The North Platte semi-weekly tribune. (North Platte, Neb.) 1895-1922, June 05, 1914, Image 3
THE 8EMI-WEEKLY TRIBUNE. NORTH PLATTE, NEBRASKA. c r u - & l' . 1 t ( V IP 1 -. w W " I v K i f 1 Tf ?. --Sfi Great Liner Goes to Bottom at Mouth, of St. Law rence River Following a Collision With a Collier. Rlmouskl, Quo., May 31. Nine hun dred and sixty-four persons lost their lives Friday morning when the great Canadian Pacific twin screw liner Em presa of Ireland was rammed amid ships in a thick fog off Father Point in tho St. Lawrqnce and sunk by the Norwegian collier Storstad. Four hundred and three survivors were picked up from floating wreck ago and two lifeboats. And only 12 of the saved aro women. Gathered piecemeal from survivors the horror of this wreck grows with the telling. Waters Quickly Engulf Ship. The doomed ones had little time' even to pray. They were engulfel by tho onrushlng waters that swallowed tho big ship Inside of nineteen min-'l utes from tho time she was struck. Tho wireless operators on the Em press, sticking to their posts to tho last, had time only to send a few "S. O. S." calls for help when tho rising waters silenced their instruments. That silence told the rescuers miles away more potently than a bugle that doom had overtaken the ship. Only six hours before this fateful collision the passengers sang as a good-night hymn "God Do With You Till Me Meet Again," played by the Salvation Army band on board. The members of that band and most of the 165 Salvationists were among the lost. Survivors Tell of Fog. It was foggy, according to survivors, when tho Empress of Ireland, a steel hulled, steel-bulkheaded ship of more - than eight thousand tons, left Mon treal at 4:30 Thursday afternoon In command of H. G. Kendall of tho Royal Naval Reserve, one of the most skilled of transatlantic navigators. v Forest fires also obscured the at" mosphere and tho big ship, in charge of n pilot, proceeded slowly on her way to sea. At midnight tho pilot aldo loft near Father Point, shouting a merry "Bon Voyage" as ho went down their ladder to his waiting boat. The darkness at this timo was in tense und tho ship undor the slowest speed possible with steerageway hold lier course. Hor docks wero deserted. The passengrs had all sought their berths with no thought of Impending death. Out of tho darkness, on the port sldj), soon after 2:30 in the morning there loomed tho little Norwegian col lier, not half the size of tho Empress, but fated to bo her destroyor. Not until tho collior was almost abeamxof tho big ljner wus tho danger known on either ship. Tho fog had blottod out tho lights as well as tho port and starboard lights of both ships. Quick orders trumpeted on both ves sels were heard. But they came all too lato. Strikes Ship Amidship. The steel-pointed prow of tho Stor stad tjtiuck tho liner amidships and then forged aft, ripping and tearing Its way through tho Empress of Ireland. Clear to tho stern of tho Empress of Ireland v us this great stool s'mvlng cut from her Bide, from tho top of tho LOST OCEAN LINER EMPRESS OF hull far below tho water lino. Into that rent the water poured with tho force of a Niagara. The bow of the Storstad smashed Us way through berths on that aldo of tho ship, killing passengers sleeping In their berths a,nd grinding bodies to pieces. Beaching tho stern of the big liner, the Storstad staggered off In tho dark ness, her bow crumpled by tho Impact. Her commander was ready a few min utes later, when he found his ship would float, to aid the crippled and sinking Empress, but he was too late to save the majority of those on board. Carried to Bottom. The Empress of Ireland recoiled al most on her starboard beam ends from tho blow of tho collier and passengers were flung from their berths against the walls of thoir staterooms. Many were stunned and before they had time to recover wore carried to the bottom with the ship. Tho vast torrents pouring into tho great gash on tho port side, aft, filled the corridors and flooded every state room abaft the midship section in side of four minutes. Thoro was never a chance for tho helpless ones in the after cabins and staterooms of the liner. With her port sldo laid open for half Ub length from tho midship section to tho stern, a