Emmy and the Empress

The creative writing group had gone their own ways for over a year- and then came Covid-19. Everyone was required to stay at home for several weeks (maybe months?) and it seemed a good idea to reawaken the slumbering writers with a challenge. As we can't meet physically for a while, we would circulate our responses via email. The first challenge was to produce a story of max 750 words which featured someone 'in a fix'. I struggled with the brief, but will argue that my leading lady did indeed find herself 'in a fix'. I think I slightly pushed the word limit too - but who's counting!

EMMY AND THE EMPRESS – inspired by actual events.

Emmy watched the crew, awaiting her chance.

GO! Quick as a flash she was down the third class gangway and across the quayside, nimbly darting past the stevedores as they loaded the last of the supplies, and straight to the shed at Pier 27 where she sat and watched the Empress being prepared for departure.

The Empress of Ireland was due to sail within the hour. Several of the Liverpool bound passengers were watching the last minute preparation from their respective decks – as was young Lizzie Jones, one of the 11 stewardesses who were signed up crew members for the Atlantic crossing.

Emmy had been the ship's cat for about 2 years – no one could quite remember when she first stowed away and made the Empress her home, but most of the crew befriended the skinny, ginger tabby who delighted in their attentions and grew fatter with their offerings of food. Emmy had one special favourite – Lizzie Jones who had joined the crew a few months later. Lizzie in turn was devoted to Emmy who was allowed to sleep on her bunk to the amusement of the other stewardesses.

With less than an hour to departure, some of the passengers were surprised to see a cat fleeing the ship. Lizzie saw her too and was horrified. It was her Emmy! Without hesitation she ran after her, barging past the protesting deck officer and shouting that she would be back on board in a few minutes.

It all happened so quickly. On the quayside, in her rush, she hadn't noticed the dray as it returned from offloading its cargo of beer and wine. Then, too late, she saw it. Twisting out of the horse's way and slipping on the cobbles, she lost her balance and banged her head so hard that she lost consciousness.

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“Don't move young lady, you've had an accident.” said the blurry white figure. “You need to lie still for a little while.”

“No, I can't, I have to go now. I have to find my cat and get back to my ship. I'm with the Empress of Ireland and she's sailing this afternoon.”

“Don't worry about that,” replied the nurse, now coming into focus. “The Empress sailed two hours ago. They know what happened – you're on extended shore leave for the next 3 weeks.”

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From their Quebec City departure the Empress liners claimed 'The Shortest Ocean Passage to Liverpool – Two days along the St Lawrence river and Gulf, and four days crossing the Atlantic'. The Canadian Pacific advertising for their liners proudly boasted 'Safety, Speed & Splendour'.

At 1:36 am on 29^th May 1914, almost 9hrs after leaving Quebec, the Empress spotted an oncoming ship, some 6 miles away. The ships were on course to pass in about 12 minutes. The Empress set a course to provide plenty of room for the unidentified inbound steamer.

They were 150 miles NE of Quebec City. It was at this critical moment that a phantom fog rolled in which enveloped both vessels and reduced visibility to zero. For reasons that would never be satisfactorily established, one or both of the ships must have changed course. The Norwegian cargo vessel Storstad impaled the Empress at 90 degrees on the starboard side between the two funnels.

It was 1:55am. The damage to the Empress was so severe that it took just 15 minutes for the great liner to completely disappear underwater.

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The first news of the sinking reported that all lives were saved. The picture changed dramatically as each new report came in. Soon the horrific facts became clearer. Very few lifeboats were successfully deployed in the dark on a rapidly capsizing ship.

The first of the survivors to be picked up by rescue vessels arrived back in Quebec about 12 hours after the disaster. The bodies did too! Shed 27 was turned into a temporary morgue.

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Earlier the previous evening, against medical advice, Lizzie discharged herself from hospital. She had no foreboding of the tragedy which would shortly be played out on the St Lawrence. She had to find Emmy and made her way back to the Pier 27 Shed on the quayside. To her huge relief she spotted the ship's tabby perched on a vantage point looking out to the harbour from the open shed doors. Emmy willingly allowed herself to be scooped up and taken to Lizzie's parents' cottage – a short distance from the harbour. Thanks to Emmy, both were safe. Following the dreadful events of 29^th May, 1914, neither of them ever returned to sea.

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POSTSCRIPT

The 'Empress of Ireland' sailed from Quebec City (for Liverpool) on 28^th May, 1914.

The collision with the Norwegian collier Storstad in the St Lawrence river at 0150 the following morning, happened as described.

840 of the 1057 passengers were lost.

This was more passengers than had perished on The Titanic two years earlier!

172 crew also perished. In total 1012 lives were lost.

Of the 10 stewardesses in the crew, only 1 survived.

The ship's cat Emmy absconded from the 'Empress' as she was preparing for sailing.

A crew member was sent to bring her back but she escaped again. Feline intuition?

Lizzie Jones is a fictitious character.

Alan Carr, April, 2020

Recommended reading:

Forgotten Empress – The Tragedy of the Empress of Ireland

(David Zeni, 2001)