South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1914-06-01
Tried in Vain TO save wife.

Magnus Luren. a Norwegian. who
list his wife. said.
There was an explosion which
knocked my wife myself and many
other persons into the water. God
knows 1 did my best 10 save my wife
from drowning, but she became pariic-
stricken and when ] tried Co support
her she struggled in my grasp and
nearly took both of us 10 the bottom.
My memory of those dreadful minutes
in the water is blurred. There was
Wreckage all about So I Clung 10 n
timber Ultil the Eureka came mp.
saw a woman floating by me- She was
nearly unconscious and came calling
save me, save me-. 1 clutched her
hair and pulled her half across the
timber. When we were landed at Ri
mouski the Canadian Pacific company
did little or nothing for us. had 10
go from cottage TO cottage to get some
thing TO eat The first day in Rimou-
ski CFriday) l had only two crackers
all day"
The morgue at the dock where the
Lady Grey landed her dead from Ri
mouski was re-opened today and the
pathetic task of relatives and friends
seeking TO identify the victims went
slowly on.
one sobbing mother in searh OF her
baby climbed upon twO-fOot bench
and leaned over on the creakins
boards. the better 10 view the face Of
a dead infant. the tiniest victim Of
them all Not quite satisfied, she lift
ed the upper lip and looked for the
first tooth. II was not there. She
turned away i'm silence. The baby IS
still unidentified in the little home
made coffin. scarce two feet long.
George Zuk, OF Toronto, native Of
Switzerland. lost his wife and two
children. aged six and three. When
he entered the funeral shed he was
overcome and beca me hysterical Two
marines and his brother quieted him.
The red coats and white helmets OF
the men from the cruiser Essex gave
the only touch of color 20 the scene.
Zuk found his young child, "a pretty
boy Of three years and pressed his
face against the white cloth that Gov
cred the little corpse. The tiny body
was nude. There was black and
blue mark across his forehead and his
legs and hands We're deep purple
from the cold
CRYING and moaning. the father
pulled the sheet from the cold and
silent figure and pressed his hand over
the stilled heart. Then he caught one
Of the little hands and squeezed II
lightly in his own while the tears ran
down his cheeks. The crow q stood
bv. most OF whom were on similar
errand, stood with uncovered. bowed
heads
"Baby's row" in the morgue con-
tanned twenty-four little collins, each
holding the lifeless corpse Of an In
nocent The children stood no chance
10 save themselves when the Empress
foundered unless picked up immedi-
ately by strong swimmers OF lifeboats-
There were nearly as many women
as men in the first consignment OF
dead and scarcely a dozen OF them
was fully dressed. Practically all
were in their night garments, having
been caught in their sleep by the sud
denness of the disaster. Some Of tho
bodies Of the dead were stark naked
Thev we're encased in a motley array
of cofins and hurried 20 the morgue.
Some bore little crucihXes, insignia OF
tbe Roman Catholic church. There
were caslzets of mahogany beside un-
painted pine boxes which had been
hurriedly thrown together 20 answer
the pressing needs Of the moment