Description Empress of Ireland

The Pictou Advocate

Pictou, Nova Scotia, Saturday, May 30, 1914

Over 1000 Lives Lost In Big Steamship Collision

C.P.R. Liner "Empress of Ireland" Collides With Norwegian Collier and Sinks Almost Immediately, Only Two Hundred and Fifty Saved.

(Special to The Advocate.)

Father Point, Quebec.,—A terrible disaster, which equals in its awful suddenness that of the Titanic, occurred 30 miles east of this point in the dark hours of this morning. The Empress of Ireland, which left Quebec yesterday afternoon with 990 passengers on board, bound for Liverpool, collided in the fog with the Norwegian collier "Storstd." The impact was tremendous, and the Empress began to sink almost at once. The scene immediately after the collision baffles description, the shrieks of passengers rudely awakened from their slumbers, the hoarse cries of the captain and officers and wailing of women mingled with the rushing of the waters. There was hardly any time in which to launch boats. Only meagre details are available at this hour. The S.O.S. signal was sent out by the wireless operator of the Empress, and it at once reached the Government steamers Landy Evelyn and the Eureka, which were at the warf at this place. They immediately steamed full speed to the scene of the disaster. The Empress of Ireland was in command of Capt. Kendall, R.N.R., who commanded the Montrose when Crippen was captured. He is among the saved. Latest despatches say it is believed that over 1000 were lost. Among the passengers was Dr. Alex. Lindsay, of Halifax, who was going to England to be married.

(Special to The Advocate.)

Halifax, N.S. 4 p.m.— Only most meagre details are available at this hour of the great shipping disaster. Four hundred and twenty passengers are believed to have been saved, but it is feared that all the remaining 1002 have found a grave in the waters of the Gulf. The only saloon passenger from Halifax on board the ill-fated line was Dr. Alexander Lindsay, announcement of whose engagement to Kathleen, daughter of Richard Webb, Warwickshire, England, was only announced on Wednesday. The marriage was arranged to take place in England in the middle of June. He was en route thither. The only other passengers from Halifax on board, so far as known, were Miss Blackburn, maid in employ of Mr. and Mrs. W. A. Black; Mrs. Holloway, mother of Lieutenant Holloway, Wellington barracks, and Ensign Edwards, well known here as the officer in charge in the Salvation Army Metropole. In the list of saved, so far received, the names of Dr. Lindsay and the other Halifax passengers do not appear.

Only 250 Saved

Montreal, May 29, 3.50 p.m., — Only 250, including 12 women, were saved from the Empress. Over, 1000 were lost.     Fred Yorston.

Montreal, 7 p.m., — Three hundred and fifty survivors of 1400, have been landed at Rimouski, but twenty-two have since died. Empress in command Capt. Kendall, R.N.R., left Quebec yesterday at 4.40 p.m. Mr. Henderson, of Burnett & Company, Montreal, stockbrokers, who was one of those saved, gives extent of disaster in telegram to his firm as follows: 337 saved; 27 drowned in attempting to swim ashore; 12 women rescued.

Reports of disaster are somewhat conflicting.  Captain Kendall reports that his ship, Empress of Ireland, was at anchor, owing to fog, coming up, when the collier crashed into her amidship, boring a gaping hole in the liner. Other reports, including that of pilot who left the Empress but one hour before the castastrophe occurred, said that the weather then was exceptionally clear and bright.

A heart-rendering scene occurred as barely awakened passengers rushed to the deck as the steamer keeled over from the tremendous blow hit by Storstad. As liner's list continued to increase passengers became panic-stricken and when it was found that owing to list only a portion of the lifeboats could be lowered, a despairing cry went up from hundreds of doomed people gathered on decks. Capt. Kendall and his officers worked desperately to free entangled boats, but in ten minutes the doomed liner tilted stem further, and pointing her nose skyward, slid into the bosom of the waters.

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Murderers of Dr. C.B. Robinson Sentenced.

Papers from the Dutch East Indies tell of the trial of the murderers of Dr. Charles B. Robinson. The one who was proved to have struck the fatal blows was sentenced to 20 years, and five others to eight years penal servitude in chains.