STORSTAD TO BLAME.

King Country Chronicle, Volume VIII, Issue 686, 15 July 1914, Page 3

STORSTAD TO BLAME.

FOR ST. LAWRENCE TRAGEDY. A CHANGE OF COURSE. CAPTAIN KENDALL EXONER- - ATED. FUTURE PRECAUTIONS. By Telegraph.—Press Association:—CopyrisEJ y Quebec, Saturday. The commission set up to inquire into the Empress of Irelrand. disaster has delivered its finding. Lord Mersey, the chairman, said the commission found that the collier Storstad was to blame for the disaster. Lord Mersey' held that the collision was due to the Storstad's change of course ordered by the third officer without the first officer's or the captain's sanction." He exonerates Captain Kendall, of the Empress of Ireland, completely, but suggests he would have been better advised if he had navigated the ship o as to pass the Stprstad at a greater dis tance. It was impossible to criticise him for an urseamanlike act in stopping the ship, as the action was simply a proper measure of precaution.

The eornmispion held that the porting of tho Storstad's helm W2B not done to counteract the effect of the St. Lawrence current. CfilEF OFFICER'S NEGLIGENCE. Chief Officer Tuftness, of the Storstad, wss negligent in not calling the captain when the fog rose. Tuftness waß wrong in thinking t?tiere was no danger. He ought to have called the captain as ordered. The disaster was not attributable to any defects ;n the St. Lawrence course. The commission recommends the closing of the watertight doors whenever practicable during fogs. All watertight doors and portholes below waterline ought to be closed at sunset and remain closed until sunrise. Rafts ought to be placed on the decks so as to float automatically if the ship sinks. CONFLICTING STORIES. '- Lord Mersey pointed out that the commission had much difficulty in deciding whether the Storstad and the Empress of Ireland approached red light to red light or green to green. The stories conflicted on this important point. However, it had finallly argeed that ihe Empress of Ireland's officers had told the truth regarding other events which enabled the commission to fix with approximate accuracy the actual approach of both vessels.

CORRECTLY MANOEUVRED. A DISCREDITED STORY. Quebec, Sunday. Lord Mersey, dealing with the evidence of Quartermaster Galway, that tne helm of the Empress of Ireland was working badly, discredited the Btory. The evidence of the officers of the liner showed that the apparatus was in perfect order. " The Court generally concluded that the Empress was correctly manoeuvred after sighting the Storstad.