The Tragic Story of the Empress of Ireland, and Other Great Sea Disasters

A contemporary, factual narrative reconstructs the collision between a Canadian ocean liner and a Norwegian collier that caused the liner to sink in minutes, combining officer statements, survivor testimony, and press reports. It chronicles the immediate crisis—fog, impact, wireless calls, lifeboat launches—and the rescue and recovery efforts, lists of survivors and the dead, and memorial services. The volume profiles notable passengers and rescuers, presents photographic and drawn illustrations, and places the disaster in a wider maritime context by recounting other shipwrecks, comparing safety practices, and surveying shipbuilding developments and life-saving technology.