2nd cabin passenger,
Empress of Ireland,
Sworn.
By Lord Mersey:
2374. You reside at Ottawa?
- Yes
2375. You were a second cabin passenger with your wife on the Empress?
- Yes.
2376. Were you in your bunks at the time of the collision?
- Yes.
2377. What was the first you knew of it?
- The crash woke me.
2378. Where was your cabin?
- On the main deck.
2379. Which side?
- Afoot of the second cabin dining room.
(Here a plan was handed to witness and position of stateroom indicated.)
2380. An inside cabin, was it?
- An inside cabin.
2381. 416?
- 446.
2382. There it is, then? (Indicating).
- Yes, on the upper deck.
Lord Mersey:
I thought you said on the main deck.
By Mr. Newcombe:
2383. On the starboard quarter, upper deck, an inside cabin?
- Yes.
2384. You were awakened by the crash; do you know what time it was?
- Quarter past two.
2385. By your watch?
- Yes.
2386. What did you do?
- I immediately jumped out of bed and opened the stateroom door. I saw two deck stewards running for the stairs. I surmised that there was something wrong and I rushed back into my room and took my wife up on deck. I met a sailor on deck and I asked him what was the matter; he said: Nothing, it is only a trifle. I looked around a minute later and I saw some seamen providing some ladies with life-belts, so I calculated then there was something serious. The ship at that time had an angle of about I would say 40°. I stood around guessing what I would do next and I came to the conclusion that the best thing for me to do was to take to the water. So I told my wife to slide down to the water’s edge on the starboard side; I was hanging in the meantime to the port side. I got down to the water’s edge and was submerged in the water; I was on the submerged side of the ship. They were trying to cut adrift two life-boats, which they subsequently did. I took my wife in my arms and jumped for the rear life-boat. I asked one of the sailors to take her on board, which he did, while I hung to the outside. One of the seamen shouted for an axe for the forepart of the life-boat was still fastened to the Empress’ davits. So they got an axe and cut the rope, and about half a minute I would say from the cutting of the rope - time to take two strokes of the oars - there was an explosion. I do not know whether it was the boiler or what it was, but there was certainly an explosion. Then the ship had an angle of, I would say, about 90°; some of the superstructure gave way and came down on a life-boat astern of us and took the people in it to the bottom, and they were killed or drowned. We got away, and about three-quarters of an hour after that we got on board the Storstad; we rowed to the Storstad. That is about all I know of it.
2387. Any complaint with regard to the discipline or the order of the proceedings?
- No, the seamen did their duty.
2388. Did you see the Storstad? I mean, did you see her -
- Yes, I saw the Storstad just immediately before I took the slide from the port to the starboard side.
2389. Where was she then?
- She was off on the port bow of the Empress, about half a mile.
By Lord Mersey:
2390. On the port bow?
- On the port bow, the left hand side of the Empress, about half a mile.
2391. That was some time after the collision?
- Well, about ten minutes, I would say.
By Mr. Newcombe:
2392. Can you say whether your ship was making any headway at the time?
- No, she was not; she was standing still. I could discern that from the objects in the water; there was nothing moving.
2393. You could discern that when you were on the rail there?
- On the rail, yes.
Lord Mersey:
I do not myself think that to multiply this evidence will be to increase our knowledge of the facts.
Mr. Newcombe:
No, my Lord; but I thought it right to call some of the passengers.
Lord Mersey:
You are quite right, but I do not think it is necessary to call a large number of them.
Mr. Newcombe:
We have another one of the same class here.
Lord Mersey:
He says the same thing, does he?
Mr. Newcombe:
Each one had a somewhat different experience.
Lord Mersey:
Exercise your own discretion, but I am telling you I do not think it will add very much to our knowledge.
Sir Adolphe Routhier:
Was he a passenger?
Mr. Newcombe:
A passenger, yes. Mr. Black’s wife is here, of course.
Lord Mersey:
I do not think it necessary to have the lady come here.
Mr. Aspinall:
We are now going to the engine room department and we propose to call three witnesses, the officer who was in charge of the port engine, the officer who was in charge of the starboard side and Mr. Sampson, chief engineer, who came in late.
Mr. Newcombe:
We have a passenger, Mr. Henderson, of Montreal, whom my learned friend would like me to call.
Lord Mersey:
Very well.
(Witness discharged.)