.
Chateau Frontenac, Quebec,
11th July, 1914.
To the Honourable J. D. Hazen,
Minister of Marine and Fisheries.
" Empress of Ireland."
Sir,
I have the honour to transmit to you the Report of the Commissioners
appointed by you to inquire into the foundering of the above-named vessel.
Believe me.
Most respectfully yours,
(Signed) MERSEY.
ffABEAII OF APPOINTMENT OF COMMISSION.
C A ]N A D A.
To the Right Honourable John Charles, Baron Mersey, the Honourable Ezekiel
McLeod, Chief Justice of New Brunswick, and Local Judge in Admiralty
of the Exchequer Court of Canada, for the New Brunswick Admiralty
District, and the Honourable Sir Adolphe Basile Routhier, Local Judge
in Admiralty of the Exchequer Court of Canada for the Quebec Admiralty
District.
Greeting ;
Know you that under and by virtue of the provisions of Part X. of the Canada
Shipping Act as amended, and in virtue of all other powers in that behalf in me
vested, I, the Honourable John Douglas Hazen, The Minister of Marine and
Fisheries of Canada, do hereby nominate, constitute and appoint you, the said
John Charles, Baron Mersey, Ezekiel McLeod and Sir Adolphe Basile Routhier
to be Commissioners to hold a formal investigation under and subject to the require¬
ments of the said Part X. of the Canada Shipping Act as amended, into and
concerning a shipping casualty which I, the said Minister, consider to be of extreme
gravity and special importance, and with respect to which I have ordered a formal
investigation under the authority of the said statute, whereby the British steamship
" Empress of Ireland," of about 8,028 tons, registered tonnage, official number
123972, of which the Canadian Pacific Railway Company was the registered owner
and H. G. Kendall was the Master, was sunk in collision with the Norwegian
steamship " Storstad," in the River St. Lawrence on the morning of Friday, the
twenty-ninth day of May, 1914, and many lives of the passengers and crew of the
said steamship " Empress of Ireland " were lost.
To have and to hold, exercise and enjoy all the office of Commissioners as
aforesaid unto you the said John Charles, Baron Mersey, Ezekiel McLeod and
Adolphe Basile Routhier, together with all and every the powers, rights, authority
and privileges, and subject to the obligations and requirements, under and by virtue
of the said Part X. of the Canada Shipping Act to or in respect of the said office
of right or by law appertaining or enacted.
And I do moreover designate you, the said John Charles, Baron Mersey, to be
the President of the said Commission or Court hereby constituted.
Given under my hand at Ottawa this 13th day of June in the year of Our
Lord one thousand nine hundred and fourteen.
(Signed) J. D. HAZEN,
Minister of Marine and Fisheries of Canada
