HENRI FOURNIER,
coal trimmer, Empress of Ireland,
Sworn.
By Mr. Haight:
5826. Were you a member of the crew of the Empress on her last voyage?
- Yes, sir.
5827. When did you ship on her?
- The 28th of May.
5828. As what?
- As a trimmer.
5829. Where were you as the Empress was approaching Father Point on the voyage out?
- Down below.
5830. Were you on deck at any time as you neared Father Point?
- Yes, sir, about three-quarters of an hour before.
5831. What had you been doing then?
- I was on deck to have a smoke.
5832. Where were you when the collision occurred?
- In my bunk.
5833. Did you feel the jar of the collision?
- Yes, sir, I thought she grounded.
5834. What did you do?
- Well I told my mate that shipped on with me at Quebec, a man by the name of Simon Cottle, who belongs in Bristol, England, and I told him I guess she has grounded and he says ‘Well, I guess we’ve struck something or something struck us,' and I grabbed my coat and hat and went right on deck. I was on deck about a minute after the collision.
5835. Whereabouts were your quarters on the ship?
- Aft, on the port side.
5836. How near the stern was the companion-way that led up on to the deck?
- Oh I should say about forty feet.
5837. And when you came up on to the deck which way did you turn?
- I turned to the starboard side.
5838. And how far did you go, to the rail?
- No, sir, I just went to the stern.
5839. When you went to the starboard side of the Empress, did you see anything of the other steamer?
- Yes, sir, I seen the Storstad. I seen her mast lights.
5840. What lights?
- Her mast lights.
5841. That is the white masthead light?
- Yes.
5842. Where was that light then?
- Right opposite the stern.
5843. And which way did that light appear to you to be moving?
- Sideways, drifting sideways.
5844. Which way?
- Sideways. Here was the Empress here, and the light was going that way.
5845. Well, was the light moving towards your bow or towards your stern?
- Moving towards the stern.
5846. When you got on the deck and went to the starboard side, did you see the light on your left hand or on your right hand?
- On my right hand, the starboard side.
5847. But at your left hand or right hand - you don’t have a starboard side?
- My right hand.
5848. Did you see that light shut out by the fog?
- I just barely distinguished it. It was foggy.
5849. Now after you saw the masthead light of the Storstad, what did you do?
- I went below and put a life-belt on.
5850. Then what did you do?
- Came on deck again and put the life-belt on, and we were trying to launch the last boat aft on the port side, but we couldn’t do it, she was listed too much to the starboard side.
5851. How long did it take you to go down below and get your life-belt on and come up again?
- Oh I was in a hurry, I should say about a minute.
5852. How long do you think it took you to put on your coat and go up on deck again the first time, when you felt the jar of the collision?
- I should say about a minute.
Mr. Haight:
That is all.
Mr. Aspinall:
No questions.
Lord Mersey:
Mr. Gibsone?
Mr. Gibsone:
No, my Lord.