Often overshadowed by the Titanic’s tragedy, the Empress of Ireland’s sinking in just 14 minutes remains one of history’s deadliest shipwrecks. This comprehensive blog delves into the ship’s history, the catastrophic collision with the Norwegian collier Storstad, and the legacy of the Empress of Ireland wreck location.
We’ll explore Empress of Ireland vs Titanic, share insights on the Empress of Ireland interior, and answer FAQs about the disaster, including how many died on the Empress of Ireland and whether there’s an Empress of Ireland movie.
For more on maritime tragedies, discover Titanic’s haunting legacy or learn where Titanic sank.
A Proud Liner: The Empress of Ireland’s Beginnings
Launched on January 27, 1906, by Fairfield Shipbuilding and Engineering in Govan, Scotland, the RMS Empress of Ireland was a 570-foot ocean liner built for Canadian Pacific Steamships (CPR).
Alongside her sister ship, Empress of Britain, she served the bustling North Atlantic route between Liverpool, England, and Quebec City, Canada. With a capacity for 1,542 passengers across four classes—310 First Class, 468 Second Class, 494 Third Class, and 270 Steerage—the Empress was designed to cater to immigrants and working-class families, unlike the luxury-focused Titanic.
Her Empress of Ireland interior featured elegant first-class dining saloons with Mintons china, a grand staircase, and shared spaces for third-class passengers, including a children’s sandpit on the upper deck.
Between 1906 and 1914, the Empress completed 95 successful voyages, transporting over 117,000 passengers, many of whom were Irish, British, and European immigrants seeking new lives in Canada.
Her maiden voyage on June 29, 1906, saw third-class bookings so high that over 100 passengers were left behind in Liverpool. By May 1914, under the command of Captain Henry George Kendall, the Empress embarked on her 96th voyage, carrying 1,477 passengers and crew from Quebec City to Liverpool. Little did they know, a tragic fate awaited in the foggy waters of the St. Lawrence River.
The Fatal Collision: What Happened to the Empress of Ireland
On May 28, 1914, at 4:27 p.m., the Empress of Ireland departed Quebec City, dropping her pilot at Pointe-au-Père before continuing down the St. Lawrence River. Around 1:38 a.m. on May 29, thick fog enveloped the area near Rimouski, Quebec.
The ship’s lookout spotted the masthead lights of the Norwegian collier Storstad, a 6,000-ton vessel loaded with 10,000 tons of coal, approaching from the starboard side. Captain Kendall, aiming to pass starboard-to-starboard, slowed the Empress and eventually stopped her engines, leaving her dead in the water.
Storstad’s Chief Officer Alfred Toftenes, assuming a port-to-port passing, altered course, unaware of the Empress’s position due to the fog. At approximately 1:55 a.m., Storstad’s bow crashed into the Empress’s starboard side, tearing a 350-square-foot hole amidships, flooding two boiler rooms and lower decks.
The Empress listed heavily to starboard, rendering lifeboats on the port side unusable. Within 14 minutes, the ship sank, trapping hundreds below deck. Of the 1,477 aboard, only 465 survived, including Captain Kendall, who was rescued from a lifeboat.
Empress of Ireland vs Titanic: A Tale of Two Tragedies
The Empress of Ireland vs Titanic comparison reveals stark similarities and differences. Both ships sank just two years apart—Titanic in April 1912 and Empress in May 1914—and both were deemed state-of-the-art.
Titanic struck an iceberg in the North Atlantic, taking over 1,500 lives, while the Empress’s collision with Storstad in the St. Lawrence River killed 1,012. Unlike Titanic, which lacked sufficient lifeboats, the Empress carried enough for 1,686 people, exceeding her capacity by 280.
However, the rapid sinking prevented their deployment, with only seven lifeboats launched, two of which capsized.
Titanic’s sinking gripped global attention, spawning books, films, and enduring fascination, partly due to its luxury status and high-profile passengers.
The Empress, serving primarily immigrants, was overshadowed by the outbreak of World War I weeks later and the 1915 Lusitania disaster. While Titanic’s wreck lies 3,800 meters deep, the Empress of Ireland wreck rests at a diveable 40 meters, yet it remains less explored in popular culture. For a deeper look at Titanic’s legacy, visit Titanic’s haunting story.
The Wreck Today: Location and Exploration
The Empress of Ireland wreck location is 8.3 kilometers off Sainte-Luce, Quebec, in the St. Lawrence River, at a depth of 40–45 meters (130–150 feet).
