THE TWO STORIES.
(1) THE STORY OF THE SS. 'Empress of Ireland.'
Navigation of the vessel up to the point of sighting the 'Storstad.'
The Empress of Ireland left Quebec at about 4.20 p.m. (Montreal time) on the 28th May, in charge of a Quebec pilot, Adelard Bernier by name, with a crew of 420 hands, and 1,057 passengers, and some general cargo, bound for Liverpool.
The master of the vessel was Captain H. G. Kendall, who has held an Extra Master's Certificate for twelve years, and has been in the service of the Canadian Pacific Railway Company for eleven and a half years, during the last six and a half of which he had been in command of ships of that company. He first took command of the Empress of Ireland on May 1st, 1914, at Halifax, N.S. In addition to the captain, there were six certificated officers, of whom four held Master's Certificates, and two Mate's Certificates. The Engineers were twelve in number, of whom we were informed that eleven held first-class certificates, though only four were credited with such certificates in the Articles. The crew was constituted as follows: Deck Department, 59, including officers; engine room department, 130; and victualling department, 222. In addition to these there were four supernumerary engineers, and five musicians.
From 12 to 4 a.m. on the morning of May 29, it was the first officer's watch, the third officer being associated with him to form a double watch. The captain himself, however, remained on the bridge and had charge of the navigation of the vessel. In addition there was a quartermaster at the wheel, and another quartermaster (Murphy), and a deck boy standing by. Of these six persons only the master, first officer and Murphy survive.
It was a beautiful and clear night with a young moon and stars shining; but before reaching Father Point, a slight fog had been met on two occasions (1) between Red Island and Bic, and (2) between Bic and Father Point, on both of which occasions speed was reduced to half speed and slow, and the whistle was used.
The pilot was dropped about a mile north of Father Point gas buoy, at about 1.20 a.m., the weather being then fine and clear. A course of N. 47 E. magnetic was then set in order to obtain an offing from the shore, and the vessel proceeded to sea at full speed, which the master states was between 17 and 18 knots an hour.
After the vessel had been running on this course for a little time, the Cock Point gas buoy was sighted by the lookout in the crow's nest and reported, and shortly afterwards, just before getting Cock Point on the beam, the masthead lights of a steamer, which subsequently proved to be the Storstad, were sighted between three and four points on the starboard bow, approximately six miles away, the weather at that time being fine and clear.
Navigation from moment of sighting the 'Storstad' until the fog intervened.
After running on the course N. 47 E. magnetic for about eighteen minutes, to a point at which Cock Point buoy was about two and a half miles away on the starboard beam, and about four and a half miles from Father Point, Captain Kendall, considering that he had made the necessary offing from the shore, altered his course to N. 76 E. by compass, or N. 73 E. magnetic, with the object of proceeding down the river. When this change had been carried out, the masthead lights of the Storstad were still visible, about a point or a point and a half on the starboard bow, about four miles away, and it was intended to pass the vessel starboard to starboard.
At this moment Captain Kendall, going to the higher bridge, verified the heading of the ship by the standard compass and took the bearing of the lights. He stated that he found that the Storstad lights were bearing N 87 E by compass, 11 degrees on his starboard bow, and that her course would therefore take her easily to starboard of his ship.
A little later Captain Kendall returning to the navigation bridge, sighted the green light of the Storstad off his starboard bow, and about the same time a fog bank was seen coming off the land, and dimming the lights of the Storstad.
As soon as the fog began to affect the Storstad's lights the engines of the Empress of Ireland were stopped, and put full speed astern, and her whistle was blown three short blasts signifying that this had been done.
About a minute later the fog shut out the lights of the Storstad which were then seen bearing about one point on the starboard bow. A prolonged blast of the Storstad's whistle was heard about 2 points off the starboard bow of the Empress of Ireland, signifying that the Storstad had way upon her, and the sound appeared to come from about a mile or a mile and a half away. The Empress of Ireland then blew a series of three short blasts. A prolonged blast from the Storstad was again heard about four points off the starboard bow of the Empress of Ireland.
