MUCH-BEREAVED WOMAN

Evening Post, Volume LXXXVII, Issue 128, 1 June 1914, Page 7

MUCH-BEREAVED WOMAN

ANXIOUSLY AWAITS NEWS. {Received June 1, 10 a.m.) ' LONDON, 31eb May. Among the watchers for news in London wore Captain Kendall's niece, Mrs. Wild. Her brother Frederick was; aJi officer on the Empress of Ireland. Her father was drowned off the Britannic, her husband, who wais chief officer of tho Titanic, perished when that vessel went down, and her brother, George Evans (who was sixth .officer of the Titanic) was also drowned. POIGNANT SCENES OF GRIEF AT THE LONDON OFFICES OF THE C.P.R. DAT OF ALTERNATING HOPES AND FEARS. LONDON, 30th May. Poignant scenes of grief are occurring at the London offices of tho CanadianPacific Company in King William-street, which are besieged by hysterically anxious crowds of people clamouring for news of relatives or friends. Yesterday wan a day of alternating hopes and fears, and as the hours wore slowly on the depression became intensified by the absence of names of survivors. Many people then determined to keep an all-night vigil in the. hope of being rewarded by news of the safety of those they were anxious about. The majority were interested in members of the crew, while numbeiß of theatrical artists mingled with the crowd and enquired despairingly for word of Mr. and Mrs. Irving's fate. The company's offices in North John and James streets, Liverpool, continued to be euriounded at a late hour last might by grief-filricken. women and children, while men, maintaining a stoical speechlessness, struggled grimly through the press to obtain a glimpse of the latest messages displayed in the windows. Many people had ]imbs N broken by splintering timber and rending ironwork at the moment of the crash. . There wais ■no time to arouse all tho passengers. MR. IRVING'S DEATH Mr. Laurence Irving tied a, lifebelt aTound his wife when the word came to ,go on deck. As tho vessel lurched Mr. Irving Was thrown against a door, his face being badly cut. He then carried his wife upstaim A fellow-passenger offered to help, but Mr. Irving said : "Look after yourself, old man. God bless you. all tho same." Both climbed over the rail as the explosion occurred, and were not seen aagin. CONFIRMATION OP FIGURES QUEBEC, 31st May. The final official total of the Empress's dead places the number at 1032 and of tho saved at 353. INTERESTING INCIDENTS •'DON'T LOSE YOUR HEADS." "THE WOMEN FIRST." HUNDREDS DROWNED IN THEIK SLEEP. (Received June 1, 9 a.m.) LONDON, 31st May. English correspondents in Canada give details of many interesting incidents. O\er a million dollars' worth of silver was losl in tho wreck. Of WO Toronto people aboard the Empress of Ireland 108 were drowned. Of 160 Salvationists, including delegates to (he London Congress, twoiity-Uvo only wove rescued. The Storslafl's bow was smashed for a length of 15ft , and the anchors weie driven into the hull. Mr. and Mis. Neville were returning to England, after ft tour with Mr, li y-

When the vessel struck, Captain Kendall shouted to the crew : "Keep your heads ! Don't get excited !" His order to the stewards was : "Get the people out of the corridors. Don't forget — women and children first." Captain Kendall bade Mr. Hayes, the purser, farewell on the bridgo when the water was lapping their feet. Ho gave a passenger his lifebelt. Hayes and Kendall jumped together. Hayes was soon picked up ; Captain Kendall was found later clinging to the wreckage. Hundreds were drowned \n their sleep. Sir Henry Seton-Karr insisted on Mr. Darling, of Shanghai, taking his lifebelt. Mr. Darling was saved. SURVIVORS ALMOST NAKED STAND SHIVERIjNG ON THE WHARVES. TERRIFYING RAPIDITY OF THE DISASTER. \ QUEBEC, 29th May. Most of the survivors stood on ' the wharves almost naked. The temperature was 36 deg. Tin* majority are in a state of collapse. The terrifying rapidity of the disaster apparently affected their brains, and they are unable to give a coherent account, except when they