ST. LAWRENCE TRAGEDY.

Manawatu Times, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 12808, 4 June 1914, Page 5

ST. LAWRENCE TRAGEDY.

A TISSUE OF LIES FINAL OFFICIAL FIGURES 1024 LOST; 432 SAVED SERIOUS CHARGES AGAINST CREW. By Electric Telegraph—Press Association —Copyright. (Times. —Sydney Sun Service.) QUEBEC, June 2. Lionel Kent, of Montreal, declares that the crew of the Empress of Ireland knew of the whereabouts of the lifebelts and provided for themselves but left the passengers to search in vain.

WHOSE CHILD? The Mayor had to decide the paren tship of a child who was killed in the Empress of Ireland. Two fathers claimed the infant's body. The Mayor compared the features of the fathers, also that of the dead mother and awarded the coffined child to a Toronto claimant.

MOVING OR NOT?

LONDON ,June 2

The newspapers are giving prominence to the controversy on the question of whether the Empress of Ireland was moving ahead, as the captain cf the Storstad avers, or whether she was at a standstill ,as Captain Kendall asserts.

IDENTIFICATION DIFFICULT. QUEBEC, Juno 2. Great difficulty is being experienced in identifying the Empress of Ireland's victims, owing to the mutilat- , ed state of the bodies. It is apparent that many were killed instantly owing to striking wreckage or being crushed by the Storstad's impact. Identification of Mrs Price, of New Zealand, was made after about sixteen members of the crew had claimed the body as that of a stewardess. Some doubt still exists as to whether the body of Laurence Irving has been found. Identification was made by means of a ring with initials, but there were other passengers with the same initials also lost.

THE COMMISSION OF ENQUIRY.

MONTREAL, June 2. The Government has appointed Sir Adolph Routhier and the Hon Ezekall McLeod, and the British Board of Trade has appointed George Vaux to compose the commission to enquire into the loss of the Empress of Ireland. Lord Mersey represents the British Government at the enquiry.

ANOTHER VERSION. STORSTAD DID NOTHING. NEW J"OKK, June 2. Mr Louis Gosselin, a King's Counsel. declares that the Storstad's captain did nothing. When Mr Goiselin readied the Storstad after being an hour in a collapsible boat, hj" appeal ed t<> Captain Anderson to assist the drowning persons, but the captain merelv looked at him.

Mr Gosselin is willing to sw?a<*thnt no hunts were launched from the Storstad. The crew were standing idle 011 deck when Mr Gosselin made an appeal: "For God's sake, do something." Mr Lionel Kent, another passenger, confirms Mr Gosselin's statement. He said the Storstad did not put out the boats for a considerable time after the collision,

Chief Engineer Sampson says that n desnerate effort was made to beach the Empress but the engfiines were useless.

After the lights went out. Sampson told the men to save themselves. They scrambled up the ladder, which then, owing to the vessel's list, formed part of the ceiling of the engine room. The men crawled out on the derrick post, when some of the vessel's top hamper fell, carrying them into the water.

MORE ANDERSON ALLEGATIONS.

Received 9.50 p.m. MONTREAL, June 2

Mrs Anderson further alleged that Captain Kendall arrived aboard the {Storstad with a number of passengers, whose legs and arms were broken, and Captain Kendall was so anxious to got aboard that he scrambled across the suffering people. A TISSUE OF LIES. The Canadian-Pacific Marine Superintendent described the story as a tissue of lies. He is fully convinced that Captain Kendall intended to go down with the ship, and was only prevented by fate. When the Empress heaved over Captain Kendall grasped a rail intending to drown, but imprisoned air blew up the deck bridge, throwing Captain Kendall into the water. YELLOW PRESS STATEMENT. The Toronto World, referring to the steerage passengers, says that some fear-crazed demons, armed with murderous dirks, slashed their way through the crowd, stabbing and maiming many. This is the growing conviction of several who were in close touch with the whole situation. Further, it is asserted that the undertakers at Quebec who are embalming the bodies declared that the limbs were slashed in a way that no accident could cause. The statement is not generally supported, although it is declared positively that nine-tenths of the victims whose bodies have been recovered were not drowned but killed by injuries received by the collision or by the debris.

IMPRESSIVE SERVICE OVER SCENE OP DISASTER. / * Received 10.30 p.m. MONTREAL, June 2. The incoming Megantic held a service on the spot where the Empress of Ireland sank. The passengers and crew lined the decks and sang '' Abide

With Mo," .standing with bared heads It was an impressive spectacle. The Company lias arranged a funeral of the unidentified •and unclaimed dead for Thursday. It bears all the expenses.

STORSTAD'S TWISTED BOW. An inspection of the Storstad's how indicates that it is impossible that the stem could have remained locked in the Empress of Ireland's side, as the bow was twisted out of shape by the Bmpress\s motion. FINAL OFFICIAL FIGURES. The final official figure? are: — 1 Lost .. .. 1024 Saved .. .. 432 ANOTHER CAPTAIN'S ASSERTION. 110 BODIES IDENTIFIED.

(Times. —Sydney Sun Service.) Received 7.5 p.m. QUEBEC. June 2. Captain Holtung of the Norwegian collier Aided, asserts that when passing the Empress of Ireland three miles above the disaster she was steering a strange zigzag course filling him with anxiety. There have been 110 bodies identified and it is not expected that many more will be recognised. The bodiee will be kept unburied for a month. * ■ YELLOW PRESS STORIES. DENIED BY THE SUPERINTENDENT. OTTAWA, June 2. A statement published in Toronto that the foreigners in the steerage of the Empress of Ireland fought with knives when their escape was barred is denied on the authority of the Canadian : Pacific Marine Superintendent. He says the crew behaved splendidly. There was little or no panic among the passengers who seemed too dazed by the suddenness of the accident to make any panic.

TEETOTAL CAPTAIN. ■ 0 Mr Welsh also denied Mrs Anderson's statement that Captain Kendall was drunk when he arrived on the Storstad. He says Captain Kendall never took a drink once in his life.

WICKED Sensational stories are appearing in the American yellow press that the Empress's crew were cowards. Miss Townshend, of New Zealand, declares that such statements are absolutely wicked. The crew did everything they possibly could. A New York newspaper is publishing scare stories of foreigners fighting aboard and the crew deserting the ship and leaving passengers to drown; also that the captain was drunk and similar untruths.

COL. BLOOMFIELD IDENTIFIED. Press Association. —uy I'eleerraph. AUCKLAND, June" 3. A private cable from Canada states that the body of the late Colonel W. R. Bloomfield has been identified, but that the bodies of Mrs and Miss Bloomfield have not yet been recovered.