Storstad
Encyclopedia
The Storstad was a 6,000 ton
Norwegian collier
(coal freighter), built in 1910 in Newcastle upon Tyne
, owned by A. F. Klaveness & Co. She was torpedoed and sunk during World War I
on March 8, 1917 by U-62
at 51°20′N 11°50′W.
to Quebec
, loaded with coal from the Dominion Coal Company.
On May 29, 1914 the Storstad collided with the RMS Empress of Ireland on Saint Lawrence River
near Pointe-au-Père, tearing a 14 foot hole in the Empress. The Empress sank in 14 minutes, killing 1,024 of her passengers and crew. There were only about 473 survivors. On duty at the time was Chief Officer Alfred Toftenes.
The Storstad did not sink, but made it to shore with damage to the bow.
The Canadian Pacific Railway
, which owned the Empress of Ireland, filed a $2,000,000 lawsuit for damages against the owners of the Storstad. As recompense, the Storstad was given to the Canadian Pacific Railway as part of a settlement. The Storstad was sold for $175,000.
Ton
The ton is a unit of measure. It has a long history and has acquired a number of meanings and uses over the years. It is used principally as a unit of weight, and as a unit of volume. It can also be used as a measure of energy, for truck classification, or as a colloquial term.It is derived from...
Norwegian collier
Collier (ship type)
Collier is a historical term used to describe a bulk cargo ship designed to carry coal, especially for naval use by coal-fired warships. In the late 18th century a number of wooden-hulled sailing colliers gained fame after being adapted for use in voyages of exploration in the South Pacific, for...
(coal freighter), built in 1910 in Newcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle upon Tyne is a city and metropolitan borough of Tyne and Wear, in North East England. Historically a part of Northumberland, it is situated on the north bank of the River Tyne...
, owned by A. F. Klaveness & Co. She was torpedoed and sunk during World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
on March 8, 1917 by U-62
SM U-62
SM U-62 was one of the 329 submarines serving in the Imperial German Navy in World War I.U-62 was engaged in the naval warfare and took part in the First Battle of the Atlantic....
at 51°20′N 11°50′W.
Disaster
Storstad sailed from Sydney, Nova ScotiaSydney, Nova Scotia
Sydney is a Canadian urban community in the province of Nova Scotia. It is situated on the east coast of Cape Breton Island and is administratively part of the Cape Breton Regional Municipality....
to Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
, loaded with coal from the Dominion Coal Company.
On May 29, 1914 the Storstad collided with the RMS Empress of Ireland on Saint Lawrence River
Saint Lawrence River
The Saint Lawrence is a large river flowing approximately from southwest to northeast in the middle latitudes of North America, connecting the Great Lakes with the Atlantic Ocean. It is the primary drainage conveyor of the Great Lakes Basin...
near Pointe-au-Père, tearing a 14 foot hole in the Empress. The Empress sank in 14 minutes, killing 1,024 of her passengers and crew. There were only about 473 survivors. On duty at the time was Chief Officer Alfred Toftenes.
The Storstad did not sink, but made it to shore with damage to the bow.
The Canadian Pacific Railway
Canadian Pacific Railway
The Canadian Pacific Railway , formerly also known as CP Rail between 1968 and 1996, is a historic Canadian Class I railway founded in 1881 and now operated by Canadian Pacific Railway Limited, which began operations as legal owner in a corporate restructuring in 2001...
, which owned the Empress of Ireland, filed a $2,000,000 lawsuit for damages against the owners of the Storstad. As recompense, the Storstad was given to the Canadian Pacific Railway as part of a settlement. The Storstad was sold for $175,000.