EMPRESS INQUIRY.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2188, 29 June 1914, Page 5

EMPRESS INQUIRY.

ALLEGATIONS BY COUNSEL

COLLIER'S THIRD OFFICER BLAMED. ' CAPTAIN KENDALL DEFENDED. 3y Telegraph—Press Afieociation—Copyright (Rec. Juno 2S, 5.5 p.m.) Quebec, June 27. At the Empress of Ireland Inquiry Mr. Aspinall, in his address, contended becauso tho wheel was first ported and then, without authority, changed to hard-a-port when she had steerage way on, the Storstad was responsible for the disaster. He asked the Commission to find that the crew of'.the Storstad wore inaccurate when they claimed that tho collier refused to answer her helm. Ho argued that the changed course on tho ported helm took her into the stationary liner at right angles and with sufficient speed to cause the fatal damage., If there had been no such change the vessels would have passed safely. Ho contended -that to find that the Empress of Ireland starboarded her helm would be a charge of perjury against Captain Kendall, who; ho claimed, had not altered his course, and he scoffed at the idea thnt Captain Kendall was telling a deliberate lie when ho had just faced death. Mr. Aspinall charged Jacob Saxe, third officer of the Storstad, with -the responsibility tor ' the disaster by taking the wheel from tho helmsman without authority and putting it hard-a-port. NORWEGIAN INQUIRY.' . 26. The Norwegian inquiry over the Storstad which rammed the Empress of Ireland will be started to-morrow. The captain and crew will appear before tho inquiry, which will be held in private. It is stated to be an ordinary inquiry without judgments or forming (minions as to the guilty parties' in the disaster. William . Jnhannesen. Acting-Consul-General in Canada, will bo in charge of tho inquiry.