seive had more chance to float than tho Empress of Ireland, nnd the trapped passengers in that after sec tion wore doomed f"oni tho moment the Storstad struck. Reeling from ihe blow the ship be gan to settlo almost immediately as the water rushed Into tho big rent. From the forward cabins, however, men and women in night attire stum bled along the corridors and up the companion way to the promenade deck the deck below, the one on which the boats rested. Swarm to Deck. Up they swarmed on deck In their night clothing to find the ship heeling away to port and the deck slanting at a degreo that mado It nlmost Impos sible to stand oven clinging to railings. Men nnd women, shrieking, praying, crying for nld that was fated to nrrlvo too lato, fell over one another In that last struggle for life on board the doomed Empress of Ireland. Frenzied mothers leaped overboard with their babies In their arms. Others knelt on deck nnd tried to pruy In tho few moments left to thom. Some were flung overboard by the heeling of tho sinking ship and some broke their legs or arms in trying to reach the life boats. Abovo tho din of the struggle on the great promenade deck could bo heard Captain Kendall shouting commands for tho launching of the lifeboats. Sev eral were launched In tho 19 minutes that tho ship floated. Thoro was no tlmo to observe the rule "Women first" In this disaster, for thoso nearest the bouts scrambled to places in them. But oven as they wero being launched, while tho wireless still was calling "S, O. S." there cams a terrific IRELAND explosion that almost rent tho ship in twain. It was the explosion ot tho boilers struck by tho cold water. A geyser of water shot upward from the midship section, mingled with fragments ot wreckage, that showered down upon tho passengers etlll clinging to the rails forward nnd upon those strug gling In tho water. Tho explosion destroyed tho last hope of the ship's floating until succor could drrlve, for tho shock had smashed tho forward steel bulkhead walls that had up to then shut out tho torrents invading the after part. The water rushed forward and the Empress of Ireland went swiftly to her doom, carrying down with her hundreds of passengers who stood on hor slanting deck, their arms Btretched upward and their last cries choked In tho engulfing waters. Ono of the survivors, relating that last tragic sceno on tho decks of the liner, said: "I was asleep llko most of the pas sengers when tho collision came. There was a sickening crunching of wood and steel and then a grinding, ripping sound as the Storstad smashed her way along the port side of oui ship. "I knew that wo had been struck and I rushed to tho staterooms of some frlonds and shouted to them to get up, as the ship was sinking. Stateroom doors flew open all along tho corridor and men and women began to rush for tho grand companion forward. Thosq aft must have been drowned In their berths. Darkness Is Intense. "On deck officers of the ship, par tially dressed, wero rushing about urging passengers to bo calm. Sailois under orders were trying to launch the lifeboats. "The darkness was Intense and a fow minutes after I reached tho deck tho electric lights went out. At that tlmo thoro wero still hundreds of pas sengers below trying to gropo their way through tho darkened corridors to the companlonway nnd reach the deck. Most of them went down with the ship, for tho corridors, below filled right after tho explosion of tho boilers. "1 leaped overboard In despair just before tho ship went down and man nged to find a bit of wreckage to which I clung." Intense darknesF covered the waters when tho Emprun of Ireland mado that final plunge, tut tho fog lifted a few minutes later and then camo tho first faint streaks of dawn. It lighted waters Htrowed wreckage and struggling passengers, who stiove to keep afloat. Tho crippled Storstad, which had wrought this tragedy of the watera, hud lifeboats out picking up as niai y survivors as possible. Tho gray dawn rovenled the govern ment steamers Lady Evelyn mid Eu reka near tho sceno of tho disaster and hastening to aid. . Some of thoso In tho water tried to swim" to tho Eureka as sho neared the point whero tho Erapresu hnd uono down. One woman, wearing only an undervest, swam