THE WRECKED LINER.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume I, Issue 116, 22 June 1914, Page 7

THE WRECKED LINER.

EVIDENCE 4* ENQUIRY.

I.OBD MERSEY'S CONCLUSIONS.

By Cable.-—Press ' Association .—Copyright. ; v QUEBEC, June 20.

Napoleon La Pierre, pilot on the collier Alden, swore that as the Empress of Ireland approached the Alden 1 she zigzagged,- showing first her port .and then; her starboard *' lights. • 'Ultimately; ;shc parsed within a cable length. * When'the liner was, approaching, the Alden was kept at full speed ahead, although La Pierre admitted he thought a collision j was likely. Colliers did not wish to be delayed unless there was a danger, of running ashore* " William Jacob Saxe, third officer >f the .Storstad, corroborated Tuftneiss s, story. The Empress of Ireland blew a long blast on her whistle when three miles away, indicating'' that she was maintaining her course. The Storstad, re-, plied in acknowledgment, and repeated it several tjme,s. : When {he fog swept over the river,./the speed of the. Storstad was reduced. He did not hear the Empress of Ireland blow two short, blasts, indicating that she was going to; port; but he did hear whistles indicating that she was going astern. The Storstad then went full ppced astern. George Odsnovan, engineer, described'[ the steering gear pf the Empress of Ire-j land, .stating; that ,he was sure nothing i was wrong, with it. J

submitted, that any apparent •- variations in the Empress of Irelami's' coum* Avere due to the river's where the collision Occurred.

Lord Mersey, said he had concluded that the Storstad opened two of the Jintfr J s centre water-tight compartments at the tiine of the impact, admitting water, : which 1 dragged- - open another conipavtjnent. .'Nothing thereafter, could have saved the- Rmpress of Ireland. •

THE STORSTAD'S COURSE

HER MATE'S EVIDENCE.

(Received: June 22,. 9.10,-a.m.)-' QUEBEC, Juiie 21.

The mate of the. Storstad,. Jacob Saxe, swore that the porting of the Storstad's helm during the fog while nearing. the Empress of Irelaiid, in no wav tended to cause, the collision.