EMPRESS OF IRELAND.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 54, 24 July 1914, Page 6

EMPRESS OF IRELAND.

SEW ZEALAND (URL'S ESCAPE. SWIFTNESS OK CALAMITY. London, June u. The only K,«w Zealand survivor of the Empress of Ireland, so far as we are able to judge, is Miss Tiria Townshend, of Ulcnheim, who was coming to England with her aunt, Mrs 11. Wyun-Price. Mr ami Airs Bloomfield, of Auckland, and their daughter, were the only other passciiisor.s ficuu the Dominion, so far as the published list disc'.oses. Two or three people from Xew Zealand experienced those fortunate changes of plan which are often recorded tit such times. The Maori deputation, for instance, would have crossed by this vessel if their earlier plans for the Canadian stay had been adhered to, and Mr and Mrs A. Lawrie, of Wellington, in their anxiety to get to London, took a steamer leaving a day earlier. It seems tjint Miss Townshend was awakened by the sound ,of tilt- foghorn Shout n quarter of an hour before the collision. When the crash occurred, she put on a heavy coat and went up on deck. The boat was already leveling over badly, and. beginning to sink, and before -many minutes were over, she was in- the wiitcr. While on tl.c il-ck. .she is reported to have seen -Mr l.auenee Irving and to have had a conversation with him. "He told me." Miss Townshend is reported to say. "that I lie tremendous smashing noise of the collision awoke him. He'rushed on <b«k where he met some other passengers who were adjusting thci" life-belts." He dashed lack for his wife, and as Miss Townshend was thrown from the liner she ra.v them standing conversing on the deck.

"When I plunged in," said Miss Townshend, "pcop'o were slruggliiij; in the water around me. I was kicked several times, but I c'oscd my eves and struck out. I did m t think of'drowning. 1 did not want to think- of people drowning all around me, so I tried not to see them. It was horrible. I have been trying to forget about it ev?r since.'' .Mi s Townshend. a dav .r two after the wreck, identilied the body of her nunt amongst those recovered i'rti:i> the ,-,» a. She is now, it is uiukTstood. -taving at the Chateau l'Voutoime, in Montreal, where sbe is undecided as to her future movements. Discussing a

newspaper statement which was shown I, her, she said it was. absolutely wicked to make charges against the conduet of the (Tew of the Knrpve/u of Ireland, who did ail they possibly conl.! do. The Canadian-I'.irilic Company too, did ewrylhing possible t-> .licet the needs and comforts of the shipwrecked passenger*. "Fifteen minutes after wv landed at Rimonski," she says, "{'ar-k-ad after carload of bread and rlolhiir. came down to the dock. K\er-,- house ir. Rimouski wa,s open to Us."