The shipping world watched in horror.  The public demanded information and answers.

The ships spotted each other three miles apart, the Empress up river and the Storstad down.  A fog blanketed the waterway and tales of altered courses and confused signals conflicted.

Were the running lights green?  Were they red? Had signals been misinterpreted? Who was responsible? Too many questions unanswered.
The waters reached the dynamos in three minutes and both power and lights failed.  The passengers, who hadn't been on the ship 12 hours, struggled in the dark.  Some had not even felt the impact.  Terrified people were thrown from their beds as the ship  listed to starboard.  Waters rushed in. ........................... 
The Empress sank in 14  minutes.   
(Collision Video Clip) (From the video "Empress of Ireland - Lost Not Forgotten" by SeaView Imaging.  To buy this video click here.)   (Computer Animation provided by Moving Graphics)

Who would have thought an  another major shipping tragedy would occur so soon after the loss  of the Titanic.  CPR had been so confident in their ships.

A Canadian Court of Inquiry was established to review the incident thoroughly.  Although he remained on the bridge as the Empress sank beneath him, Capt. Kendall survived the ordeal.  He was thus able to present his accounts of the events to the court.

Capt Andersen"s recollections were less substantial as he was not at the helm of the Storstad before the collision.  His 1st officer was found negligent for not informing his captain of the incoming fog.  Other findings were irreconcilable.
 

The Storstad was impounded, legalities dealt with.  After her auction, the vessel was repaired.  She again sailed under  her original owners and Capt. Andersen.  Her story ended when she was torpedoed by a WW1 German Uboat.  Unlike the Empress disaster, all were saved as the Storstad sank,  despite the strong ice breaking structure of her design.  The same strong hull and reinforced bow were heavy with tons of coal when the Storstad struck the Empress of Ireland.
After the collision, the crew of the Storstad made valiant rescue efforts.  Many of the 465 dazed survivors were pulled from the icy water as only seven lifeboats left the doomed vessel.  The ship sank so quickly, a single S.O.S. cry escaped.
The wireless operator at the Father Point Station received and reacted to the plea.  The mail carriers, The Lady Evelyn and the Eureka, arrived too late.  Only debris and lifeless bodies remained..  One thousand 78 lives were lost, less than 300 bodies were found.  Most of the dead were entombed in the stricken vessel.  The hysterical next of kin fought over the barely identifiable remains.
Further recovery of the dead was attempted almost immediately, but with limited success.  A dive fatality during salvage exposed the dangers of the wreck, although a valuable shipment of silver bullion was subsequently retrieved.  Most of the mail carried by the ship was also brought to the surface, carefully dried and sorted.  The legible pieces were then delivered.
Early salvage expeditions were only as successful as the technology of the time would allow.

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