The Watertown weekly leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1912-1917, 1914-06-02
1854 KILLED WHEN ?
BIG SHIPS COLLIDE
Rammed by Collier, the Steamer
Empress Of Ireland Sinks in
St. Lawrence River.
REScUERS COME T0G LATE
pnly 433 Of 1852 Persons on soard
Ocean Liner Bound for Liverpool
Are Saved-Crash Comes Dur
ing Heavy Fog.

Rimouski. Que, May 30.-Sinking in
ninety feet of water within fifteen min
otes after being rammed amidships In
the upper reaches Of the st. Lawrence
river, early Friday, the Canadian Pa
cific liner, Empress of Ireland, carried
down with her 964 of her passengers
and crew. OF the 1857 persons on
board the liner, only 40s are known to
have been saved, making the probable
death list 964.
Looming up through the river mists
as the Empress Of Ireland was lying
to, waiting for the fog to lift or day
TO break, the Danish collier Storstad
crashed bow on into the side of the big
Canadian liner. striking her about mid.
way of her length and ripping her wide
open clear to the stern. The crash
occurred not far from the shore of
Father point, 150 miles from Quebec,
Thursday afternoon. bound for Liver
pool.
Send Wireless Appeal.
Immediately the ships crew recover.
ed from the shock Of the collision and
1t was seen that the liner had received
a vital blow, wireless IS. 0. s." call
was sounded
The hurried appeal was picked up
by the government mail tender Lady
Evelyn here and the government pilot
boat Eureka at Father Point and both
at once set out to the rescue. So deep
was the hurt of the Empress, however,
and SO fast the thrush of waters, that
long before either of the rescue boats
could reach the scene, the liner had
gone down.
Only floating wreckage and a few
life boats and RATS from the steamer
Duoylng up less than third of those
who had set sail on her, were to be
found. The rest had sunk s-ith the
liner, had been crushed to death in
the Storstad's impact with her. or had
been forced from exhaustion and ex.
posure in the ice-chilled northern wa.
ters to loose their hold on bits OF
wreckage that had supported them and
had drowned.
Storstad Rescues Few.
Only few persons were picked up
by the Storstad. which was badly Grip
pied itself by the collision, and these
were brought here by the collier, to.
gether with those saved by the Eu.
reka and the Lady Evelyn. Twenty
two OF the rescued died from injury
or exposure. The others, most of
whom had jumped in the boats or
plunged into the water from the sink.
Ing liner scantily clad, were placed on
board train and taken to Quebec.
The horror of the interval during
which the Empress of Ireland was ra
pidly filling and the frightened
throngs on board it were hurrying ev-
cry effort TO escape before it sank,
was added to by an explosion which
quickly followed the ripping and tear
Ing given the liner by the Storstad q
bow.
Capt. Kendall Shows Heroism.
Capt. Kendall stood on his bridge as
the ship went down. One of the boats
from the liner picked him up and he
directed its work of saving others un.
til the craft was loaded. The captain
was injured In the crash and suffered
from exposure, but his hurts are not
dangerous.
In all 1857 persons were aboard the
Empress when the crash came. OF
these 433 are known to have been res
cued by the government steamers Eu.
reka and Lady Evelyn, which answer.
ed the sinking liners wireless call to
Father Point to "Save our Ship"
More than twenty of the passengers
and crew who escaped death when the
ships crashed or when the liner sank
perish I'd from exposure after being
picked up by the rescuing ships. The
lempature was 36 and those who float.
ed on life rats or wreckage on the
chill ST. Lawrence suffered terribly
before help came.
Only Twelve Women Saved.
Only twelve women were saved
when the Empress was sunk, accord.
Ing to dispatches received here. They
say that most of the survivors were
members of the crew, as the passen-
gers, In their berths, had little chance
to escape, owing to the rapid sinking
Of the ship. Many of the passengers,
It is reported, we're killed In their
berths when the bow of the Storstad
crashed through the Empress side.
The Empress of Ireland was built
In 1906. She was a twin screw steam-
er, 54s feet long with all modern equip
ment, including wireless and subma-
rine signalling. The steamer Storstad.
Captain Andersen, is vessel Of 1851
tons registered, built for the coal
trade.