PART VI.
QUESTIONS.
At the beginning of the Inquiry twenty questions were formulated by the Canadian government upon special points arising out of the casualty. Many of these questions have already been answered in the foregoing parts of our report; but it will be convenient here to set out the questions in full, and to answer those which have not been already dealt with.
Question 1. - When the SS. Empress of Ireland left Quebec on or about the 28th May last
(a) What was the total number of persons employed in any capacity on board her, and what were their respective ratings?
(b) What was the total number of her passengers distinguishing sexes and classes, and discriminating between adults and children?
Answer. - (a) The total number of persons employed in any capacity on board the SS. Empress of Ireland at the time she left Quebec on the 28th May last was 420.
The respective ratings of these persons was as follows:
Deck department . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Engine department . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130
Victualling department . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 222
411
Supernumerary engineers, Ex-R.M.S., Empress of Asia . . . . . . . . . . 4
Musicians . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
420
(b) The total number of passengers was 1,057, made up as follows: -
Male. Female. Total.
1st Class . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49 38 87
2nd Class . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125 128 253
3rd Class . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 500 217 717
Included in the above figures are: -
Four female children in first-class, 11 male and 21 female children in second class, and 54 male and 48 female children in third class; total children, 138.
Question 2. - On leaving Quebec on or about the 28th day of May last, did the SS. Empress of Ireland comply with the requirements of the M. S. Acts, 1894 to 1906, and the rules and regulations made thereunder, with regard to the safety and otherwise of 'passenger steamers' and 'emigrant ships'?
Answer. - Yes.
Question 3. - In the actual design and construction of the SS. Empress of Ireland, what special provisions, if any, were made for the safety of the vessel, and the lives of those on board, in the event of collisions and other casualties?
Answer. - This has been dealt with in Part I of our report.
Question 4. - Was the SS. Empress of Ireland sufficiently and efficiently officered and manned?
Answer. - Yes.
It was suggested to us, however, by counsel on behalf of the National Sailors' and Firemen's Union of Great Britain and Ireland, that more A.B.'s should have been carried on board the Empress of Ireland. He raised this point not with special reference to this casualty and this vessel, but as a means of placing before the court the general opinion of his clients, that for the purpose of launching and manning lifeboats all passenger ships should be required by law to carry A.B.'s to the number of two per boat. We do not, however, consider that such a requirement would have been of any avail in saving life on this occasion, and we, therefore, abstain from making any comment on the suggestion.
Question 5. - Were the arrangements for manning and launching the boats on board the S.S. Empress of Ireland in case of emergency, proper and sufficient? Had a boat drill and a bulkhead door drill been held on board, and if so, when? What was the carrying capacity of the respective boats? What number and description of lifebuoys and life jackets were on board this vessel? Where were they carried? Were they in good condition, and adequate for the purpose intended?
Answer. - The answer to the first question is in the affirmative. Boat and bulkhead door drills were carried out at Quebec on the 23rd May last before the ship sailed. The rest of the information asked for is given in Part V of this report.
Question 6. - What installations for receiving and transmitting messages by wireless telegraphy were on board the S.S. Empress of Ireland? How many operators were employed in working such installations? Were the installations in good and effective working order? Were the number of operators sufficient to enable messages to be received and transmitted continuously by day and night?
Answer. - The Empress of Ireland was fitted with a Marconi Standard one and a half kilowatt installation of wireless telegraphy with a complete emergency gear.
Two operators were on hoard, and the installations were in good and effective working order, and the number of operators were sufficient to enable messages to be received and transmitted continuously by day and night.
Question 7. - At or prior to the sailing of the S.S. Empress of Ireland from Quebec on the 28th day of May last, what, if any, instructions as to navigation, were given to the master, or known by him to apply to her voyage? Were such instructions, if any, safe, proper and adequate, having regard to the time of the year and dangers likely to be encountered during the voyage.
Answer. - General and specific rules as to navigation were issued by the Canadian Pacific Railway Company to their masters and officers in book form and were well known to the masters and officers of the Empress of Ireland. The instructions contained in such rules were safe and proper, having regard to the time of the year and dangers likely to be encountered during the voyage.
Question 8. - When leaving Quebec on or about the 28th of May last, was the vessel in charge of a Quebec pilot? If so, when and where was the pilot discharged, and what was the condition of the weather at that time?
Answer. - These questions, with the exception of that as to the time at which the pilot was discharged, have been dealt with in the body of our report. As to the time at which the pilot was discharged, the master of the Empress of Ireland states that it was at 1.20 a.m. on the 29th May, while the master of the pilot boat states that it was at 1.30 a.m.
Question 9. - After the pilot left the SS. Empress of Ireland was a double watch kept on deck?
Answer. - Yes.
Question 10. - At what time on the morning of the 29th May last?
(a) did the S.S. Empress of Ireland first sight the light or lights of the Norwegian steamer Storstad and in what position was the S.S. Empress of Ireland then?
(b) did the Norwegian steamer Storstad first sight the light or lights of the S.S. Empress of Ireland and in what position was the Storstad then?
At this time were the vessels crossing so as to involve risk of collision within the meaning of Article 19 of the regulations for preventing collisions at sea? If so, did the S.S. Empress of Ireland comply with the provisions of the said Article and of Articles 22 and 23, and did the S.S. Storstad comply with Article 21 of the said regulations?
Answer. - The two vessels sighted one another shortly after the Empress of Ireland left Father Point and before she changed her course to N 73 E Magnetic.
The vessels were not at this time crossing so as to involve risk of a collision within the meaning of Article 19 of the Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea.
Question 11. - After the vessels had sighted each other's lights did the atmosphere between them become foggy or misty, so that lights could no longer be seen? If so, did both vessels comply with Articles 15 and 16, and did they respectively indicate on their steam whistles or sirens, the course or courses they were taking by the signals set out?
