LOSS OF LIFE OFFICIALLY STATED TO BE 1032.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLI, Issue 13395, 1 June 1914, Page 3

LOSS OF LIFE OFFICIALLY STATED TO BE 1032.

WORLD-WIDE EXPRESSIONS OF SYMPATHY.

HOW THE COLLIER STORSTAD STRUCK THE BIG LINER.

GRAPHIC STORIES TOLD BY SURVIVORS

(Press Assn.— rßy Te QUEBEC, May 31. It is officially stated that the Empress of Ireland's complement was: — First class 87 Second ;; class ... ... ,153 Tlifrd|^ass 715 Crew '¥£0 432 Total ... 1387. Those saved were : — First class 18 Second and third class ... 131 Grew ... 206 Total 355 Total complement 1387 Total saved 355 Lost ... ... ...1032 . Four hundred bodies have been i'ecovered. TERRIFYING RAPIDITY OF DISASTER. LONDON, May 31. Heuter's, Lloyds, ,and the. shipping companies all confirm that the loss is at least 600 lives. '•There Vas a. renewed sensation m London and Liverpool at 6 o'clock when the Canadian-Pacific Company published reports from the captains of the Lady Evelyn and Eureka that no lives were lost, but that they had landed 400. people and were -returning to pick up tho balance of the passengers and crew from the lifeboats. Tho facts were still doubtful and were arriving m any order. . * The ; insurances on the Empress of Ireland are: £400,000 on the hull and £150,000 on the cargo. „ She was -"one of the most popular ships> m the Canadian trade,/ and was double-bottomed and divided transversely with .10 bulkheads, so that, at .normal draught, any two adjoining com parjtments mighti be flooded' without endangering her safety. She carried 16 lifeboats, seating 764 people, and 20. Englebart (collapsible boats} seating 920, and four Berthon boats seating 170.

She also had 2212 adult /and 150 children's lifejackets. ■ . •

Most of tlhe survivors stood on the wharves almost naked m a temperature of 36 degrees. . , . .' !

A majority of them wore m a state of collapse. ! " *

The terrifying rapidity of the disaster apparently affected their brains, and -they; were Unable to give a coherent account, except when awakened from the shock. Scores jumped" into the peri shingly cold water.

There, were poignant scenes among the hysterically anxious crowds' besieging the company's London offices.

It was a day of alternating hopes and fears. <'„'.. . ..(■.-

The dearth of news, and especially the absence of survivors' names, ' inten sified the depression. <

Many were determined on an allnight vigil. ' \

A majority of the crowd was interested m the crew, and numerous artistes among the crowd despairingly inquired of Mr Irving's fate." • .-. •

The -offices at* Liverpool continued to be" surrounded until a late hour by grief -Stricken women and children, while the men were stoically speechless and struggled to obtain a glimpse of Ihe latest messages m the window. : ", ■

. The Elmpress of Ireland's insurances at Lloyds are £27,000 'on the hull, £200,000 on the cargo, £100,000 m freight and disbursements; while individual policies on passengers' lives and effects are estimated at another, £JOO,---000. > A Mansion House fund for relief -has been opened. ' • ■- The newspapers that the nature of the disaster nullified many of the precautions carried out since the Titanic disaster. M. Poincare (French President) has telegraphed to the King his. personal condoienctes and Frances-g reat sympathy. . / ■■■'■< Perhaps the saddest scene at Liverpool was that a woman wearing mourning was entering a claim at the insurance office on her dead husband's policy when she heard the commissionaire describing the collision. She inquired the name, of the steamer, 'and fainted on hearing that it was the Empress of Ireland, on wliich her son was a sailor. * THE TERRIFIC CRASH. OTTAWA, May 31. Mr Duncan, of, London, states that with a terrific crash and a frightful grinding of plates, the Empress of Ireland heeled. Though there was' a sufficiency of boats \tße crew Avere unable to launch them owing to the list. . There was, ho says, no panic, though there was some confusion, m the midst of which the ship lurched and passengers rolled down the dock into' the sea, women crying and praying, and men shouting. . . : The •cries continued until the icy waters ended their sufferings. Mr Duncan swam for an hour before being rescued. He felt the bodies of dead men> under his feet. He says the officers behaved splendidly, facing death fearlessly. Captain Kendall was on the bridge until the vessel sank. Mr Duncan was taken aboard the collier. He says that many of the rescued were sent raving mad through shock and exposure." Dr. Johnson, the Canadian-Pacific Company's medical officer, says that if the Storsted had not backed out many more people could have been saved. One of the Marconi operators states that the Father Point station responded promptly, but he was unable to, talk, as the Empress of Ireland's dynamos failed within five minutes. SHOT OUT LIKE PEAS FROM A POD QUEBEC, May 31. A panic broke out after the terrific collision, and men and women ruflhed from their cabins. \

