AFTER THE DISASTER.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume I, Issue 100, 3 June 1914, Page 7

AFTER THE DISASTER.

THE ST. LAWRENCE WRECK

SOME STARTLING ALLEGATIONS;

CAPTAIN KENDALL'S ACTIONS.

4 < STORSTAD . HAD THE RIGHT OF WAY." •

f By . Caile.—Press Association.—Oepyrioht- . ! MONTREAL, Jiipe '2.

Mrs Andresen ,asserted that after the Empress of Ireland sank she heard continuous, screams all around. Captain Andresen sent out lifeboats which picked up everyone it was ■ possible to rescue. . She was positive that Captain Kendall did not assist any of the passengers. Instead, he came aboard and lay,down in the Storstad's chartroom, while the liner's crew came aboard, refusing to go to v assist drowning passengers, stating that they were too numerous.

The agents of the Storstad state that the Empress of Ireland was seen off the port bow of the Storstad, the green light being visible, The rules of navigation gave the Storstad the right of way. The-Empress of Ireland's course was changed so as to pass safely. The fog then descended, and the Storstad's engines were slowed and then stopped. Her course remained unaltered, Whistles were heard from the Empress of Ireland and answered.

A green light was again seen through the fog, and the engines of the Storstad were sent astern. Way was nearly checked when the ships collided. The Storstad tried to keep her prow in the hole, but the Empress.of Ireland slewed away and disappeared. The Stofstad frequently whistled in order to locate the liher, but failed, and was then manoeuvred close to the Empress of Ireland. Boats were lowered, and everything possible done to assist those on the liner. The officers of the Storstad confirm the agents' statement. They declare that scores of people with lifebelts on were lying dead in the sea, the freezing water having benumbed them. LOST AND SAVED. LATEST. OFFICIAL RETURNS. The latest figures show that there were 1467 people aboard the Empress of 1 Ireland. ' Out of these the saved were as follow: First-class ~ ~ .., 35 Second-class •• •• .. 38 Thkd-class .. .. 3.64 , CreW\ .. >. 207, M Total .. .. ..444 The total loss of life was therefore 1023. ON THE DOOMED LINER. CONFUSION AND CHAOS. Staff-Captain M'lntyre, of the -Salvation Army, declared that there was unspeakable confusion aboard the Empress of Ireland. As the vessel lurched and listed people, climbed-to the higher decks. When the ship sank he was carried down yards by the swirling cataract. Keeping his head, after some fearful suffocating moments, he came to the surface, and grasped an overturned boat.

Bandsman Green, Salvationist, who lost his father, mother, and sister, said that the efforts to reach the deck were like climbing a wall. There was little panic, excepting among the foreigners. He saw one man push into a boat before a woman, and another man knocked him down. Salvationists sang "God be with you till we meet again," until the foundering caused an abrupt termination of the hymn. Dr Grant's efforts are unanimously praised. He relieved both physical and mental sufferings, an-1 brought order out of chaos. When taken aboard the Storstad he directed the laying-out of the bodies and arranged for a supply of dry clothing for the women.

NORWEGIAN WOMAN'S FATE

SYDNEY FAMILY SAFE,

RIMOUSKI, June 1

Starved and raving as a result of her experiences, a stalwart Norwegian woman, a passenger by the Empress of Ireland, was found wandering in the sand dunes clad in a single garment. Men sought to help her, but the woman ran off and was only caught when exhausted. She had forgotten her own name. She had apparently drifted in the water for eighteen miles, clinging to driftwood. She is unidentified as

yet. Advices have been received to the effect that Mr, Mrs and Miss Quartly, of Sydney, who were at first thought to have been passengers, are safe in London. They intended to join the Empress of Ireland, but sailed by an earlier steamer.

A HAPPY REUNION.

MISS TOWNSHEND'S EXPERIENCE.

