BARE OUTLINES OF A DREADFUL TIME.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXIX, Issue 33, 30 May 1914, Page 5

BARE OUTLINES OF A DREADFUL TIME.

VESSEL SINKS TEN MINUTES AFTER THE COLLISION. (Received 9 a.xn.) Ottawa, May 29. One thousand lives are believed to have been - lost when the CanadianPacific steamer Empress of Ireland collided with the Norwegian collier iStorstad off Father Paint, near Rimouski, during a dense fog, sinking ten minutes after the collision. Four hundred and twenty of the total (1400 crew and passengers) were taken from lifeboats to Rimouski by Government steamers, standing by. The list is not known, but the passengers included Mr Laurence. Irving, actor, and a number of New Zealanders.

Nothing is known of the fate of the Storstad.

Immediately on receipt of the “5.0.5.” signals, the Canadian Government steamers, Eureka and Lady Evelyn, from Father Point, hurried to the rescue.

The early news was barely more then the “5.0.5.” call, naming the ship and stating that she was in fear of immediate sinking.

The absence of a further call was explained by the fact that the vessel sank almost at once. There must have been a terrible shock, as the vessel is believed to have been cut in two. In the earliest dawn, boats were seen hovering over the spot, but there was n£ sign of the steamers.’ MANY NOTABLE SALVATION ARMY OFFICERS ON BOARD. The Empress of Ireland carried many Canadian members of the Salvation Army on their way to attend the Conference in London, including most of the head officers. N£W ZEALANDERS IN THE LIST. The list included many Australians jtnd New Zealanders, including Colonel, Mrs, and Miss W. R. Blomfield (Auckland), Miss C. Townsend. Mr E. Byrne, 4 Mr J. Byrno (Brisbane). The steamer left Quebec yesterday with 990 passengers for Liverpool. The scene immediately after the collision baffles description. Amid the shrieks of the passengers rudely awakened from their slumbers,' the hoarse cries of the captain and officers, the wailing of the women, mingled with the rushing of water in' the gulf opened up in the bow, there was little time to launch boat from the Empress of Ireland. HOVERING OVER THE SPOT. The Government steamers, Lady Evelyn and Eureka immediately steam. |ed full speed to the scene of the disaster at Father Point, and sent to the Government a message reading: “No sign of the Empress of Ireland; j lifeboats are visible in the distance I circling round. The Government ' steamer Euroka and the steamer Lady Evelyn are also on the scene now,”