Some who reached ihe deck v 're hurried off into the river owing to "ihe angle of the deck.

slegraph— Copyright.) Parents were . separated/ l'rom their children, and husbands from their wives. Dr. Grant, the ship's sui'geon, saved many lives .owing to his coolness, capable directions, and medical attention when the survivors were picked up. Captain Kendall still stood on the bridge when the vessel sank. Two hundred and fifty dead bodies have been recovered. Dr. Grant went down with the ship, but managed' to escape through a porthole. . ' The search, still continues amongst the wreckage m the river. Five persons were found clinging to the -wreckage, still alive, but they are unlikely to survive the : exposure. A steerage passenger named Phillip Lawlei* asserted that the explosion really caused the Empress of Ireland to sink so rapidly, and he says people were shot, out of the ship like peas from a pod. Mr Lawler, with his wife and son, slipped over-board, being unable to stand on the sloping deck. The Wife' slipped from her husband's grasp and was drowned, but the others were rescued. * Another woman leaped from the sinking steamer and swam round awaiting succour for nearly an hour, and 1 was then picked up and taken aboard /the i-escuing tug. A relief train conveying the special emergency staff of the Canadian-Pacific Company, was derailed, but a second train was promptly despatched and brought the survivors to Quebec. .Twenty-two altogether died of exiposiure. . Only twelve women wero resetted. Prince JVlexander of Teck, Mr, Borden (Premier), and the King have telegraphed condolences. The Government has ordered a searching enquiry. A relief fund has been opened, the Government promising a large contribution. SALVATION ARMY'S LOSS. QUEBEC, May 31. The Salvation Army lost heavily, the whole Territorial field force for Canada, being wiped out, including Commissioner Rees. The Army promptly met here, organised a new set of delegates, and despatched them by £he next outgoing steamer, the band playing through the' streets, "God be with you till we meet again." Enormous crowds awaited the arrival of the rescued people at the station.

The survivors were too hysterical to be able to give a correct account of the disaster.

"The missing include:— . Colonel Bloomfield and his wife and daughter (of Auckland). Sir Henry Seton Kerr.

Among the survivors was Miss Townsend, of New Zealand. ,< Many had limbs broken. There was no time to arouse all the passengers. , ,

Laurence Irving tied a lifebeft round his wife, but the vessel then lurched, and he was thrown against the door, and had his face cut. He carried his wife'/ upstairs/ A passenger offered to help him, but Mr Irving said "Look after yourself old man* but God bless you all the same!" Both climbed the rail as the explosion occurred, . and Mr Irving was 'not seen again. Mr Burt, of Toronto, on coming to the surface, saw Miss Thomson (Townsend), who besought Ms help. "He caught a floating suitcase, which kept hftih up till they were rescued. The captain was found clinging to some wreckage, and was picked up by a lifeboat, of which he assumed command. The boat saved 73 people, and afterwards rowed around the wreck for three hours..' , . • Dr. Grant, who was penned m his cabin when the ship sank, got his "head through the porthole, and a passenger pulled him through, and he was rescued. •.'.-.-' V TRAGIC INCIDENTS. Miss Thompson (?Townscnd) of ' New Zealand was rescued. The final official totals arc: — Dead .., . ... ... 1032 Saved ... 355 Laurence Irving and his wife secured lifebelts. "Dearie," eaid Irving, "hurry, there's no time to lose." , Irving' placed the lifebelt around Ms wife, calmly donned- his own,' and climbed over the rail as the* huge vessel careened. Mrs Irving was terror-stricken, and Irving 1 carried her to the deck. Th© first explosion occurred as they prepared to leap into the Avater, and apparently the shock killed them. . Sir H. Seton Kerr gave up lus lifebelt to another passenger, insisting that ho should accept it, and saying "T. can easily get another." He entered his cabin to procure one, and was never seen again. * Many women could easily have <\scaped, but waited to procure articles of dress. Salvation Army Ensign , Pugmiro de-. clared that all his comrades died like Salvationist's. Commissioner Rees ran back to rescue his wjjfe. Another Salvationist tried to rescue' him, but failed. Major Atwell swam half a mile, carrying his wifo on his back, and then, when he was succumbing through, cold and exhaustion, his wife kept up her husband's head, and both were saved. Another Salvationist described walking' down the side of the careened ■ ship just as if he were 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 m order to take a. swim. Stiver bars amounting- to a million tlollhrs. which were en route to England and lafgfe quantities of valuable mail matter, were lost.