QUEBEC, June 1

There was a happy reunion of the Greenways, Salvationists. They were on their honeymoon. They were separated in the commotion. The wife was blown into the water, burned and bruised. She was picked up by a man

-ona>'saiii '* ilßon't be oafrkldy j little giri," I have my "wife.'' He opened his coat and vest - and drew her close-to coat around her. -She replied, '' I have lost my husband.'' She did not remember anything more till she found herself aboard the Storstad. , The man on tlie raft was lost..

A boat had picked up Greenway

- Miss Townshend plunged among and was kicked by struggling victims, but she closed her eyes and. toek out bravely, never thinking of- the possibility of death by drowning. She swam a mile before being picked up.

THE BLOOMFIELD FAMILY.

CANADIAN CADETS! SYiii^TlJY*

VANCOtrVEri, June 2

The Cadets who visited New Zealand express keenest sympathy*, with the Bloomfield family, .During- their recent visit to the city the Cadets entertained them.

RIVAL FATHERS.

CLAIM FOR CHILD'S COFFIN,

(Received June 3, 8 a.m.) QUEBEC, June. 2,

The Mayor had to decide the parentship of a child who waa- killed in the Empress of Ireland,. and which two fathers claimed.

The Mayor compared the features of the fathers .who claimed it, alfiO; those of thie dead' mother, and awarded' the coffin to a Toronto claimant.

CREW MONOPOLISE LIFEBELTS.

A PASSENGER'S INDICTMENT.

Mr Lionel Kent, of Montreal, declares that the crew of the Empress of Ireland knew the whereabouts of the lifebelts, with which they provided themselves, left the passengers to search vainly for them.

WHO IS RIGHT?

CAPTAINS' CONFLICTING STORIES

(Received June 3, 10.45 a.m.) LONDON, June 2.

The newspapers are giving prominence to the controversy oh tlie question of whether the Empress of Ireland was moving ahead as' the captain of the Storstad avers, or whether it Was at a standstill as Captain Kendall asserts. ,

THE ENQUIRY COMMISSION,

DETAILS OF APPOINTMENTS. (Received June 3, 9.10 a.m.) MONTREAL, June 2. ' The 'Government'-'has' appointed. Sir Adblph Routhier and < this 'Honourable lEzekiel M'Leod, while the British 'Board of Trade has appointed ;Mr George Vaux to comprise the Commission of Enquiry into the loss of the Empress of Ireland. Lord Morley will represent Britain on the Empress of Ireland enquiry.

A CALLOUS OFFICER. THE STORSTAD' S KING'S SERIOUS charges:." (Received June 3, 11.55 aim.) QUEBEC, June 2. Great difficulty is experienced in identifying the Empress of Ireland's victims, owing to the mutilated state of the bodies.

It is apparent that many were killed instantly, owing to striking the wreckage or being crushed by the Storstad's impact. Mr Louis Gosselin, K.C., has declared that the Storstad's captain did nothing. When Mr Gosselin reached the Storstad, after being for an hour in a collapsible boat, Mr Gosselin appealed to him to assist the drowning persons, but the captain merely looked at him. Mr Gosselin is willing to swear that no boats were launched from the Storstad, her crew standing idle on the deck when Mr Gosselin appealed to them '' for God's sake they ought to do something." Mr Lionel Kent, another passenger, confirmed Mr Gosselin's statement. He says the Storstad <iid not put out any boats for a, considerable time after the collision. DESPERATE EFFORTS.

IN LINER'S ENGINE-ROOM

The chief engineer, Mr Sampson, says a desperate effort was made to beach the Empress of Ireland, but the engines were useless. After the lights had been put Out Mr Sampson told the men to save themselves. They then scrambled up the ladder which then, owing to the vessel's list, formed part of the ceiling of the engineroom. The men crawled out on the'derrick posts when some of the vessel's top hamper fell, carrying them into the water.

IDENTIFYING THE VICTIMS.

A DIFFICULT MATTER,

The identification of Mrs WynnPrice of New Zealand was made after about sixteen members of the crew had elaiiiied that the body was that of a stewardess.

Some doubt still exists as to whether the body of Laurence Irving has been found. Identification was by means of a ring with liis initials, but there were other passengers with the same initials who wore also lost.