THE ST LAWRENCE DISASTER.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXV, Issue 16567, 3 June 1914, Page 9

THE ST LAWRENCE DISASTER.

A GRIM RELIC. STORSTAD'S BLOOD-STAINED ANCHOR. SURVIVORS' STORIES. EVIDENCE AT INQOEST. CAPTAIN ANDERSON'S STATEMENT. By Tokgraph—Press Association—Copyright. OTTAWA, June 1. An examination of the Storstad shows that tho anchor point pierced tho side of tho Empress of Ireland, killing numbers in their cabins. The anchor is covered with blood. It evidently opened the liner's plates like a tin-opener. j

I Captain Anderson, of the Storstad, 0 asserts that tho Empress of Ireland . changed her course,, as ho maintained e his undeviatirigly. The Storstad's speed 1 was checked before she struck the Em's pross of Ireland. ...*'. Tho captain says that he attempted \ to keep tho Storstad's noso against the L liner's side, but, owing to the speed s at which the Empress of Ireland was - procoedingj he was unable to do so. Captain Anderson asks that judgment bo suspended until a competent I tribunal apportions the blame. fc Commander Tweedie, of the cruiser Essex, says that it is impossible to I raise the Empress of Ireland, but divers . may recover money and valuables. FUND FOR SUFFERERS. I j BODIES n)ENTTFIED. ? LONDON, June 1. 1 The King has given £SOO and the " Queen £250 to the Mansion House fund j for the sufferers through the Empress of Ireland disaster. Advices state that the bodies of Sir Henry Seton-Karr and Mrs H. WynnPrice (New Zealand) and Miss G. Byre ? (Brisbane) have been identified. I SORROWFUL INQUIRERS. i SCANNING THE LIST. - J LONDON, June 1. ' The Canadian-Pacific Company's ofj fices in London were again besieged . throughout the day by a big crowd - of sorrowful inquirers. Every new list " of names posted at the entrance was 1 eagerly scanned. l During tho afternoon the celebrated 5 " Silver Band," belonging to tho Re- : gent Hall branch of the Salvation " Army, marched past, playing " Eternal " Father, Strong to Save." The band ' was accompanied by tho New Zealand ' contingent attending the London Con- ) feronce. The company's officials stood $ in the doorway with bowed heads. ; Subsequently, the Salvationists held ; a memorial meeting in the vicinity, tho : New Zealanders addressing the mouru- ' ers. Tho Lord Mayor has opened a Man-. ; sion House fund for the victims' dei pendents. He invites Mayors through- • out the United Kingdom to open simi--1 lar funds. A convention in Loudon, representing 2,000,000 Irish residents in Great Britain, offered its profound sympathy to the victims' dependents. . i A PUBLIC FUNERAL. OTTAWA, .Tun© 1. Tho Canadian-Pacific Company is ar- , ranging for a public funeral of tho dead. UNDER THE" BLOW. ENGLISH PEOPLE QUIVER. DISASTER IN THE DEAD OF NIGHT. . " Times" and Sydney " Sun " Service*. LONDON, June 1. Bishop Ryle, Dean of Westminster, preaching in tho Abbey, said that the English people quivered under the blow of the disaster. It was but an enlargement on a terrible scale of the daily disasters by. road and rail, in aeroplane and motorcar, but this was more dreadful because death and destruction had been caused to hundreds of their own kith and kin, through no fault or foolhardiness in the protected waters of a river • at the dead of night. DREAMED OF A DISASTER. PASSAGES POSTPONED. PITIFUL SCENES AT QUEBEC. QUEBEC, June 1. Ensign and Mrs Smith cancelled thenpassage on the Empress of Ireland because of Mrs Smith's dream of another Titanic disaster. Pitiful scenes were witnessed in a shed, whore tho corpses wero laid out in plain pine coffins. Thirty of them wero unidentifiable. Distraught women and heartbroken men searched for missing relatives. Men-o'-warsmen carried tho coffins ashore, the procession down the gangway lasting an hour. LAURENCE IRVING. BODY DRIFTS, ASHORE. LONDON. June 1. News has been received that Laurence Irving's body drifted to the shore, tho face being unrecognisable. One of ' his hands was clutching a piece of his ; wife's night attire. The, fund being raised in Liverpool ' i has reached £15,000.

THE INVESTIGATION. TO. OPEN ON JUNE 9. OTTAWA, June 1. Tho Government has fixed June 9 as tho date for opening the Empress of Ireland inquiry. Two judges of the Canadian Admiralty Court and ono representative of tho British Admiralty will comprise the Court. Tho House of Commons passed an amendment to the Shipping Act providing for a separate commission to investigate tho disaster. Sir Wilfrid Laurier endorsed the Bill which was read a second time. The third rending was fixed for tho following day. The amendment provides, for the appointment of the Canadian Admiralty Judges abovo mentioned.

