CHARLES BURNS,
assistant storekeeper, Empress of Ireland,
Sworn.
Examined by Mr. Haight:
7176. You were one of the assistant storekeepers on the Empress?
- Yes, sir.
7177. You were in bed at the time of the collision?
- Yes, sir.
7178. Did you go on deck immediately after you felt the jar?
- Yes, sir.
7179. When you came on deck did you see the Storstad?
- Yes, sir.
7180. Will you please state just what her position was when you first saw her?
- She was coming away astern of us, sir.
7181. When you first saw the Storstad, did she appear to you still to be into your side?
- No, sir.
7182. Mr. Holden has been good enough to furnish me a copy of the statement which you made originally, Mr. Burns, which reads as follows:
‘I rushed out on the deck, and saw the bow of the Storstad. I saw the other
' ship, which appeared to me to be right into us. Then I could see the Storstad
'
moving around broadside with us.’
- Yes, sir.
7183. Is that statement correct?
- Yes, sir.
7184. Then you did see the Storstad when she was still apparently sticking into the wound?
- She was just moving away from the wound, then sir; appeared to be moving away from the wound.
7185. As the statement reads, - it is a little important and I want to be accurate - it says: ‘I saw the other ship, which appeared to me to be right into us.’ Does that mean still in the wound?
- No, right up against the side of the ship, coming away, sir. I couldn’t tell whether she was in the ship or not from the distance I was away.
7186. But she was quite close?
- She was quite close to the ship, yes sir.
7187. Whereabouts where you standing when you saw her?
- Right on the after deck, sir.
7188. And she was forward of you at that time?
- Yes, sir.
7189. Now, as the vessels separated, which way did the stern of the Storstad appear to swing?
- She-came right round towards our stern.
By Lord Mersey:
7190. Towards your stern?
- Yes.
By Mr. Haight:
7191. That is, the Storstad’s stern was swinging towards your stern so as to bring the vessels more or less in a parallel position?
- Yes, sir.
7192. Did you see the Storstad disappear atetem?
- No, I rushed back to the room then, sir.
7193. Had she got aft of where you stood before you left?
- The whole ship hadn’t, sir.
7194. But her stern had?
- Her stern had, yes.
Cross-examined by Mr. Aspinall:
7195. Before the crash came, were you awake?
- Yes, sir.
7196. When you woke, how long do you think it was before the crash came?
- About three minutes I should think, sir.
7197. Could you tell whether your propellers were moving then, or were they stopped?
- Our propellers were stopped, sir.
By Lord Mersey:
7198. Let it be quite clear. Do you mean that your propellers had stopped before you woke up?
- Just before I woke up, sir.
7199. You could scarcely tell that; you were asleep?
- They were stopped when I woke.
7200. When you awoke, was the Empress moving?
- No, sir.
By Chief Justice McLeod:
7201. Could you tell that from your bunk?
- I couldn’t tell; I could tell the propellers were stopped.
7202. Whether she was moving through the water or not you could not tell?
- No, I couldn’t tell that.
Witness discharged.