have awakened from the shock. Scores jumped into the perishingly cold water when tho collision occurred. INSURANCES ON THE VESSEL AND CARGO 51 FAVOURITE BOAT. QUEBEC, 29th May. Tho insurances on the Empress of Ireland total £400,000, and there is £50,000 on the cargo. The vessel was one of the most popular ships in the Canadian trade. She was double bottomed, and divided tfansversely by ten bulkheads, so that at normal draught any two adjoining compartments might be flooded without endangering her safety. The vessel carried sixteen lifeboats, capable of seating 764 persons ; twenty Englehardt collapsible boats, seating 920, and four Berthon boats, seating 170; also 2212 adult' and 150 children's life-jackets. REVISED FIGURES. ' LONDON, 30th May. The Empress of Ireland insurances pt Lloyd's were £27,000 on the hull, £200,000 on freight and cargo, and £100,000 freight and disbursements, \vhih> individual policies on passengers' lives and effects are estimated at £100,000. CONTRADICTORY REPORTS RENEWED SENSATION IN LONDON AND LIVERPOOL. LONDON, 29th May. Reuter's Agency states that Lloyd's and the shipping companies all confirm the loss of at least six hundred persons. There was renewed sensation in London and Liverpool at 6 o'clock, when the Canadian Pacific Company published reports from the captains of the Lady Evelyn and the Eureka, that no lives had been lost, that they landed four hunched persons, and were returning to pick up the balance of the passengers and cre.w in the lost ships' liieboats. The facts are still doubtful, cablegrams, contradictory of one another, arriving in any order. TERRIFIC IN ITS SUDDENNESS SURVIVORS' STORIES. REPORTED PANIC. MEN AND WOMEN RUSH FROM THEIR CABINS. *> QUEBEC. 29th May. Storips by survivors indicate that after the collision, which is described as terlific in its suddenness and foice, a panic broke out. Men and women rushed fiom their cabins, and some on leaching tho upper deck were hurled olt' over the aide jyto the j'lver owing to £h« ftf-fioft

angle of the dock as the vessel settled. Parents were separated from their children, and husbands from wives, never to meet a-gain alive. Search for survivors continues amongst the wreckage floating in the river. Five persons who were found clinging to some wreckage are &till alive, but are unlikely to survive the exposure. > Dr. Grant, the ship's surgeon, had a remarkable experience. He went down with the vessel, but managed to escape through a porthole, and saved many lives owing to his coolness and capable direction of the measures taken to render medical attention when the survivors were picked up. Another account states that the doctor was penned in his cabin, but got his head through a porthole, and a })assenger pulled him through, the doctor being afterwards picked up. EXPLOSION IN THE BOILER ROOM Mr. Philip Lawlur, a steerage passenger, in describing what happened/ atseitf. that tho explosion in the boiler j room was the rotil cause of the vessel's sinking so lapidly. People were shot out troni the broken side like peas from a pod. Mr. Lawlor, with his wife and son, slipped overboard, as they were unable to stand on the sloping deck. Mrs. Lawlor slipped* from her husband's grasp, and _ was drowned, but Lawlor senior and junior were rescued. Another woman v leaped from tho sinking steamer and swam around awaiting succour for nearly an hour. She was then picked up, but died on board the tug which rescued her. Captain Kendall, who had been | standing on the bridge when the Empress went down, was found clinging to some wreckage, and was picked up by a lifeboat, of .which he assumed ! command. Seventy-three people were saved by his boat, which afterwards rowed around the wreck for three hours in the hope of saving more. THERE WAS NO PANIC Mr. Duncan, a Londoner, who survived the horrors of Thursday night, states that the first intimation of disaster was a terrific crash and a frightful rending of plates as the Storstad ground her way along the