Empress of Ireland.

Waikato Times, Issue 12906, 29 June 1914, Page 5

Empress of Ireland.

CONTENTION AGAINST STORSTAD. THIRD <>l TICKR'S ACTION. SIKLRINC WITHOUT AUTHORITY. OUKREC. .1 une 27. The sittings of the commission of eiii|iiiry into the Knioress of Ireland disaster were Continued yesterday, counsel's addresses being heard. .Mr Aspinvvall. in his address, contended tll-.lt. fiecitUse the wheel Wils first ported a lid then without authority changed to hard aport when she had steerage way on, tile Storstad was responsible for ihe dis. s.er. He asked the commission to find that members ul the (lew of the Storstad were inaccurate when th.y ••laiiacd that the collier refused to answer her helm. Continuing, he argued that the changed course on a port.nl helm took the collier into the stationary liner at right angles with sufficient speed to cause the fatal damage. If there had been no .-.iich rliange tho vessels would have passed safely. Counsel contended that to find that the Empress of Ireland starboarded her in lm would be tantamount to a charge ul perjuiy against Captain Kendall, who daimed that he had not altered the < nurse. He scoffed at the idea that Captain Kendall was telling a deliberat< lie when he had just faced death. Mrs A spin wall charged William Jacob Sa\c, the third officer of the Storstad, vitL responsibility for the disaster by taking wheel from the helmsman wrliout authority and putting it hard aport.