The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1914-06-02
BIG STEAMER SINKS
In SIGHT OF LAND
954 PERSONS LOST WHEN SHIP
GOES DOWN.
Sinks Within Fifteen Minutes After
Being Struek-435 Are Saved.

Rimouski, Quebec, May. 29.-Of a
total 1887 persons on board the Can
adian Pacific liner Empress of Ireland
when she sailed yesterday from Que
bee for Liverpool, 954 were lost when
the liner was rammed by the Danish
collier Storstad and sunk 10 minutes
later off Father Point in the st. Law
renee river before daylight today, ac-
cording to revised figures late tonight.
Only 433 are known to have been saw
ed.
OF the 81 first cabin passengers the
late figures show 20 to have been saved.
Of the 153 in the second cabin 20 were
rescued; of me 715 third class passen-
gers there were 101 survivors, While
237 df the crew of 432 were brought
ashore.
These figures account for the 396
survivors landed here and taken by
train to Quebec, wnere they arrived
tonight. There remained here 81 res
cued, unclassifed, completing the total
of 433 known survivors.
Abou, 800 bodies of dead from the
Empress of Ireland lie tonight in the
sheds at the wharf here. Some have
been identified and claimed. One of
the bodies is that of a woman, child
tightly clasped in her arms.
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 bowen into the side of the
big Cadadian liner, striking her about
midway of her length and ripping her
side open clear TO the stern.
The crash occurred not far from the
shore off Father Point, $50 miles from
Quebec, which the Empress 0i Ireland
left yesterday afternoon bound for
Liverpool, and ten miles from this
point on the St. Lawrence. In reality,
therefore, although the liner was head
ing for the sea and the collier coming
in from it, the disaster was not one
OF the ocean but of the river. Unlike
the Titanic's victims, the Empress Of
ireland lost their lives within sight of
shore-in landlocked waters.
Calls for Help.
Immediately the ships crew recov-
cred from the shock CT the collier and
it was seen that the liner had received
a vital blow wireless IS. O. 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
sent 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 beats
could reach the scene the liner had
gone down. Only fioa ing wreckage
and few lifeboats and RATS from the
steamer, buoying up less than third
of those who had set sail on her, were
TO be found. The rest had sunk with
the liner, had been crushed to death
in the Storstads impact with her, or
had been forced from exposure in the
ice chilled waters to lose their hold
on bits of wreckage and had drowned.
StOrssld Badly Crippled.
Only few persoas were picked up
by the Storstad, watch was badly Grip
pied herself, and these were brought
here by the collier, together with
those saved by the Eureka and Lady
Evelyn. twenty-five of the rescued
died from injuries or exposure. Tne
others, mcst Of whom had jumped
into the boats or plunged into the
water fro mtae sinking liner scantily
clad, were given such clo,hing as the
town could supply, and later those
that could travel were placed on
board a train and started FOR Quebec,
where they arrived tonight
Accounts agree that in the brief
space of time-not more than IA min
utes-between the shock of the COL
lision and the sinking Of the liner,
there was little chance for systematic
marshalng of fhe passengers. Every
thing indicate tha Hundreds probably
never reached the decks. Few women
we're among the saved, not more than
a dozen, the lists make it appear.
Couldn't Rouse Sleepers.
"The stewards did not have time TO