liner's side after striking. The Empress immediately heeled over as the water rushed into the great liner as she lay for a moment like a. huge sea animal wounded unto death. Though there was a sufficiency of lifeboats, it was impossible to launch many of them owing to the heavy list, which was rapidly getting worse. Mr. Duncan says there was no panic, though^ there was some confusion,' in the midst of which the ship gave a great lurch, and the passengers who had gained the deck rolled across the slanting planks and into the sea. were crying and praying, while men were shouting orders or appeals for aid. The cries continued until the icy waters closed over the struggling people, ending their sufferings. Mr, Duncan says he swam about, for an hour before he was rescued, lie frequently felt the bodies of -dead men under his feet. WARM PRAISE FOR OFFICERS. Warm praise is given by Mr. Duncan to the officers of the Empress for their conduct during those few min- | ute« of awful horror. They behaved | splendidly, facing death fearlessly. Captain Kendall remained on the bridge until the ship sank. Mr. Duncan was at last picked up and taken aboard the Storstad. He says many of those who were rescued wero in a state of ra.ving madness as a result of the shock and exposure. IF THE STORSTAD HAD NOT BACKED OUT Dr. Johnson, a medical officer in the service of the Canadian Pacific Company, expresses the opinion that if the Storstad had not backed- out after she hit the Empress, many more people would have been saved. Mr. M Intyre, one of tho Salvation Army delegates, says that after the collision the Empress lay wallowing on her side for a few moments. Then an explosion, as the inryshing torrents of water reached the boilers, sent a burst of steam all over the vessel, which seemed to turn turtle, and then sank out of sight. The Empress's Marconi wireless operator stajtes that the Father Point station responded promptly to his "5.0.5." signal, but he was unable to talk, as the steamer's dynamos failed within five minutes. RESCUE OF MISS TOWNSHEND Miss Townshend swam alongside Mr. Clinton Burt, a motor-car manufacturer, until she caught a suit-case which held up Miss Townshend until the Storstad picked her up. Mrs. Price, Miss Townshend's aunt, was lost. After she had been rescued Miss Townshend busied herself among the rescued, heroically aiding those who were the worst stricken. Mr. Duncan declared that every one of the crew acted like men, attempting to rouse the women. The placed numbers of lifebelts on the deck, in readiness when those below should reach there. When Mr. Duncan was thrown into the water by the ship's lurch, five men attempted to grasp him, and he was obliged to' fight them off. Otherwise he would have been drowned. The rapidity with which the vessel careened and sank made it impossible ty do more than was done. The whole thing was like a terrible nightmare from which one might awaken at any moment. The thick fog, dark waters, and the sinking ship seemed wholly unreal. The passengers did not grasp their danger until they were thrown from their berths, or torrents of icy water fell in cascades down the companion-ways, drowning the people before they were able to make a single effort to save themselves. HORROR-STRICKEN WOMEN. Some of the women describe in horrorstricken tones how they slid down the deck into the icy waters, sinking and coming to the surface, grasping the wreckage, and being dragged into the boats half unconscious. One woman described the sensation as like that of boing chloroformed m order to undergo a surgical operation, and then reviving to find that death had taken some loved one. Those who were rescued are being cared for at Quebec. Many lost everything they possessed. CAPTAIN KENDALL'S ORDERS "DON'T GE¥~EXCITED." QUEBEC, Slst May. Mr. Thomas Smaitt, of Toronto, says Captain Kendall, when the crash came, was on the bridge. He shouted : "Keep your heads there. Don't get excited.' 1 Then ho ordered the stewards to assist tho passengers, shouting : "Women and children first ! Break open any locked doors." There was so much sci earning and moaning that although the captain spoke through a megaphone his voice was drowned. When told by the ship's doctor tiiat his ship was lost Captain Kendall buried his face beneath a tarpaulin on which ho was lying after the rescue, and cried as if heartbroken. Several passengers assert that the lifeboats fell from the port davits and crashed across the sloping deck, killing passengers by jamming them against the further rails. XL ie now iwogiUhied, Vhat » iMitie

