel sank In the upper reaches
of the St. Lawrence river in ninety
feet of water this morning, fifteen
minutes after having been ramIned
amidships by the Danish collier Stor-
sad. OF the 1867 persons on board.
only 433 are known saved, making a
probably death list of 934.
The Empress was lying to awaiting
a heavy fog to lift when the Storsad
crashed head-on. ripping the side open
to the stern. The Storsad, which was
badly damaged, rescued many while
the Empress sent out wireless distress
calls. The government mail boat Lady
Evelyn and pilot boat Eureka. a few
miles away, went to her aid.
Though the liner was going to sea
from Quebec to Liverpool, the collision
in the river was within sight Of land
but when the rescuing boats arrived,
the vessel was at the bottom and the
few persons saved were chnging to
the floating wreckage. Few life boats
and rafts were launched. The remain
ing passenger and crew were either
CIukhed to death by the impact or
forfed to relinquish their hold on the
wreckage by ice chilled water. Twen-
ty-two of the rescued died from in
women We're all rescued.
OF those saved, crew members and
third-Cl passengers predominated.
From the partial lists available it was
evident but a mere sprinkling of the
first cabin passengers were saved.
Only three names of those in the Cab
ins appeared in the preliminary lists
of rescued. They were G. w. G, Hen
derson and G. r. Burt, address un
stated, and Walter FentOn of Man
chester. Eng.
WAS CUT WIDE OPEN.
The vessel, outbound from Quebec
for Liverpool with II first, 206 second
and 504 third-class passengers was
cut wide open by the collier Storstad
and sank within twenty minutes in
nineteen fathoms of water. OF those
saved the majority appeared to be
members of the crew or from the
and % died after being picked up.
The crash occurred about o'clock
this morning off Father Point, Quebec
a village brought into prominence
when DR.. Crfppen the London muir
derer, was caught. The collier, bound
for Quebec, struck the Empress of Ire
land on the port side about the middle
of the ship. She literally tore her way
back almost to the liners screws,
leaving a rent through which the
water poured in such a deluSe that she
Were aware of what had happened
Brief wireless calls for help sent out
by the Marconi operator We're heard
by the Pilot boat Eureka here, ten
miles from the scene and the Eureka,
followed by the Lady Evelyn. a mail
slender, put on forced steam and made
all speed for the spot.
1t was these two boats that found
afoat the few life boats that were
launched from the stricken ship and
picked up the survivors they con-
sAined. Three hundred and thirty-nine
were saved by the Lady Evelyn and
sixty by the Eureka, Among those
saved was Captain II. G. Kendall, OF
the Empress.
Most of the first-Class passengers
apparently perished Among those in
the first cabin were Sir Henry Seton
karrs a noted English lawyer and big
game hunter, and Laurence Irving. son
OF the late Sir Henry Irving and his
Continued on Page Two.)