The Emprss Wreck

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 24, 18 June 1914, Page 5

The Emprss Wreck

OPENING OF THE ENQUIRY,

CAPTAIN! KENDALL'S EVIDENCE.

By Cable—Press 'Association—Copyright

Ottawa, June 10.

Tin; Empress of Ireland enquiry lias opened. Lord Mersey and Judges Routhicr and McLeod arc presiding, with four assessors. Mr. Newcomb, deputy-Minister of Justice, examined the witnesses. There was a huge array ot counsel. Mr. Newcomb occupied the morning session in outlining the salient facts of the loss of the vessel, as already known. There is keen public interest in the enquiry; Quebec, June Hi.

Captain Kendall, examined, told how the accident occurred, following much the same line as in newspaper interviews. Captain kendall, although still suffering from his injuries, refused a seat and addressed the court standing. Mr. Newcomb pointed out that the question of pilotage was not involved, as the pilot had been dropped and the vessel was moving seaward in an estuary thirty miles wide. The' Storstad's captain was unable to keep the vessel's nose up to the side of the Empress, ahd had to swing round in a circle. When he looked again, the Empress had disappeared: Captain Kendall declared that the Storatad must have put her helm hard-a-port. The Storstad was proceeding fast.

CONFLICTING EVIDENCE OF ! STEAMER'S OFFICERS. DRAMATIC SCENE IN THE COURT. Received 17, 10 p.m. Quebec, June 16. Witnesses disagreed as to the number of whistles blown when the vessels frere approaching. Captain Kendall, replying to Lord Mersey, stated that he stopped the Empress of Ireland and turned her right towards the Storstad, according to the rules of navigation. Captain Kendall refused to admit that the Empress of Ireland could have drifted in front of the Storstad. After the whistles were blown he believed the Storstad changed her course, while hidden in the fog. A sheet of flame hurst from the Empress of Ireland when rammed, the collier evidently penetrating the boilers. Captain Kendall, after meeting Captain Anderson for the first time, vehemently contended that the collision was the Storstad's fault, and Anderson repudiated this. Kendall fell insensible during the argument.

ALLEGATIONS AGAINST EMPRESS' CREW RENEWED. STORSTAD HELD TO HER COURSE. NO CONFUSION OF ORDERS ON THE LI.vER.

Received 1«, 10.40 p.m. Quebec, June 16.

Ttiftness, chief ollicer of the Storstad, swore that the course was unchanged after sighting the Empress, though an abortive, attempt was made to port her helm after slowing down. He added that the sailors of the Empress of Ireland when rescued by the Storstad refused to return to assist in the rccsue of passengers.

Mr. Haight, counsel for the Storstad owners, explained that apparently the Empress of Ireland's captain thought he could cross the bows of the slower Storstad, and that the Empress' holm was ordered to, port by one officer and to starboard by another.

Captain Kendall repudiated the suggestion of confusion of orders. He admitted that he knew the collision was inevitable when he saw the Storstad in the fog, and did not give orders to close the water-tight compartments until three of the compartments had been exposed to the inrush of water. Mr. George Ciibson, representing the sailors and firemen, suggested that there were insufficient able seamen aboard the Empress of Ireland, hut Captain Kendall declared that there were enough men aboard, and that the boats were launched quickly. Lord Mersey: If you had gone straight ahead, this" collision would not have occurred'?

Captain Kendall: Provided the other ship had kept her course. He thought the starboard boiler was loosened by the impact, thus increasing the list.

Tuftncss said he beard the Empress of Ireland give one long blast after the fog fell. Kendall denied this, and declared that the current was insufficient to cause tlie collision.

Tuftncss said tli.it the Storstad loweroil her boats directly the cries of people in the water were; heard. He reiterated that the crew of the Empress of land's boat refused t„ return to save tne survivors, explaining that the hoat given them was too heavy. The Storstod's men took the lia-T hoat, giving the Empress' men a lighter one.

"TTTE llK.at, HEROES." THE TIORROBS "I' TUB NTGHT. Times and Syd" - Sim Services. Received 1". 8:20 p.m. '.ondon, 'Tune 17. At the Salvation t Congress (leneral Booth, at the "<>•• lian rally," introduced Kenneth Mi" T " tyre, a survivor of the Empress of Ire 1 : 1 disaster, who described the horror? • f that night. "N T " Salvationists, lie s"' 1 , wore a lifebelt. The real heroes w- - the aon-snrvivors who gave up their lifebelts to others. The most beautiful 'act about the disaster was that no lvuband or wife was saved or drowned without the other.

Pming this impressive address, inter-rvi-kTs scattered among the vast audiI'ticc, carrying telephones with many v..lvors, translated the story into a ;' y.rii languages. The Congress rose i-..1 acclaimed Mclntyre as a hero, and --i>m "God be with you till we meet

A FORTUNATE NEW ZEALANDER.

Times and Sydney Sun Services. Received 17, 8.20 p.m. London, June 17. Mi 1 . Fred. Haybittle, of Wellington, I'luiM at Quebec to sail by the Empress of Tveland, but owing to a man failing in keep an appointment with him, he changed to another steamer at the last r.i.inient, and ultimately accompanied the (■in vivors to England.