EVIDENCE AT THE INQUEST. WHAT THE STORSTAD DID. OTTAWA, June 1. Mrs Anderson, at the inquest, stated that her husband endeavoured to keep the Storstad pressed against the Empress of Ireland's side, but the liner's speed was too great. Captain Anderson, witness said, ordered out all the boats. At first ho had no thought that the Empress of Ireland wa& in any danger of sinking. Captain Anderson did everything in his power to aid the survivors. AUSTRALIA'S SYMPATHY. MELBOURNE, June 2. The Governor-General has cabled to the Secretary of State for the Colonies the following message:— "Will you convey to Canada Australia's deepest sympathy with the sister Dominion and the relatives of those who perished in the terrible shipping disaster." SYDNEYITES MISSING. (Received June 2, 7.5 p.m.) QUEBEC, June 1. Mr and Mrs Quartley and daughter, of Sydney, are believed to have been passengei's by the Empress uf Ireland. No trace of them has been discovered, and the Canadian-Pacific Company is unablo to ascertain if they were aboard the vessel. SAFE. . (Received June 3, 12.5 a.m.) Advices have been received that the Quartleys are safe in London, They had intended to join the Empress of Ireland but sailed by an earlier steamer. FORGOT HER OWN NAME. WOMAN'S TERRIBLE EXPERIENCES. .... (Received Jun 9 2, 9.30 p.m.) QUEBEC, June 1. Starved and raving, the result of her experiences, a stalwart Norwegian woman, a passenger by the Empress of Ireland, was found wandering among the sand dune 3, clad in a single garment. Men sought to aid her, but the woman ran off, and was only caught when oxhausted. She had forgotten her own name. Apparently she had drifted in the water eighteen miles clinging to driftwood. She has not been identified yet. MRS ANDERSON'S EVIDENCE. ACCUSATION AGAINST CAPTAIN KENDALL AND CREW. QUEBEC, June 1. Mrs Anderson, in her evidence at the inquest, asserted that after the Empress of Ireland sank she heard continuous screams all around. Captain Anderson sent out the lifeboat of the Storstad, picking up everyone possible. She was positive. that Captain Kendall did not assist any passengers. Instead ho came aboard and lay down in the Storstad's chart-room, while the crew of the Empress of Ireland came aboard, refusing to go to assist -the drowning passengers, stating that they wero too numerous. STATEMENT BY STORSTAD'S AGENTS. VESSEL'S MOVEMENTS DETAILED. (Received Juno 2, 9.5 p.m.) MONTREAL, June 1. The agents of the Storstad state that the Empress of Ireland was see-i off the port bow of the Storstad,* her 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. Fog descended, the Storstad's engines were slowed down, ai d then stopped. Her course was not filtered. Whistles wero heard from the Empress of Ireland and answered. Green lights again wero seen through the fog, and the engines of the Storstad were sent astern. Her way was nearly checked when she collided. The Storstad tried to keep her prow in the hole but tho Empress of Ireland slewed away and disappeared. The Storstad frequently whistled in order to locate the other vessel but failed to do so. Then she manoeuvred close to the Empress of Ireland, and lowered her boats. Everything possible was done to assist.

The officei-s of the Storstad confirm the .agents' statement. They declare that scores of people with lifebelts were lying dead in the sea. The freezing water benumbed them. , UNSPEAKABLE CONFUSION. SALVATION ARMY OFFICER'S STATEMENT. Staff-Captain MMntyre, of the Salvation Army, declared that there was unspeakable confusion aboard the Empress of Ireland. As the vessel lurchod and listed people ciimbed to the higher decks. "When the vessel sank he was carried down yards by a swirling cataract. Keeping his head after fearful suffocating moments, he came to the surface and grasped an overturned boat. Bandsman Green, a Salvationist, lost his father, mother and sister. Efforts to reach the deck were like climbing a wall. There was little panic excepting among the foreigners. He saw a man push into a boat before a woman, but another man knocked him down.

The Salvationists sang " God be With You " till the engulfing of the vessol caused an abrupt termination. A DOCTOR'S HEROISM.

Dr Grant's efforts are unanimously praised. He relieved both physical and mental sufferings, and brought order out of chaos. When he was taken aboard the Storstad he directed the laying put of the corpses and arranged for a supply of dry clothing for the women. THE SAVED. The latest return shows tliat 1467 persons were aboard the Empress of Ireland.. Those saved were :

A HAPPY REUNION. A ROMANCE OF THE DISASTER. "Times" and Sydnsy Sun'" Services. (Received June 2, 5.50 p.m.) QUEBEC, June 1. There was a happy reunion of the Greenways, Salvationists, who wore on their honeymoon, and were separated in the commotion.

The wife was blown into the water, burned and bruised. She was picked up by a man on a raft, who said, " Don't be afraid, litle girl. I have lost my wife." He opened his coat and vest, drew her close, and buttoned the coat round her. She replied, "I have lost my husband." Sho did not remember anything more till sho found herself aboard the Storstad. The man on the raft was lost. A pilot bout picked up Greenway. Miss Townshend, when she plunged into the water, was kicked by struggling victims, but closed her eyes and struck out bravely, never thinking 'jf the possibility of drowning. She 6wam a mile before she W3S picked up. MEMORIAL SERVICE. In connection with the Canadian disaster, the Salvation Army authorities at Wellington have issued instructions for memorial services to be held in all Salvation Army halls throughout the dominion on the night of Sunday, June 7. This will probably be the rule in every Salvation Army Corps throughout the world. Staff-Cap tajn Gunn, who is in charge of the Canterbury Division in the absence of Staff-Captain Newby, who is at the London Congress, will conduct the central memorial service at the Citadel in Christchurch.

Jnrst-ciass Second-class . Third-class Drew . . . 35 . 38 . 164 . 207 Total . . 444