Answer. - The answer to the first question is in the affirmative.
We are of the opinion that both vessels complied with Article 15 of the Regulations for the Prevention of Collisions at Sea. We are further of opinion that the Empress of Ireland complied with Article 16; but on the evidence before us we are not prepared to express an opinion as to whether the provisions of this Article were complied with by the Storstad.
Question 12. - Were the circumstances of this case such as to bring into operation the provisions of Articles 27 or 29 of the said Regulations? If so, did the Masters of both vessels take prompt and proper means or measures to comply with the requirements of the said Articles?
Answer. - The circumstances of the collision and the causes which brought it about are described in our report.
Question 13. - In what position in the River St. Lawrence and at what time on the morning of the 29th of May last did the collision occur between the S.S. Empress of Ireland and the S.S. Storstad? At what time did the S.S. Empress of Ireland founder, and how was it that she sank so quickly after the collision had occurred?
Answer. - These questions were dealt with in our report.
Question 14. - Was proper discipline maintained on board the S.S. Empress of Ireland after the casualty occurred?
Answer. - Yes.
Question 15. - What messages for assistance were sent by the S.S. Empress of Ireland after the casualty, and at what times respectively? Were the messages sent out received at the wireless station at Father Point? Were prompt measures taken by those on shore to render assistance? What assistance was rendered by the Government steamers Eureka and Lady Evelyn?
Answer. - A wireless message 'S.O.S.' was sent off by the Senior Marconi operator shortly after the collision had occurred, the message was received at the wireless station at Father Point, and no time was lost in sending the Government steamers Lady Evelyn and Eureka to the rescue. , The vessels proceeded at once to the scene of the disaster and picked up many of the survivors, landing them at Rimouski.
Question 16. - Was the apparatus for lowering the boats on the S.S. Empress of Ireland at the time of the casualty in good working order? How many boats were got away before the vessel sank?
Did the boats, whether those under davits or otherwise, prove to be serviceable for the purpose of saving life? If not, why not? What steps were taken immediately on the happening of the casualty? How long after the casualty was its seriousness realized by those in charge of the vessel? What steps were then taken? Were all watertight doors in bulkheads immediately closed? What endeavours were made to save the lives of those on board, and to prevent the vessel from sinking?
Answer. - At the time of the casualty the apparatus for lowering the boats on board the Empress of Ireland was in good working order.
The second part of this question has already been answered in the body of the report.
Question 17. - Were any of the persons on board the S.S. Empress of Ireland who lost their lives, killed or injured by the collision?
What number of passengers and crew left the ship in the boats which got away?
How many persons were ultimately rescued, and by what means? What was the number of passengers, distinguishing between men and women, and adults and children, of the first, second and third classes respectively, who were saved? What was the number of the crew, discriminating their ratings and sex, who were saved?
Answer. - We have not before us sufficient evidence to enable us to answer the first question.
Of the total number of 1,417 persons on board the Empress of Ireland 465 were saved (1) in the vessel's own boats, (2) boats belonging to the SS. Storstad and (3) the Government steamers Eureka and Lady Evelyn.
The number of passengers saved, distinguishing between men and women, and adults and children were as follows: -
| FIRST CLASS. | |||||
| Total number. | Saved. | ||||
| Adult males . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | 49 | 24 | |||
| " Females. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | 34 | 11 | |||
| Children, males . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | . . . . | . . . . | |||
| " , females . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | 4 | 1 | |||
| _______ | _____ | ||||
| Total | 87 | of which number | 36 | were saved. | |
| SECOND CLASS. | |||||
| Total number. | Saved. | ||||
| Adult males . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | 114 | 33 | |||
| " Females. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | 107 | 13 | |||
| Children, males . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | 11 | . . . . | |||
| " , females . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | 21 | 2 | |||
| _______ | _____ | ||||
| Total | 253 | of which number | 48 | were saved. | |
| THIRD CLASS. | |||||
| Total number. | Saved. | ||||
| Adult males . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | 446 | 115 | |||
| " Females. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | 169 | 17 | |||
| Children, males . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | 54 | 1 | |||
| " , females . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | 48 | . . . . | |||
| _______ | _____ | ||||
| Total | 717 | of which number | 133 | were saved. | |
Of the 609 adult male passengers 172 were saved.
" 310 " female " 41 "
" 65 male children " 1 "
" 73 female " " 3 "
_____
Total. 1,057 " 217 "
The total number of the crew saved was 248, as follows: -
| CREW. | |||||
| Total number. | Saved. | ||||
| Deck Department | 59 | 36 | |||
| Engine Department | 130 | 92 | |||
| Sup. Engineers, ex-Empress of Asia | 4 | 3 | |||
| Victualling Department | 212 | 113 | |||
| Matron and 9 stewardesses | 10 | 1 | |||
| Musicians | 5 | 3 | |||
| _______ | _______ | ||||
| Total | 420 | crew | 248 | saved. | |
Question 18. - Did the Master of the S.S. Storstad comply with Article 422 of the M.S.A. 1894?
Answer. - Yes.
Question 19. - Was a good and proper lookout kept on board of both vessels?
Answer. - A good and proper lookout was kept on board the Empress of Ireland. We are not prepared on the evidence before us to say whether the mistake made by those in charge of the Storstad in thinking that the Empress of Ireland was passing port to port was or was not due to an insufficient lookout being kept.
Question 20. - Was the loss of the S.S. Empress of Ireland, etc., or the loss of life caused by the wrongful act or default of the Master and First Officer of that vessel, and the Master, First, Second and Third Officers of the SS. Storstad, or any of them?
Answer. - This question has already been answered in our report.
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