INQUIRY BEGINS

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2179, 18 June 1914, Page 5

INQUIRY BEGINS

THE EMPRESS DISASTER

HUGE ARRAY OF COUNSEL

LINER'S CAPfAIN GIVES

EVIDENCE By Tclceranh—Prew AsMctalina- •ftonyrlghf Qu.sfcge, June 16. The inquiry into the collision between the Canadian Pacific llai|r<tad Company's passenger express liner Empress of Ireland and the Norwegian, collier Storstad in the St, Lawrence Eivcr, resulted in the sinking of t-lvo linor with the loss of over 1000 lives, has begun. Keen public interest is being manifested in the- proceedings. '■ Lord Mersey (cx-presidont of this Probate, Divorce, «.h4 Admiralty Division of the High Court of Justice, England, who was Ihe Commissioner appoihrtcd to inquire into the m<:vk of. the Titanic) is President of the Cmu't, the other Judges being Sir Adolp'h Jtwithier (President of tile Court o-i : Admiralty for the Provinca of Quebec), and the- Hon. Ezekiel M'Leod (it Judge of the Supremo Court and a Judjrc oi' the Vree-Adniir-altv Court of Now Brunswick).

Tho assessors sitting with the Judges are:—Commander Cahornp (Royal Naval Reserve), Professor Welsh (of Newcastle, England'), ai:<] Captain Dewiers and Enginepr-Comaiftiwlar Howo (both in tins C-nnadiun service).

Mr. Georgs Vans, a British Beard of Trade expert, is ijreseiit. Mr. E. L. Nevreombe, K.C., Depaty Minister for Justice, is examining the witnesses. There is a huso array of counsel.

Mr. Nswcombe occupied HlO morning session in outlining; the saiieafc fact-? of tlie.loss of tho ffimpi'ess of Ireland, as already known. 31 r ; Nowcowba painteil out that tho qu*sti<Mi of pilotage van not involved, -as tho pilot had droppsd tlie vessel in a moving sea-way thirty miles wide. Ti-ie StoTstad's eaivtijin had been unable to keep his vessel's nose to tho Empress of Ireland's side, sm-il had to swing round hi a eifcle. When he looked agam the Empress had disappeared. Captain Kendall's Story. (Rcc. June I 7 :, 10 p.m.) Quebec, Ju-I.io 17.. Captaiu Kendall, comnjandcr of the Empress of Ireland, was e-ssunfated. Ho told how the aee«kttt occurred, his story following iwueh the sitffle lines as that told in newspapsr mtei-yiews. Captain Kendall, aUhairg.ii still sutfering from injuries, fefwsod a seat, and i«U dressed the Court standinjj. Captain Keminll declared that the Storstad inust have put her helm hard aport. 'Hie Storstad pjucoediag fast at tho time of tire eoMrsfen. AVitnosses giving evidence' on behalf of the Empress of Ireland disagreed '.as to the number of whistles that- had been blown when the vessels wore- approaching. ' 4 Captain Kendall, replying to Lord Mersey, stated thai- be sto-pfrad tho Empress of Ireland and turned, hor right towards the Storstad. According to the rules of navigatioiij Captain Kendall I** fused to admit tlrat the Emisress could havo drifted in. front of the Stofstad after tho latter's whistks had been' blown. Ho behoved that the Storstad had changed her- course while- teldtw Hi th0..,f0g.., |.A, f sheet,ftf iiamft burst fi'om tho' Empress of irelandi when she, was rammed by the collier, the hitter's hraW evidently penetrating the boilers oftijo Empress. He (Qiptain Kendall), after, meeting Captain Anfeson, of tho iStarstad for the first time, v-ehemenfly contended that the disaster was duo to- the fault of the Storstad. Captain Anderson, rcjattdifttin* Cnp* tain Kendall, fell insensible during tho argument. Mr. Tuftness, t-hief ofScer of the Stwi"6tad, swore that ho fjid not change tho course of that vessel after sighting tho Empress of Ireland, though an aWrtiv-e----attempt was made to port tte helm alter slowing down. Ho added that the sailors on the Empress, of Ireland, when rescued by tho S&ef'stad, refused to return to .assist in thsi reSeuo of the liner's passengers. Mr. Haight, eoimsel' for tho Storatad, explained that apparently tho Empress of Ireland thoirglifc tllat she Wlild cross the bows of 1 the slower vessel (Iho Storstad), and that tho liner's helm was ordered to bo poriod by Otifi oißcei' and to bo starboarded by anoftei'. Captain Kendall tho suggestion of confusion of -orders. So admitted that he knew that a collision was inevitable when ho saw; the Storstitd through the fog. Ho did not giver orders to close the watertight compartments until throe of the compartments had been exposed to tho inrush o.f water. Gcorgo Gibson, representing the Sailors' and Fifeliren's Union,, suggested that there wero not sufficient alile seamen on board tin* Empress of Ireland, Captain Kendall declared that tberewere enough men on board, and that the boats 'wcro pat out and launched quickly. Lord Mersey; If yott had gone straight ahead this collision woidd Mt have 'occurred. Captain Kendall: Provided tho other ship had kept her eoitrs*. He. thought that tho starboard boiler bad- been loosened by the impact, thus increasing the list. Mr. Tuftness said that lie had Iward the Empress of Ireland give o«o long blast after the fog fell, ' Captain Kendall dtfiwd wis, and declared that the currewt ,of the river was not a sufficient eii.T.se. tor.the collision. The Sborstrtd. 'loiver'ed boats directly the cries of the p.app)c id tlio water 'wero beard. Mr. 'T'ttftrrws. reiterated that the crow ftf the JS.hip.ress of Ireland's boat refusetltrt return to snvo the survivors, explaining.that the- bwitwhich had been given them was too heavy. Tho Storstad's fflon then took the heavy boat and gave the Empress of Ireland's men a lighter oho. POPULAR AMNION. Montreal, Ji»» 16, On the evo of tho Empress of Ireland, inquiry, popular opinion favours tho Empress of Ireland being on fear., right course at tho tijjio of tho oolßsfen, while expert opinion favours tho Storstad. . Sixty witnesses have been stibpoeftaed. HEROES OF t'Mt DISAStER, STRIKING SCENE At SALVATION ARMY CONGRESS. "Timea" and Sytacv "K-iitt" SfitflcM, (Rec. Jiuio 17, 8.2.0 p.m.) London, June 16. At the Salvation At'iny Congress-, General Bramwell Bo&th, at tJw ."Canadian rally," introdvwed Mr. Kenaeth Macintyre, a survivor of the Empress of Ireland disaster, who. described tile horrors of tho wresk. No Satvatlojjtst, he said, wore a lifebelt. Th-e real liereea were noii-swiintnr'i's, who gave tip their lifebelts to others. Thi- most Wntifiil fact about thii disasifei' wiw that no husband or wifb was saved or drowned without the othw. During the iropfessivo address, interpreters who were scattered amongst the vast audience, ami who carried telephones, with niimy receivetK atlucliwl, translated the stery in a dozen lan'guages. The Congress ros-o and acclaimed Mr. Micintvie as ?. hero, and iang, "Cfcid Js a With Ytm Till Wo. Meet AEairi,"-