to the Lady Evelyn, nnd was helped on bonr, but died of exhaustion soon afterwards. Tho work of rescue still was going on whon the sun arose In a cloudless sky. Men and women wero Hinging to spars and bits of broken plnnka. Many of tho survivors wero Injured. Some had broken legs, oihors fractured amid nnd still others had beou lujured Inter nally In that lust mad rush to get away from tho sinking liner. Women clinging with one hand to littlo ones, while with the other they tried to keep clutch on pieces of wrock- age, wore picked up by tho lifeboats and carried pn board tho rescuing ves sels. Captain Kendall, dazed nnd unable to give any coherent account of the loss of his ship, wne found clinging to a broken spar. J. W. Longley, rancher, of Canford, B. a, went down with tho ship, but hold his breath, nnd, coming to tho surface, found a piece of wreckago and clung to It until picked up. Ono of tho survivors, In explaining tho quickness with which tho Empress of Ireland went down, said: "Tho coUlcr, being only something ovor 3,000 tons, did not roach up oven to tho upper of topmost dock of our hull. Hor bow cut under tho upper dock and took n peeling off tho sldo of our ehlp that allowed tho water to ruBh Into tho lower docks. Thon the liner heeled over, and oven those In tho superstructure deck rooms had no chance to save themsedves. Hundreds of them must have been dumped out of their berths nnd slummed against tho walls with stunning force." Scenes on Shore. Father Point. Que., May 29. "Tho Empress of Ireland passed and landed hor pilot horo at 1:30 this morning," said an official of tho Canadian Pa cific "There was a haze nt tho tlmo. At 1:50 a. m., I was awakened by an "S. O. S." ring on my door boll and, rushing down, was Informed by a Mar coni operator that the Empress of Ire land wus sinking, having been Htruck by some vessel. In undress I started to help. No other signal could bo got from tho doomed vessol. Sho had no tlmo to give another, as sho sank ten minutes after being struck. "Mr Whiteside, mnnnger of the Mar coni station, rendered effective serv ice by notifying the govornment steamer Eureka, nt Father Point wharf, and tho Lady Evelyn at Rn mouskl wharf Help Rushed to the Scene. "Capt J. B. Belanger of the Eureka Immediately rushed to tho scene and Captain Poullot, with the Lady Evo lyn, followed later, his ship bolng thrno miles fnrther away. "Meanwhile daylight broke and scanning tho horizon with a tolescope I saw tho two govornmont steamers, nine Hfebonts and a collier In tho vi cinity, going here nnd thoro. Later tho Eureka arrived at Father Point wharf with 32 Burvlvoru and several poor drowned bodies also several of the survivors who had bpn wounded. Agent in Narrow Escape. "The sceno on the Eureka was most distressing, tho Burvlvors walking around their dear shipmates, stretched out In thnlr last sleep. Tho Eureka was sent to Rcmouskl wharf with all on board, and the Cnnadlan Pacific agent, Mr. Webbor, who wns hero, hav ing Justgot oft tho Ill-fated vessel with tho pilot, engaged all tho cabs he could find nnd telephoned for all pos sible medical assistance. As tho com pany's agent here, I advised all the survivors that their cables nnd tele grams to their families would bo paid by tho Canadian Pacific rallrond. "Tho Lady Evelyn passed Into Re mouskl wharf about 4 a. m. with some moro survivors and bodies. Among tho survivors wns Captain Kendall, commander of tho Ill-fated ship, who wns picked up by a lifeboat from the wreckage after tho ship had gone down. Survivors Almost Naked. "Most of tho survivors wero almost naked In tho cold morning, with tho tomperaturo nt 35 degrees and white frost on tho'ground. "At G:10 tho Norwegian collier Storstnd coal laden, from Sydney, N. S., for Montreal, camo along slowly. When hor bow had been smashed In It became known that she was tho vessel that had struck tho Empress of Ireland tho fatal blow. The Stors tad was too much damaged to allow hor to proceed to Quebec under her own steam, but before proceeding sho landed a fow survivors and some dead bodies, which wero taken off by tho steamer Eureka nnd Lndy Evelvn and landed on tli Romnuskl wharf." Sing "God Be With You," On Ship. Montreal, Quo., Mny 30, When tho liner Empress of Ireland