Thompson, a New Zealander, is among those saved. No Australians were lost in the wreck. SALVATION ARMY'S HEAVY LOSS PROMPT ACTION. NEW DELEGATES FOR CONGRESS IN LONDON. QUEBEC, 30lh May. The Salvation Army lost heavily by the disaster. The whole of the Territorial Force for Canada was wiped out, including Commissioner Rees. Members of the Army promptly held a meeting here and organised a new set of delegates to the International Congress ,100111 to open in London. These representatives were despatched by the next outgoing steamer, an Army band playing them through the streets, the hymn "God be With You till we Meet Again" being rendered repeatedly. Ensign Piigmire, of the Salvation Army, who is amongst the saved, declares that all his comrades "died like Salvationists." Commissioner Rees ran back to rescue his wife. Another Salvationist tried to save him, but failed. Major At well swam half a mile, carrying his wife on his back, and then, when succumbing through cold and exhaustion, the wife kept her husband's head up. Both were saved. Another Salvationist described the walking down the side of the careened ship > as being just like walking down a sloping beach into the sea. There was no disturbance, and little panic. Once the ship turned sideways it was simply like entering the water in order to take a swim. SEARCHING ENQUIRY PRECAUTIONARY MEASURES INEFFECTIVE. NEWSPAPER COMMENT. QUEBEC, 50th May. The Government has ordered a search-" ing enquiry to be made into all the ch 1 * cuinstances of the collision LONDON, 30th May. Tho newspapers to-day, in commenting upon the St. Lawrence tragedy ? emphasise the point that the nature ot this disaster has rendered ineffective many of the precautionary measures adopted, since the loss of the Titanic, with the idea, of securing' a greater degree of safety at sea. STORSTAD AT QUEBEC DISASTER DUE ENTIRELY TO THE FOG. WHICH SHUT-DOWN VERY .QUICKLY. QUEBEC, 31st May. The Stofstad has arrived here. Captain Anderson came in her, and declared wjien questioned that the collision was entirely due to the fog, which shut down on both vessels quickly. The Storstad picked up 300 persons, and transferred them later to the Government vessels. This fact gave rise to the belief that more people were rescued than those at first reported. The Storstad's bows are stove in, and an anchor lost, having sunk with the Empress. SIGNALS TO THE STORSTAD. Captain Kendall, of the Empress, is incapacitated through nervous shock, and is speechless. It is understood that Captain Kendall signalled in the customary way, indicating that the Empress was maintaining her course. The officers' of the- Empress assert that the Storstad answered the signals, but failed to change her course. The Empress was moving slowly when the Storstad struck her full on the side. * / I RELIEF TRAIN DERAILED ENORMOUS CROWDS AT RAILWAY STATION, HYSTERICAITsURVIVORS. QUEBEC, 30th May. A relief train which was conveying a special emergency staff of C.P.R. men to Rimouski was derailed, but a second one was promptly despatched in its place and brought the survivors to Quebec. Enormous crowds awaited the arrival at the Intercolonial Railway Company's station at Lewis, across the rivei^ from this city, of the relief train bringing survivors from Rimouski. They were still too hysterical to be nble to give a coherent account of the disaster. INQUEST OPENED PAPTAIN