"T.T.T."

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXIX, Issue 34, 1 June 1914, Page 5

"T.T.T."

SAFETY OF LIFE AT SEA.

URGENT WIRELESS CALL.

(B'f E1.20TE.10 TULBaRAPH—OoPTRHSHT] Times and Sydney Sun Servicer. London, May 30.

The convention for the safety of life at sea provided for a new wireless call, to be termed the "safety signal," and to be used at wireless stations which have to transmit to vessels urgent information concerning icebergs, derelicts, approaching storms, and other dangers. The signal consists of "T.T.T.," repeated at short intervals ten times at full power.

impossible to do more than was done. The whole thing was like a terrible nightmare, from which one might awaken at any moment. The thick fog, dark waters, and the sinking ship seemed wholly unreal, and the passengers did not grasp the danger until they were thrown from their bunks or torrents of icy water fell in cascades down the companion-ways, drowning people before they were able to make a single effort to save themselves. Some women describe in horrorstricken tones how they slid down the deck into the icy waters, sinking, and coming to the surface, grasping wreckage, and being dragged into the boats half unconscious. One women described the sensation as resembling that of being chloroformed m order to undergo a surgical operation, then reviving to find that death had taken some loved one. . Meanwhile the rescued are being eared for at Quebec. Many lost everything they possessed. CAPTAIN KENDALL'S TRIAL. Mr Thomas Smart, of Toronto, says that Captain Kendall, when'the crash came, was on the bridge. He shouted': "Keep your heads there. Don't got excited." He then ordered the stewards to assist, the passengers, shouting: "Women and children first. Break open any locked doors." There was so much screaming and moaning that although the captain spoke through a megaphone, his voice was drowned. When told by the ship's doctor that the ship was lost, Captain Kendall buried his face beneath the tarpaulin on which he was lying, and after he was rescued he cried as if heartbroken. Several passengers assert that lifeboats fell from the port davits and crashed across the sloping deck, killing a passenger against the further rails. ~ -

EVIDENCE AT THE INQUEST.

THE STORSTAD'S MISTAKE.

Quebec, May 31. The Coroner has opened an investigation at.Rimouski. Captain Kon-' dall,' who had recovered from the effects of his immersion, but was still very depressed, was the.chief .witness. He stated th&fc he saw'the"Storstad two miles- off before the ; fog 1; obliterated her. He; .hisr.ship and whistled three short, blasts. The S-tox-sta^L .replied^with,one long,, borne minute* later" the S tor's tadloomcd up in the fog a ship's length away. He megaphoned lier to back water and rang for the liner to go "full speed ahead," hoping to avert a eok lision. ■ Afterwards he asked » the Storstad to continue at full speed, ahead, in the hope.that she would fill up the hole, but the Storstad backed out. He failed to., beach the Empress of Ireland because the engines became useless in three minutes. Thti, vessel-,filled< rapidly when the Storstad backed. He added that he saw the fogbanks approaching in plenty of time to prepare, and took every precaution humanly' possible. The behaviour of the officers and crew was beyond praise.

Chief-Engineer Sampson gave evidence that, he remained in the engineroom until the light went.out. The steam was gone soon. When ho reached the deck lifeboats broke loose and swept numbers under water including himself, he being entangled in wreckage from which he narrowly escaped and scrambled on a boat. They could see the collier a mile and a half.distant. Immediately before £he collision the Empress went full speed astern, stopped, and then he got the order, "full speed ahead," tiuz he had only started the engines when the crash cam©. There was no explosion of any kind. If the collier had kept cioser to tho Empress's side many lives would have been saved, if she had pushed against the hole the Empress of Ireland could have reached shore before sinking. GENERAL PARTICULARS. Quebec, May 31. : The King, Prince Alexander of Teek and Mr Borden telegraphed their condolences. The Government lias ora searching enquiry... l -iA-relief iiitul has been opened, the Government promising a large contribution. The Salvation Army lost .heavily, the whole territorial held force for Canada being wiped out, including Commissioner Eees. The Army promptly met here and organised a new set of delegates, and despatched them by tho next out-going steamer, the band playing through the streets, "God bo with you till we meet again." No Australians were lost on the Empress of Ireland. Silver bars, amounting to a million dollars, en route to England, and large quantities of vauable mail' matter were lost. Quebec, May 29. The insurances on the Empress of Ireland are £IOO,OOO on the hull and €150,000 on. the cargo. She was one of the most, popular ships in the Canadian trade, doublebottomed, and divided transversely by f|Ju bulkheads, so that a normal draught any two adjoining compartments might be flooded without endangering her safety. The vessel carried sixteen lifeboats, seating 764; twenty Englehardt collapsible boats, seating 170; also 2212 adult and 150 children's lifejackets.

SALVATION ARMY'S LOSS. [Per Press Association.] Wellington, May 31. The"* national headquarters of the Salvation Army at Wellington to-day received a cablegram from the international headquarters, London, staling that over 100 officers and soldiers had been lost on the Empress of Ije-

land. The officers who perished include Commissioner and Mrs Kees (Canadian commanders), Colonel aiKl Mrs Caidment (Canadian chief secretary), Brigadier Scott-Potter, Major :and Mrs Pindlay, Major and Mrs Creighton, Mrs Major Simcoe, ana VJyrty other officers; also the Canadian Staff Band, and Brigadier and Mrs Hunter, who were on furlough in Canada from India.