steamed away from here Thursday sho carried 1G3 members of tho Salvation urmy from the United States and Canada, bound for the world convention In London. To the accompaniment of the urmy band, they wero singing, 'God Bo With You 'Till Wo Meet Again." This prelude to tho accident In tho St, Lawronce mado tho disaster a near parallel to tho sinking of tho Titanic, whose passengers sang, "Nearer, My God, to Thee," ns the White Star liner wont down, Irving, Actor and Author. Now York, May 31. Laurence S. B. Irving, drowned on steamship Em Dress of Ireland, is an actor, author and manager. He received his edu cation at Mai thorough colloge, College llollln, Paris, and spent threo years lu Russia studying ior foreign office. His plays nro widely known. In 1908 and 1909 ho presented sketches of hlo own authorship In England and Amer ica. On May 3, 1910, Mr. Irving ad dressed the Equal Suffrago league ut New York. t Scenes at Liverpool. Liverpool, May SO. Pathetic scenes wero enacted at the office of the Cana dian Pacific railway In thlB city Fri day. Crowds of weeping men and women begged for nows of the officers and crew of tho Empress of Ireland, tho majority of whom were gathered hore. When confirmation of thu dis aster was received several of the wom en fainted. Friday's scenes wero a duplicate of thoso witnessed at the time tho Titanic went to the bottom. LIST OF RESCUED Names of Those Reported Saved When Empress of Ireland Sank. Tho following Is a list of tho rasaon Cora and crow on tho ill-fated steam ship Empress ot Ireland that havo been reportod as among thoso saved: BACKFORD, Josoph. BAKER, Starr. BANDY, J. P. BANTALA, T. BAWDEN, Florcnco, Hlllsboro, 111, BAWDEN, Bessie. BLYTH, Miss. BOUH, Miss Edith, Rochostor, Minn. BOCH, Rhelnhardt, Rochostor, Minn. UOYLB, Robert. BHENNAN, R. BROWN, William. . B RNH, John. BURT, C. R. BURROWS, W. T. CANEPA, W. CAPPLIN; Gcorgo. CLAHKSON, II. CONE, J. M. COURT, MIbs U. Liverpool, Eng. DAROY, P. I DA VIES, John. DA VIES, Potor. DONAVAN, G, DORTS, John. ELGEV1SH, A. ' ERZ1NGER, Walter. EVANSON, Arthur, FAVEUSTEND, Mrs. FERGUSON, A, C. FENEDAY, Arthur. FENTON, Waltor. FISHER, Mrs. John, Chicago. F1TZPAIUOK, .lohn. FLOIR. Roy. FUGENT, William. GARD, John, Chicago. GAADE, A, W., chlof engineer. GIBBON, John. GRAY, Arthur. GRIVERI, Alex. HACKNEY, Mlse Mabel, wlfo of Lawrenco Irving. HAES, assistant pursor. HAMPTER, W. HARBANN, Renno. HEATH, H. L,., Chicago. HEATH, ''Jack," four-year-old son of abovo. HELLER, W. HENDERSON, G. W. S. HOHN, S. F. HOLT, P. R. f HONRALAIN, William. HUGHES, Hugh. HUGHES, W. H. JOHNSTONE, George, Santa Bar bara, Cul. JUBA1NER, Sims. KAVALSKE, Evan, Duluth. KOHL, Miss Graco. KORONIC, Michael. L.AWLBR, Herbert. LEDDELL, It. LEE, Miss Alice, Nassau, Bahamas. LOMMI, Malto. M'CREADY, Thomaa. M'DONALD, C. P. M'DOUGAL, D. M'WILLIAMS, R METCALFE, G. J. MOUNSEY, Mrs. William, Chicago. NISITO, F. OWEN, W. S. PROBSI, P. QUINN, William. RICATETENTO, Fodor. REGINALD, A., Moroland. ROBERTS, W, ROMANUS, John. ROWER, William. ROWAN, W.,v steward. RYAN, Phona. RYAN, John. SALINSKJ, W. SAMUELSON, C. SCOTT. SHANNON, Edward, SIMS, John. SMITH, C. H. SMITH, H. II. SMITH, J. " SPENCER, C, bellboy. SUZZERA. Adam. TALBACHA, Alox. WALINSKI, Thorno. WBINRUCH, B., Montreal. WEISS, Alox. WHITE, J. 11. WILLIAMS, O. ZUH, H. COMBES, G., pantryman. BAM FORD, B., Marconi operator. , BUNTHROME, Alex., Santa Bar bara, Cal, BYRNE, Mr. and Mrs., Brisbane, Australia. BYRNE, Mrs. O. ELLIOTT, A baker. FINLAY, J. M., Liverpool. FOSTER, E. Baker. GREY, seaman. HOLT, Porklneon R., bedroom steward. DOELIK, MoBcal. G RAT WICK, T. HADLEY, Alex., boatswain's mate. MURPHY, O. S. REGINALD, A. SAMSON, C. S., chief stoward. SIMONS, Mrs. It. . SORAHUE, T. SWAN, J. K tenth engineer. WHITE, Norland. WILLIAMS, JoBoph, assistant stow ard. DUCKWORTH, O. H., electrician. NOVEK, Pededon. DONOVAN. CLANDON. CLARK, Charles. SAPOKE. BAVEIN. SGBALAK, Joseph, Ordburg. SEARLE, Miss Hvu., Seattle. VINCENT, Mrs. A., Falrcross, Eng land. ' 8ALVATI0N ARMY. ATWELL, MaJ. and Mrs., Toronto. , BALES, Mlsa Alice, address un known. BROOKS, Thomas, Toronto. DELAMONT, (two brothers) Moos Jaw. FOORD, Ernst, Toronto. GREEN, Ernest, Toronto. GRBENAWAY, Herbort, Toronto. GREBNAWAY, Mr. and Mrs., To ronto. dnughtor of