KENDALL VERX' DEPRESSED.. HIS EVIDENCE. WARNING GIVEN" TO STORSTAD. QUEBEC, 31st May. The Coroner opened an investigation at Rimouski regarding the deaths of victims of the Empress of Ireland disaster. Captain Kendalk lias recovered from the effects of his immersion, but is very depressed. Ho was the chief witness. He staled that ha saw the Storstad two miles off. Before the fog obliterated her he stopped the ship and whistled three short blasts. The Storstad replied with one long blast. Some minutes later the Storstad loomed up in the fog a ship's length away. He megaphoned to her to backwater, and himself went_ full speed ahead, hoping to avert a collision. Afterwards bo asked the Stotatad to continue full speed ahead in tho hope that she would iill the hole, but the Storstad backed. He failed to beach tho Empress because her engines became useless in three minutes. She filled rapidly when the Storstad backed. Tho captain added that he saw the fogbank approaching. He had plenty of time to prepare, and took every precaution humanly possible. The behaviour of the officers and crew was beyond praise. The chief engineer, Mr._ Sampson, gave evidence that he remained in tho engine-room until the lights went out and the steam had gone. He soon reached the deck. Tho lifeboats broke loose . and swept numbers under the water, including Mr. Sampson, who was entangled in the wreckage, and narrowly escaped. He scrambled into a boat. Ho could see the collier a mile and &■ half distant. Immediately before tho collision the Empress went full speed astern and stopped. Ho then got tho order "Full speed ahead," but had only stavted the engines when the crash came. There was no explosion of any kind. If tho collier had kept closer to the Empress's side many lives would have been saved. If she had pushed against the hole tho Empress could have reached the shore before sinking. Tho inquest was adjourned for a week. FURTHER DETAILS OF CAPTAIN'S EVIDENCE x $ ■ ■ "FULL-SPEED AHEAD !"• HAD THE STORSTAD STOOD FAST. (Received June 1, 10.30 a.m.) QUEBEC. 31st May. Further examined at the inquest, Captain Kendall declared thai b-Q gave tie

order "full-speed ahead" in order to attempt to beach the Empress of Ireland. He ordered the lifeboats out and directed that wireless rails be despatched. Tho vessel went down too rapidly. Witness was shot from the bridge while giving directions. He seized a piece of grating. Later, when nearly unconscious, sortie people pulled him into a boat. He took command of the boat, which rescued numbers of struggling people. He put ten men over the side, attached to ropes, and dragged them safely. After leaving the first boatload aboard the Slorstad, Captain Kendall returned for another boatload, but was unable to find anyone alive. It wbb impossible for the Storstad's captain to have failed to hear witness's order to' sta^nd fast and not go astern. Even if life had not heard the call to keep ahead, as a seaman he ought to have known what to do. There was no explosion, but the escaping steam might have made a noise like one. The Empress of Ireland carried ample boats; there was room for hundreds more 'than were aboard. The people saved were those who were able to cling to wreckage or vrho managed to get aboard the boats which witness had cut free. These boats floated off when the vessel sank. The Storstad rescued only a few of the survivors. BODIES BROUGHT TO QUEBEC REMAINDER "OF THE DEAD. SUPPOSED TO BITIMPRISQNED IN SUNKEN VESSEL. (Received June 1, 10.30 a.m.) QUEBEC, 31st May. A Government steamer with her ensign half-masted brought 175 coffins to Quebec. It is believed the remainder of the dead are still imprisoned in the Empress of Ireland's hull. COLLIER DOCKED (Received June 1, 10 a.m.) QUEBEC, 31st May. The Storstad has been docked in order to ascertain the extent of the damage sustained by her. MAIL MATTER LOST QUEBEC, 31st May. Large quantities of valuable mail matter were lost. BOARD OP TRADE REPRESENTATIVES LEAVE FOR