“No; he would say nothing about it. He said he was under orders not to talk. He told me that he had managed to pick up three hundred and forty of the people from the Empress, and had done everything in his power to make them comfortable until they were transferred to the relief steamers.”
Pilot Nault said a remark dropped by Captain Andersen at one time was to the effect that at the time of the collision he (Captain Andersen), his officer, and Pilot Lachance, the pilot who brought the Storstad from Father Point to Quebec, were on the bridge of the collier.
“Did any newspaper men come aboard at Quebec and tell Andersen what Captain Kendall said?” Nault was asked in conclusion.
“Yes; the captain answered them.”
“What did he say about Kendall’s statement?”
“He said they were lies,” finished Nault.
AN OFFICER’S STORY
One of the officers on the Storstad gave out the following statement when interviewed after the arrival of the vessel:
“At the time of the disaster I was lying in my bunk. Being awakened by a terrible shock, I jumped up immediately and ran out on deck, where I heard the engines going full speed astern. I am a strong man, and have had many experiences during nearly thirty years at sea, but what I saw and heard there made me weep. I still see all those men and women shrieking and struggling in the water. The statement that nothing was done to pick up the survivors is absolutely false; we lowered the boats and rescued over three hundred of those on board the Empress. There was not an officer or a man aboard the Storstad who did not do his utmost to save life and comfort the rescued; every man on the ship gave away everything he had. We split up the table-cloths, blankets, etc., to cover the rescued, many of whom were absolutely naked when picked up. Those who had been in the freezing water for an hour or so were at once taken to the engine-room, the warmest place on board, and so numb were they that several sat on the cylinders of the engines, their flesh searing on the hot steel. I am absolutely confident that public opinion will be entirely reversed when the true facts of the case are published.”