THE EMPRESS OF IRELAND

Evening Post, Volume LXXXVIII, Issue 12, 14 July 1914, Page 9

THE EMPRESS OF IRELAND

NEW ZEALAND, GIBL'S ESCAPE, (rXOU OUR OWN COItftXSPONDFNT.) LONDON', 6th June. The only New Zealand eurvivor of the Empress of Ireland, so far as we are able to judge, is Miss Tiria Townshend. of Blenheim, who was coming to England with her aunt, Mrs. ,11. Wynn Price. Two or three people from New Zealand experienced those fortunate changes of plan which a-re often recorded at such times. The Maori deputation, for instance, would have crossed by the vessel jf their earlier plans for the Canadian stay had been adhered to; and Mr. and Mrs. A. Lawrie, of Wellington, in their anxiety to gel to London, took a steamer leaving a day-earlier. Many papers have interviewed Miss Tovvnsiiend, and I can only summarise, with every reserve, what ha 3 been cabled across from America as her experience. It eeems that Miss Townsheiid was awakened by the sound of the foghorn about a quarter of an hour before the collision. When the crash occurred s-hc put on a. heavy coat and went up on deck. The boat was already heeling over badly and beginning to sink, and before many minutes were over she was in the water. While on the deck she is reported to have seen Mr. "Laurence Irving, and to have had a conversation with him. "He told me," Miss Town9heud is reported to fia-y, "that the tremendous smashing noise of th« collision woke him. Ho rushed on deck, where he met some other passengers who were adjusting their lifebelts." He dashed back' for his wife, and as Misb -Townshend was thrown from the liner she saw them standing conversing on the deck. "When I plunged in," said Miss Towflshend, "people were struggling in the water around me. I was kicked eoveral times, but 1 closed j my eyea and strnck out. I did not. think of drowning. I did not want to think of people drowning all around me, so I tried not to see them. It was horrible. I have been trying to forget about it ever since." v It wae Mr. Clayton R. Burt, factory manager of the Russell Motor Company of Toronto, who assisted Miss Townshend to safety. Mr. Burt. sat at the same- table with the Irvings, and they were all on deck together just before the liner sank. All had lifebelts op. As the ships turned over Mr. Burt climbed the rail and urged them to follow him down, the side to tlie water's edge. Almost immediately there was an explosion that indicated the sinking of the vessel, and Mr. Burb dived in. j "When I cam& to the surface," h& says, "I started to swim, and a young lady, whom I -afterwards learned was Miss Townshend, swam up alongside of me and asked me to help her.. I caught a passing suit-case that was floating about, and by means of this, on to which wft both held, we kept afloat for about half an hour. The girl was a good swimmer, but waa impeded by her heavy overcoat, which I finally managed to get off for her. She wore no lifebelt." "The sight when the ship went down !" exclaimed Ml*. Burt. "Oh, my God, it was awful, ftftr men tried to pull me under with them, and amid the struggling mass of humanity, my arms and legs came in constant contact with floating bodies as I swam along."