CANADA. (Received June 1, 11 a.m.) LONDON, 31st May. Two Board of Trade representatives have gone to Canada ,in connection with the wreck of the Empress of Ireland. ONE OF THE SADDEST OP MANY SCENES .WIDOW AND HER SON. (TIMES AND SYDNBY SUN SERVICES.) LONDON, 29th May. Perhaps ono of the saddest' of the many sad scenes witnessed at Liverpool to-day in connection with the Empress of Ireland 'disaster concerned a woman in mourning who had gone to an inur* ance office to claim insurance due on. a policy on the life of her late husband. While waiting to transact her business she heard the commissionaire do> scribing the collision to another man, She enquired the name of the ships, and on learning that one was the Empress of Ireland she fainted On _ the spot. Her son was a sailor on tho big liner, (PRESS ASSOCIATION.) WORLD-WIDE^ SYMPATHY MANSION HOUSE RELIEF FUND OPENED. QUEBEC, 29tlt May. Prinoe Alexander of Teck telegraphed to Mr. Burden (Canadian Prime Minister) on behalf of the ' King, expressing His Wlajesty'a condolences with the relatives of those who lost their lives. A relief fund has been opened for the benefit of survivors or relatives of the dead who may need assistance. ' The Government hae promised a large contribution to the fund. LONDON, 30th May. A Mansion House fund has been opened. President Poincare has telegraphed his personal condoknees to King George and an expression of the French peopled sympathy with Britain in this national disaster. , , KING'S DEEP GRIEF THE KAISER'S SYMPATHY. (Received Juno 1, 11 a.m.) LONDON, 31st May. His Majesty the King ha« sent to H.ft.H. the Duke of Cambridge (Gover- J nor-Oeneral of Canada) a cable message • expressing his deep grief at the awful j disaster, and his heartfelt sympathy with the mourners. The Kaiser has telegraphed to King George deploring the catastrophe, involving the loss of so many valuable livee. Queen Alexandra and Prince Henry of Prussia (the Kaiser's brother) have sent similar messages to His Majesty. IN THE CHURCHES AND CHAPELS KOTABLE SALVATION AltftfY SERVICES. (Received June 1, 11 a.m.) LONDON, 31st M*y. References to the disaster were made to-day in the churches and chapols throughout England. Notable were the services held by the Salvation Army, N.S.W. SYMPATHY (Received June 1, 9 a,m.) SYDNEY, This Day. The- Premier (Mr. Holman) has cabled to Canada a message of sympathy over the loss of tho Empress of Ireland*. Sympathetic reference to the disaster wa<s made in the various churches of the Commonwealth. NEW ZEALAND'S MESSAGE ' CANADIAN PREMIER'S REPLY. (Received June 1, 1 p.m.) ■ OTTAWA, 31st May. Mr. Borden (the Prime Minister) rend in the House of Commons Mr. Masdey's message of sympathy in ' the appalling losa of life and hearttelt condolence with the sufferers. Mr. Borden has replied expressing "deep and sincere appreciation of the message and profound sympathy for those- ot your Dominion who have been bereaved of relatives and mends m the disaster." *'NO TIME TO LOSE* AN ACTOR AND HIS WIFE, SIR H. SETON^KAMVS SELF, SACRIFICE. QUEBEC, 31st May, When the first shock of the collision had )>asssdi Mr. Laurence living and,

Ins wife secured lifebelts. "Dearie,** said Mr. Irving, "hurry; there's no time to lose." Mr. Irving placed a lifebelt around his wife, calmly donned his own, and then they climbed over the rail. As the huge vessel careened Mrs. Irving became terror-stricken, and her husband carried' her to the deck. Tho first explosion occurred as the Irvinga I prepared to leap into the water, and ap*. ? parently the shock killed them. t ' y Sir Henry Seton-Karr gave up lug , lifebelt lo another passenger, insistingon its acceptance, and saying he could easily get another for himself. He entered a cabin to procure one, and waa never seen again. Many women could easily have cs« caped, but they waited to procure articles of dress. AUSTRALIANS SUPPOSED TO HAVE BEEN ON EMPRESS BRAVE SALVATIONISTS. (Received June 1, 11.20 a.m.) SYDNEY. This Day. It is