WHEN THE VESSELS STRUCK. QUEBEC, May 31. Captain Anderson, of the Storstad, has arrived aboard the Storstad. He declared that the collision was entirely due to" the fog, which shut down on both vessels quickly. The Storstad picked up 300 persons, transferring them later aboard the Government vessels. This fact gave rise t.o the belief that there were more rescued than those first reported. The Storstad's bows aa'e stove m, and her anchor is lost, having sunk with the Empress of Ireland. Captain; Kendall, of the ill-fated liner, is incapacitated with "nervous shock, and is speechless. It is understood that Captain Kendall signalled m the customary way, indicating that the Empress of Ireland was maintaining her course. The officers of the Empress of Ireland assert that the Storstad answered these signals, but failed to change her course. The Empress of Ireland was moving slowly., when- the _ Storstad struck her fully on the side. Mr Thomas - Smartt, of Toronto, says that • Captain Kendall, when the crash came, was on the bridge, and shouted: "Keep your heads there; don't got excited !" ■ ' : He then ordered the stewards to assist the passengers, shouting "Women and children first! Break open any locked doors!" There was so much - screaming and moaning tlmfc, although the captain spoke through a megaphone, his voice was drowned. Afterwards, when told by the ship's doctor that his ship was lost, Captain Kendall buried his' face beneath a tarpaulin on which he was lying after the rescue, and cried as if heartbroken. Several • passengers assert that lifeboats fell from the port davits and ci*ashed across the sloping deck, killing passengers against: the further Tails. STRUGGLE IN THE ICY WATERS. „ , QUEBEC, May 31, Miss Townaend swam alongside Mr Clinton Burt, the. motor car manufacturer, until he caught a s&itcase and held up Miss Townsend until the Storstad picked them up. i Mrs Price, Miss Townsend's aunt, was lost. ■ After being re&cued, Miss Townsend busied herself amongst the rescued, heroically aiding the worst stricken. An Englislunau named Duncan declares that\ everyone m the crew acted like men m attempting to rouse the women. . They secured numbers of lifebelts on deck for use when those below should reach them. '' , 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 offi;, otherwise he would have been drowned. The rapidity with which the vessel careened and sank made it impossible to do more than was done. The whole thing' was like a terrible nightmare from which one would awake any moment. In the thick fog and the dark waters the sinking sliip seemed wholly unreal, and passengers did. not grasp, the danger until thrown from their berths or until torrents of icy water fell m. cascades down the oprnj^anionwayfi, drowning the people before they were able to make a singfe' .effort to save themselves. Some women describe m horrorstricken tones how they slid down the deck 4 n *°. the icy Raters, sinking and coming . to the sttfface - and grasping wreckage and being dragged into the rescue boats half unconscious. One woman described the sensation as being( chloroformed m order to undergo a surgical operation, and then reviving to find that death has taken some loved one. . Meanwhile the rescued folk arc being cared' for. m Quebec. Many lost everything they possessed. EVIDENCE OF CAPTAIN KENDALL ■s AND ENGINEER, QUEBEC, May 31. The Coroner has opened lii& investigation at Remouaky. . Captain Kendall, who' has recovered from the effects of his immersion, but is very depressed, was the chief witness. He stated that he saw the Storstad two miles off, and before the fog obliterated the view, he stopped his ship and whistled three short blasts. The Storstad replied witih one long blast. Some minutes later, "continued Captain Kendall, the Storstad loomed up through the fog a ship's length, away. Witness said he megaphoned to her to back-, water,* arid himself went full speed ahead, .hoping to avert the .collision. After the collision he; asked th 6 Storstad; to continue • full speed ahead m the hope that she would fill up the hole, bub the Storstad backed out. i Witness said he failed to beach the Empress of Ireland because • the ©n'gines became useless m three minutes. The vessel filled when/ the Storstad backed. He added that he saw the fog bank- approaching! m plenty of time to prepare, and he took every precaution humanly possible. - . ■ Witness added that the behaviour of officers and crow was beyond praise. Chief Engineer Sampson gave evidence that he remained m the engineroom until the lights went- put, arid the «jfceam was gone. x , As soon as he reached; the 7l«ck the lifeboats broke loose and swept numbers under water, including witness, who became entangled m the wreckage and narrowly escaped. He scrambled into a boat. He could see the collier a mile and a half distant. Witness said that immediately before tho ■ collision the Empress of Ireland went full speed astern, stopped, and then he got an order for full speed ahead, but had only started the engines when the crash, came. There was no explosion of any kind.. He said that if the collier had kept closer to the Empress's side many lives would have been saved, and if she had pushed against the hole the Empress could have v reached the shore before sinking. The inquest was adjourned for a week. No Australians were lost on the Empress, of ■ Ireland . Mr Mclhtyre. n. Salvationist, says the vessel seemed to turn turtle fo a few moments, and then • an explosion sent a burst of steam all over the vessel .

The Storatadl is a vessel of 1664 tons, having a length, of 270.5 ft, a breadth of 34.9 ft. and a deoth of 20.9 ft: Her port >6f registry is 'Genoa, and she is owned by the Seraigio Ttalo-Spagnuolo.