Discovered in 1964 by Canadian divers, the wreck is remarkably intact, though strong currents, cold water, and silt have deteriorated its funnels and superstructure. Artifacts like a brass bell, porthole, and compass platform have been recovered, many displayed at the Pointe-au-Père Maritime Historic Site in Rimouski. In 1999, Quebec declared the wreck a protected site under the Cultural Property Act, prohibiting unauthorized artifact removal.
Maritime archaeologist Robert Ballard, famed for discovering Titanic, visited the Empress wreck and noted illegal artifact and human remains removal by treasure hunters.
Empress of Ireland wreck photos reveal a ghostly vessel covered in marine life, with human remains still present due to the freshwater environment and shallow depth. Diving the wreck is challenging, requiring advanced technical skills due to currents and low visibility, and has claimed divers’ lives.
Legacy and Remembrance
Despite its scale, the Empress of Ireland’s tragedy faded from public memory, overshadowed by World War I and other disasters. The 1982 book Till We Meet Again by Herbert Wood and later works like Fourteen Minutes by James Croall revived interest. In 2014, the Canadian Museum of History’s exhibition Canada’s Titanic showcased over 500 artifacts for the centennial. Eve Lazarus’s upcoming Empress of Ireland book, Beneath Dark Waters: The Legacy of the Empress of Ireland Shipwreck (April 2025), promises new insights, including survivor stories like Gordon Davidson’s from Vancouver.
Survivors like Grace Hanagan, the last living survivor until her death in 1995, and William Clark, who survived both Titanic and Empress, kept the story alive. A monument at Pointe-au-Père and a buoy marking the wreck site honor the lost. The Salvation Army, which lost 161 members, holds annual commemorations, singing hymns like “God Be With You Till We Meet Again,” as they did during the sinking.
FAQs About the Empress of Ireland Wreck
1. What Happened to the Ship That Hit the Empress of Ireland?
The Norwegian collier Storstad, which struck the Empress of Ireland, sustained minor bow damage but remained afloat. After assisting in rescue efforts alongside ships like Lady Evelyn and Eureka, Storstad continued to Montreal. In 1915, its owners, A.F. Klaveness, faced damage claims from Canadian Pacific, forcing the ship’s sale.
During World War I, on March 8, 1917, Storstad was torpedoed by German submarine U-62 off Fastnet Rock, Ireland, killing three crew members. Captain Thomas Andersen, who was asleep during the Empress collision, survived the sinking.
2. Why Did the Empress of Ireland Sink So Quickly?
The Empress of Ireland sank in 14 minutes due to three critical factors. First, Storstad’s collision created a 350-square-foot hole amidships, flooding two boiler rooms and lower decks at 60 gallons per second.
Second, open portholes on the starboard side, common for ventilation, allowed water to rush in as the ship listed, bypassing watertight compartments.
Third, unlike Titanic’s remotely closable watertight doors, the Empress’s doors required manual closure, which was impossible in the chaos and blackout. The severe list also prevented lifeboat deployment, trapping many below deck.
3. How Many People Died in the Sinking of the Empress of Ireland?
Of the 1,477 people aboard the Empress of Ireland, how many died on the Empress of Ireland totals 1,012—840 passengers and 172 crew. This included 139 children, reflecting the high number of families in third class (717 passengers). Only 465 survived, with 248 crew and 217 passengers rescued. The death toll exceeded Titanic’s passenger losses (817) and Lusitania’s (786), making it Canada’s worst peacetime maritime disaster.
4. Is There a Movie About the Empress of Ireland?
Currently, there is no feature-length Empress of Ireland movie akin to James Cameron’s Titanic. The disaster’s relative obscurity, due to World War I and other events, has limited its cinematic appeal. However, documentaries exist, including a planned Planet+ production filmed in 2017, and YouTube videos like Horrific Tragedy: The Sinking of RMS Empress of Ireland. Posts on X mention a trailer for a documentary comparing the Empress and El Faro sinkings, but no Hollywood film has materialized.
[](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-9ZLZ8hiA5Y)
5. What Was Wrong with the Ship That Hit the Bridge?
The query likely refers to Storstad hitting the Empress, not a bridge. Storstad was structurally sound, with no mechanical issues reported. The collision stemmed from navigational errors in thick fog. Chief Officer Alfred Toftenes altered course, misjudging the Empress’s position, while Captain Andersen was absent from the bridge. The Empress’s stopped engines and open portholes exacerbated the disaster, not any flaw in Storstad’s condition.