feared the lost passengers on the Empress of Ireland include Mr. Gabriel Marks, of the Suva] firm of H. Marks and Co., and his wife, who, were on eu world tour ; also, possibly, the father, mother, and brother of Colonel _ M'Mil* lan, of the Salvation Army Training Col* lege, Melbourne. They had announced their intention of travelling to the Lon». don conference with the Canadian dele* gates. According to advices received^ at the Army headquarters, the Salvationist death-roll aboard tho Empress of Ire* land waß 130. , A ca,blo message from General Bram«i well Booth states that he has sent Commissioner M'Kie to stand by the Cana* ditin forces, to whom ho pays high tribute for bravery. T.T.T. NEW WIRELESS CALL". FOB SAFETY AT SEA. (TIMES AND SYDNEY BUN SERVICES.) (Received Juno 1, 8 a.m.) LONDON, 30th May. An invention for securing safely of life at sea provides for a. new wireless call termed the "safety signal." It is to ba used a,t wireless .statious which have to transmit vessels urgent information concerning icebergs, derelicts, approaching storms, and other dangers. It consists of "IVJYI7I repeated at short internals for ten times nt full power. SIR HENRY SETON-KARR, Sir Henry Seton-Karr was born !»*• India, in 1853 and was educated at Harrow and Oxford (Corpus Christ! College), lie was called to the Bar in. 1879. Ho travelled and shot big game in Western America, British Columbia., and Norway.i He was interested in State colonisation, and was a member of the Royal _ Commission on Food Supplies in Time ofi War. He was M.P. (C.) for St. Helens, Lancashire, 1886-iyO6. He contested (C.) Berwicks, 1910. His publica-tiona include : —"The Call to Arms," 1900-1 ;i "My Sporting Holidays," 1904; and various sporting articles and reviews. Ho went in for shooting, golf, bicycling, and 1 fishing, and was captain of the Royal Wimbledon Golf Cktb, 1895-6. _He had a very fine collection of American, and Norwegian' sporting trophies.. NEW ZEALAND PASSENGERS I MR. MASSEY SEEKS INFORMATION* KEPLY FROM CANADIAN PREMIER* (SY TEIGORAfR.— r-RKSS ASSOCIATION.) DUNEDIN, 31st May. The Prime Minister sent the following, telegram to the Prime Minister of Canada;— "On behalf of the Government and people of New Zealand I desire to. express sincere sympathy with our siBtei> Dominion in the appalling loss of life which has taken place in the foundering, of the steamship Empress of Ireland, and our heartfelt condolence with the relatives and friends of those who have perished." Mr. Massey also cabled to tho Primo' Minister of Canada, asking for the names of New Zealanders on the passenger listi of the Empress of Ireland, stating whotlier they were saved or lost, in ordei\ that their friends and relations might; have the information aB quickly as possi»» ble. In reply to tho first mossage, Miv Massey on Saturday afternoon received/ the following reply sent from Ottawa at> 0.45 p.m. :— "Prime Minister, Dunedin. On behalf of the Government and peopled of Canada, I send deep and sincere appro* ciation of your message and our warmest Bympa.thy for those in your Dominion; who have been bereaved by the loss oft relatives and friends in this appalling disaster. (Signed) Bordcn." In the l'eply to the other message thoe following was despatched at 1.35 p.m., on Saturday j— "New Zealand saloon paseengers in the Empress of Ireland wera' Colonel Bloomfield, Mrs. Bloomfield, and: Miss H. Bloomfield, of Auckland; Mrs., F. W. Price and Miss Townshend, address not known. Miss Townshend saved, but fear Bloomfield family and; Mrs, Price were lost. (Signed) Boi'deii.'* 1 UNION COMPANY RECEtVES * OFFICIAL ADVICE ALL DROWNED EXCEPT MISS TOWNSHEND. (ST TELEGrtAPH.