Bandmaster Hannagan, daughter of Bandmoastor Hannagan.) Toronto. JOHNSTON, James, Toronto. KEITH, Alfred, lieutenant, Toronto: M'AMMON, D., staff captain, To ronto. MORRIS, MaJ. Frank, Lindsay, Ont M'INTYRE, Kenneth, Toronto. SPOONER, R., captain, Toronto. TURTIN, Richard, major, Toronto. WILSON, George, captain, Toronto. BIG SEA DISASTERS 1850 March 30. Stcamor Royal Adelntdo wrecked off Margnto; ovet, 400 Uvea lost, 1852 February 2G. Troopship Bir kenhead, Quccnstown to Capo of Good Hopo wrcckod; 545 lives lost. 1854 March. Steamer City of Glas gow, Liverpool to Philadelphia, with 450 passengers; never heard from. 1854 Eleven transports with sup-, piles for tho army In tho Crlmoar wrecked In storm on Black soa; near ly COO lives lost. 1859 October 21. Stcamor Royal Chartor, wrocked on tho Angolsoa coast; 44G lives lost. 1807 October 29. Royal mall steam ers 'Rhone and Wyo and about fifty other vessels driven ashoro and wrocked nt St. Thomaa, West Indies, by a hurricane; about 1,000 llvos lost, 1870 September 7. British warship Captain foundered off Flulstorro; 472 llvos lost. 1873 April 1. Whlta Star stcamor Atlantic wrocked off Nova Scotia; 547 lives lost 1874 December 6. Emigrant ship Cospatrlck burned at sea; 470 Uvea lost. 1878 September 3. British steamer Princess Alice sunk in collision In tho Thames river; 700 Hvob lost 1887 November 15. British steam er Wah Young burned; 400 Uvea lost. 1890 February 17. British Bteamor Duburg wrecked in China aoa; 400 lives lost. 1890 Septerabor 19. Turkish frlgata Ertogrul foundered off coast of Japan; 540 lives lost. 1891 March 17. Steamor Utopia, Anchor lino, sunk by collision off Gibraltar; 574 llvos lost. 1892 January 13. Steamer Nam chow wrecked in China son; 414 Uvea lost. 1895 March 11. Spanish cruiaor Rolna Regouta foundered In tho Atlan tic at ontranco to tho Modltorranoan; 400 llvos loot. 1898 July 4. French lino steamer La Bourgogno In collision with British sailing ship Cromartyshire; about 5G0 lives lost. 1904 Juno 15. Steamboat General Slocum, took fire going through Hell ,Gato, East river; ovor 1,000 Uvea lost. 1904 Juno 28. Steamor Norge wrecked off Scottish const; G46 lives lost. 1905 Soptombor 13. Japanese war ship Mlkasa sunk by explosion; 699 lives lost. 1908 March 23. Japanaso steamor Mutsu Mnru sunk In collision near Hakodate; 300 llvos lost. 1908 April 30, Japauoso training crulsor Matsu 8hlma( sunk by ox plosion off tho Pescadores; 200 Uvea lost. 1908 July 28. Stcamor Ylng King foundered off Hongkong; 306 llvos lost. 1909 August 1. British Bteamor Waratah, from Sydney via Port Natal for London, loft Port Natal July 2G; never heard from; 300 lives lost. 1909 Novomber 14. Steamer Soyno1 sunk In collision with steamer Onda off Slngaporo; 100 Uvea lost 1910 February 9. Fronch line steamer General Chanzy wrecked off Minorca; 200 Uvea lost. ' 1911 April 2. Steamor Koombuna wrecked; 150 HveB loot. 1911 September 25. Fronch battlo shlp Llborte sunk by explosion in Tou lon harbor; 285 lives lost. 1912 April 14. Steamer Titanic, White Star line, wrecked by collision with iceberg; about 1,503 lives lost, 1014 May 29. Steamer Empress of Ireland and collier Storstad collldo In Gulf of St. Lawrence; more than 800 lives lost. Calls for Inquiry. London, May 30. Tho London morn ing papers in commenting editorially on tho disaster call for a thorough In vestigation as to whothor the bulk heads were closed, and, If so, how was it that tho most modern system of watertight compartments failed to keep tho ship from slaking? Tho claim for tho Empress of Ire land will bo the heaviest suffered by tho LloydB underwriters since tho sinking of the Titanic. It 1b expectod that tho disaster will give a serious chock to tho scheme for establishing n Canadian Lloyds, with a view of re ducing tho rates chargod In London for Insuring vessels navigating tho St, Lawrence. Statistics Bhow that tho underwrit ers have consistently lost money on such voyages, owing to the dangers of tho rlvor and tho prevalence of fogs and ice. Tho Times, in an editorial, con siders that nothing could havo saved the Empicss of Ireland, considering tho mUuro of tho collision, but asks: "What was tho Storstad doing to run I Into tho EmprosB of Ilund with Buch suddenness and vlolouco?"