At about this time the Empress of Ireland being at a standstill in the water and heading about N 76 E by compass or N 73 E magnetic, her engines were stopped and two long blasts sounded on the whistle, signifying that she was stopped and had no way upon her. Another prolonged blast was heard from the Storstad still on the starboard bow, apparently about six points, and about a mile away. The whistle of the Empress of Ireland thereupon again sounded two long blasts. As the position of the sounds heard from the Storstad was broadening first from two points to four and then from four to six, Captain Kendall supposed the relative positions of the two ships to be perfectly safe.
Very soon after the Empress of Ireland had blown the second set of two long blasts, the mast head lights and the two side lights of the Storstad were seen by Captain Kendall about 100 feet away, almost at right angles to the Empress of Ireland, and approaching at a fast speed.
Captain Kendall by megaphone hailed the Storstad to go full speed astern, and at about the same time the Storstad was heard to begin sounding three short blasts, the third of which sounded as the Storstad struck the Empress of Ireland, as mentioned in the next paragraph.
In the hope of possibly avoiding or minimizing the effect of a collision the engines of the Empress of Ireland were ordered full speed ahead, and her helm was ordered hard a-port; but the Storstad continuing to come on at a fast speed of about 10 knots struck the Empress of Ireland amidships and penetrated through her steel decks to the extent of 15 to 20 feet. The angle of the two ships at the moment of collision was about 7 points.
The engines of the Empress of Ireland were immediately stopped, and the Storstad was requested, by megaphone, to go full speed ahead. The ships, however, after a few seconds, separated and orders were given to put the engines of the Empress of Ireland full speed ahead, with a view to beaching the vessel, which at that moment was listing heavily to starboard. Steam, however, failed, the engines stopped, and the lights went out. The vessel continued to list and, about fifteen minutes after the collision, foundered. She was then heading S E by compass, i.e., substantially to starboard of her course. The locality was about 6 1/2 to 6 3/4 miles east of Father Point, and the time of the collision was about 1.55 a.m. (Montreal time.)
(2) THE STORY OF THE STORSTAD.
Navigation up to the point of sighting the "Empress of Ireland."
The SS. Storstad was running on time charter for the Dominion Coal Company, and at 12.30 (Montreal time) of the morning of the collision was abreast of Metis Point, on a voyage from Sydney, Nova Scotia, to Montreal, with a cargo of between 10,000 and 11,000 tons of coal. The watch was being kept by the Chief and Third Officers, there was a quartermaster at the wheel, a lookout man forward, and another A.B. standing by on deck. The Chief Officer, Mr. Toftenes, who has held a Norwegian master's certificate for about seven years, had served as an officer on the vessel for 3 1/2 years, and had been Chief Officer for about five or six weeks before the casualty occurred. The Third Officer, Mr. Saxe, has held a mate's certificate for two years, and had served as mate for 14 months, of which 13 had been spent on the Storstad. The vessel was under the command of Captain Thos. Andersen, who had given standing orders to the Chief Officer that he was to be called in case of fog, and that in any case he was to be called six miles before the ship reached Father Point to take on the pilot.
Abreast of Metis Point, the estimated distance of the Storstad from the shore was about four miles, a course was laid of W. 1/4 S magnetic, and the ship ran, by the patent log six knots through the water, this distance, being however, subject to a slight allowance in respect of the tide. The course was then changed to W. 1/2 S magnetic, and the ship ran by the patent log, five knots. Shortly afterwards ,about 1.30 a.m. the course was changed to W by S. Just before the change was made, or just after, the masthead lights of the Empress of Ireland were seen approximately two points on the port bow of the Storstad, about 6 or 7 knots away. They were at that time open to starboard.
NAVIGATION FROM MOMENT OF SIGHTING 'EMPRESS OF IRELAND' TILL FOG INTERVENED.