-Wfss ASSOCIATION.) AUCKLAND, 31st May/ The Union Company has receivedofficial advice that IUo Auckland pas« sengers aboard the Empress of Ireland 1 were:— Mr. W. It. Bloomfield, Ute X Bloomfield, Miss Bloomfield, Mm. li» Wynn, Price, and Miss Townshend. Of these all worn drowned except Mis* ■ Townshend. Mrs. Wynn Price waa a« aunt of Misi^ . Towiißhond. MR. LESLIE LILLY Mr. Leslie Lilly, who was well knowuy to a large number of residents of WoU lington, having been at one time in th» employ $f Messrs. Sai-good, Son, attdJ Ewen as a traveller, is believed to have* kft Canada, on the Empress of Ireland*. Ho was an unmarried man, 28 years off age, and a son of tho late Mr. Alfred/ Lilly, of Dunodin. After leaving school! he entered the warehouse of M*sers. ( Bntterworth Bros., in Dtmedin, and] later on was with Messrs. Sargood, Son,; and Ewen, and also with Mossm. Robert* Malcolm, Ltd. In March of last year, ho w?nt to England, where hn accepted) employment from M<?s&rs. JSmith and) Lister, silk merchants, as theitf travelling reprepenlalite fov Ensl« em Canada and the United States, and had made three trips across lhi> Atlantic. A Press Association tele. grain from Chrifldmrch slM.cs lhat Mr. Lilly was on board tho gi\?nt Germain liner tmperator when a fire broke out on 1 her. Ho left Liverpool in February miti travelled to Q,ucboc in tta Empress ofi Ireland* In the last letter received from him by his brother, Mr. Arthur Lilly. o£ Chrietchnreh, he stated his intention ofi leaving this week on Ins return to Liveis pool m tho ill-fated ship. No wbk message has beoii received from hfcaj

and, it is not known whether he was actually a passenger by her. LATE MR. BLOOMFIELD REFERENCES TN AUCKLAND SUPREME COURT. (BY TELEGRAPH— PRESS ASSOCIATION.) AUCKLAND, This Day. 'At the Supreme Court reference was Wade to the late Mr. W. R. Bloomfield by the Bench and Bar. Mr. Justice Cooper said that Mr. Bloomfield was a very old friend of his. Mr. Bloomfield ■had earned the respect and affection of all with whom he had come in contact. He had had the affection, good-will, and respect of all members of the com* munity. He had taken his share of public work, and was tin experienced, useful, and leading officer of tho Territorial Forces. MISS TOWNSHfiND (IT KLEdfiAFH.— MIKSS ASSOCIATIONS -■ BLENHEIM, This Day. Miss Tiriah Townshend, a' daughter of Mr. Townshend, Crown Ranger, Marlborough, irith hor aunt, Mrs. Hugh 'Wynn Price, of Auckland, were aboard the ill-fated. Empress of Ireland. Yesterday morning Mr. Townshend received a ■cable message from Quebec stating that ihis daughter was safe, but the aunt was lost, and requesting that money and instructions be cabled. Miss Townshend is a good swimmer and received emergency training at the Blenheim Baths. A GISBORNE RESIDENT NO HOPE FOR HER. |BT TELEGRAPH— PRESS ASSOCIATION.) GISBORNE, This Day. Mrs. Hailey, ' mother of Mr. A. P.t 'Hailey, of Gisborne, 'formerly of Roto- l arua, left Vancouver on 21st May intending to embark on the Empress of IreBand. A cablegram has been received stating that she was aboard, ajid there fe no nope^hat she has been saved. GREATLY RELIEVED (BY mSOBAPH— MESS ASSOCIATION.) ' HASTINGS,' This Day. Mr. J. X Craig, who leaves here for 'Auckland to-day, Teceived a cable yesterday stating that Mrs. J, J. Craig, Mr. J. C. Craig, and Miss Craig were Ht Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island. They were by tho Niagara on 'her last trip, and they were due to leave Canada about now. Mr. Craig is greatly relieved to know they were not on the ill-fated Empress of Ireland. THE SALVATION ARMY CABLEGRAM FROM GENERAL BOOTH. A cablegram was received this morning at National Headquarters of the Salvation Army, "Wellington, from General Booth, calling for the prayers of the ."whole Army world on behalf of the beI'eaved and dying. The Genera) intimates that he has placed Canada in temporary charge of Commissioner M'Kie, of International Headquarters, London. •Commissioner M'Kie, who formerly had charge of Sweden, is well known throughout New Zealand, having formerly been Commissioner for Australia. Tho, General donchules his message: J 'The work must go on." A memorial service will be held in the Gfand Opera House, Wellington on (Sunday night- The Chief , Secretary will 'conduct tho meeting.