6. Who Was to Blame for the Sinking of the Empress of Ireland?
The 1914 Commission of Inquiry, led by Lord Mersey (who also investigated Titanic), blamed Storstad’s Chief Officer Alfred Toftenes for changing course in fog without alerting Captain Andersen. The Canadian inquiry found Storstad’s port-to-port maneuver risky, holding its owners liable.
However, a Norwegian inquiry blamed Captain Kendall, arguing his decision to stop the Empress placed her in Storstad’s path. Both sides claimed the other violated navigation protocols, but the Canadian ruling prevailed, forcing Storstad’s sale. Modern analyses suggest fog, miscommunication, and human error shared blame.
7. Can You Dive the Empress of Ireland Wreck?
Yes, you can dive the Empress of Ireland wreck, but it’s a challenging advanced technical dive due to its 40–45-meter depth, strong currents, cold water, and low visibility. Located 8.3 kilometers off Sainte-Luce, Quebec, the wreck has claimed divers’ lives, earning a reputation as dangerous. No permits are required, but Quebec’s Cultural Property Act (1999) prohibits artifact removal without authorization. Divers have recovered items like a compass platform, but human remains and artifacts remain, requiring respect.
8. How Many Died on Titanic?
The Titanic sank on April 15, 1912, with approximately 1,517 deaths out of 2,224 passengers and crew. This included 817 passengers and 700 crew, surpassing the Empress’s 1,012 deaths. Titanic’s higher toll, due to insufficient lifeboats and icy waters, cemented its infamy. For more, read about Titanic’s tragic sinking.
9. How Deep Is the Empress of Ireland Wreck?
The Empress of Ireland wreck lies at 40–45 meters (130–150 feet) in the St. Lawrence River, far shallower than Titanic’s 3,800 meters. This depth makes it accessible to advanced divers, though currents and darkness pose risks. A buoy marks the site, and Empress of Ireland wreck photos show a silt-covered liner teeming with marine life.
10. How Many Irish Died on the Titanic?
Of Titanic’s 1,517 victims, approximately 120 were Irish passengers, primarily from third class, hailing from counties like Mayo, Cork, and Galway. Many were emigrants seeking new lives in America. Exact numbers vary due to inconsistent manifests, but Irish losses were significant, reflecting the era’s emigration wave.
11. How Many Children Survived the Empress of Ireland?
Of the 139 children aboard the Empress of Ireland, only four survived, all from third class, including Grace Hanagan, who was seven at the time and the last survivor until her death in 1995. The rapid sinking, cold water, and lower-deck cabins trapped most children, leading to a devastating loss.
12. Which Shipwreck Killed the Most People?
The deadliest peacetime shipwreck was the MV Doña Paz, which sank in 1987 in the Philippines after colliding with an oil tanker, killing an estimated 4,375 people. The Empress of Ireland (1,012 deaths) and Titanic (1,517 deaths) pale in comparison. In wartime, the Wilhelm Gustloff’s 1945 sinking, with over 9,000 deaths, holds the grim record.
Why the Empress of Ireland Matters Today
The Empress of Ireland wreck is more than a historical footnote; it’s a poignant symbol of Canada’s immigrant history and the fragility of human endeavors. Carrying thousands of Irish, British, and European passengers to new lives, the ship connected continents and cultures. Its sinking, though less famous than Titanic’s, resonates through stories of survivors like Arthur Delamont, who later founded Vancouver’s Kitsilano Boys Band, and the Salvation Army’s enduring memorials. The Empress of Ireland book by Eve Lazarus and exhibits at Rimouski’s maritime museum keep the memory alive.
Unlike Titanic, which inspired global fascination, the Empress’s story challenges notions of safety, as every precaution—lifeboats, bulkheads, trained crew—failed in 14 minutes. Diving the wreck or visiting Parks Canada’s historic site offers a tangible connection to this tragedy. For those captivated by shipwrecks, explore Titanic’s enduring mystery.
Conclusion
The Empress of Ireland wreck remains a somber chapter in maritime history, its 1,012 lives lost in 14 minutes eclipsed by Titanic and World War I. From the Empress of Ireland interior’s elegance to the wreck’s eerie presence at 40 meters, this disaster captivates historians and divers alike. With no Empress of Ireland movie but growing interest through books and exhibits, its legacy endures. Share this story, visit Titanic’s sinking site, or comment with your thoughts on Canada’s forgotten tragedy.
Share this post, explore Titanic’s haunting legacy, or visit Rimouski’s maritime museum. What’s your take on this forgotten disaster?
About the Author