Six or seven minutes after sighting the masthead lights, the green side light of the Empress of Ireland was seen about a point and a half on the Storstad's port bow, apparently from 3 to 5 miles away. The Empress of Ireland was showing her green light for an interval, and was then seen to make a change in her course. Her masthead lights came into a line, and she showed both the green and the red side lights. The Empress of Ireland then continued to swing to starboard, shutting out the green and showing only the red light about a point or a point and a half on the Storstad's port bow. This light was shown for from 2 to 4 or 5 minutes, and was only shut out from the observation of the Storstad by the fog. When the fog intervened, the Empress of Ireland was still one and a half to two points on the port bow, and was about two miles away. The chief officer of the Storstad assumed that it was her intention to pass him port to port, and if the relative positions of the vessels at this moment had been maintained they would have passed red to red with ample room.
NAVIGATION IN FOG.
When the Empress of Ireland was enveloped in the fog, she was heard to blow a signal of one prolonged blast on her whistle. The Storstad answered the signal with one prolonged blast. One or two minutes later the Storstad was enveloped in the fog, and the chief officer ordered his engine to 'slow', and after one or two minutes to stop. According to the third mate, there was a second exchange then of prolonged single blasts between the two steamers, but the chief officer himself is not sure whether a second prolonged blast was ever heard from the Empress of Ireland. It is agreed, however, that a little later a signal of 3 short blasts was heard from the Empress of Ireland, and answered by one long whistle, signifying that the Storstad had way upon her. Saxe, the third mate admits further that there was a second series of three short blasts from the Empress of Ireland, and states that it was answered by one prolonged blast from the Storstad.
A little later the chief officer of the Storstad in order to counteract the influence of a current upon the heading of his vessel, ordered the wheel to be ported. This was done but the vessel did not answer, and the third officer then put the wheel hard over to port himself to make sure that it should go all the way. Still the Storstad did not swing; and then, finding that his vessel had lost steerage way, the chief officer ordered a signal to be blown of two long blasts, to show that his vessel was not under steerage way. About the same time in order that his vessel might not become entirely unmanageable, he gave a signal on the telegraph 'slow ahead.' It was not till this order had been given that the chief officer called the captain and told him it was getting foggy. The Captain asked if Father Point could be seen, and the chief officer replied that it had just been shut out by the fog. No mention was made of any vessel in the vicinity.
Captain Andersen went on the bridge and found by the compass that his course was W. by S. 1/2 S. (W. by S. magnetic) and an instant later saw a masthead light about 3 points or perhaps a little more on his port bow, moving at a fast pace across the Storstad's course from port to starboard. He immediately ordered the engines full speed astern.
Captain Andersen estimates the distance of the Empress of Ireland when first sighted to have been from 600 to 800 feet. Immediately after the masthead light he saw the green light, and a few moments (Captain Andersen says half a minute) after the Empress of Ireland was first seen, the vessels came together. The angle made by the starboard side of the two vessels was approximately three points.
Captain Andersen heard a hail through a megaphone from the Empress of Ireland telling him to go ahead full speed, and he shouted back 'I am going ahead full speed'. He instantly ordered his engines full speed ahead at the moment of the contact; but he states that, owing to the pace at which the Empress of Ireland was moving it was quite impossible for him to keep his stem in the wound, and that his bow was swung to starboard until the two vessels were almost parallel. So much was he swung round that he was afraid the Empress of Ireland would hit his port bow, and in order to bring his heading back towards the land he put his helm hard-a-port, ordered his engines ahead and made a complete circle. The Empress of Ireland had meantime disappeared in the fog, and he blew a number of whistle signals to ascertain her whereabouts; but got no answer.
It was about 8 or 10 minutes after the collision before he got his first idea of her whereabouts through hearing a chorus of cries from people in the water. He thereupon manoeuvred his vessel as close to the Empress of Ireland as he dared, and at the earliest possible moment his four boats were lowered.
The collision took place at about 2.06 a.m. and his heading at the moment of contact was W. by S. magnetic.
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