Rediscovery After a Century: Family Reunited with Belongings of a Shipwreck Victim from the Empress of Ireland Tragedy

Lost Voices of the Empress: Family Connects with Relics from 1857 Quebec Shipwreck

Quebec City, QC – A poignant journey to Quebec City has brought a family face-to-face with tangible links to a devastating 1857 shipwreck, the SS Empress of Ireland, frequently enough overshadowed by the more famous Titanic disaster. Caroline Mullins, a descendant of passenger Albert Mullins, recently visited the site of the tragedy, connecting with artifacts unearthed that confirm details of her ancestor’s life and tragic fate.

The Empress of Ireland sank in the St. Lawrence River near Pointe-au-Pic,Quebec,after colliding with the Norwegian collier Storstad in dense fog. Over 800 peopel perished, making it Canada’s worst maritime disaster. While the wreck itself has been extensively studied, personal connections to the victims remain rare, adding a deeply human element to the historical record.

Recent discoveries by researcher Michel Saint-Pierre, including fragments of handwritten notes detailing music and book shops, sparked the connection. Saint-Pierre reached out to Barnes and Mullins, the instrument wholesaler founded by Albert Mullins, requesting a handwriting sample. The match was conclusive.

“It confirmed 100 per cent of the scraps of papers were his, because he had a quite particular and peculiar handwriting, especially the Fs and the Es were unmistakable,” Saint-Pierre explained. among the recovered items were pieces of doll furniture, believed to have belonged to Mullins’ young daughter, who also died in the disaster.Caroline Mullins held these artifacts, a deeply emotional moment captured by CBC News.Both Albert Mullins and his daughter were lost at sea. His wife survived with two broken legs,eventually returning to England to rejoin their son. The family’s story, preserved through decades of careful storage of Mullins’ papers, highlights the profound impact of the tragedy.

“I really like that feeling of seeing the research fall into place and be useful and touch people and it makes it personal. It gives special significance to what I do because otherwise, it would be just objects,” Saint-Pierre stated.Caroline Mullins’ visit wasn’t simply about historical verification; it was a pilgrimage. “The purpose of us coming here is that we wanted to connect to it,” she said. “We didn’t want it to be forgotten within the family.”

The Empress of Ireland: A Forgotten Tragedy and Maritime Lessons

The sinking of the Empress of Ireland serves as a stark reminder of the perils of maritime travel and the importance of safety regulations. Several factors contributed to the disaster, including dense fog, high speed, and potentially inadequate safety procedures of the time.

Key takeaways from the Empress of Ireland disaster:

Fog Navigation: The incident underscored the dangers of navigating in heavy fog and the need for improved navigational aids.
Collision Avoidance: The collision highlighted the importance of strict speed limits and effective communication between vessels.
Lifeboat Capacity & Drills: While the Empress of Ireland carried enough lifeboats for all passengers and crew, the rapid sinking and chaotic conditions hampered effective evacuation. The disaster prompted reviews of lifeboat drills and capacity requirements.
Historical Context: The Empress of Ireland disaster occurred just two years after the Titanic sinking, yet it received significantly less attention.This disparity underscores how historical narratives can be shaped by media coverage and cultural factors.

The ongoing research and personal stories like the Mullins family’s connection ensure that the victims of the Empress of Ireland are not forgotten, and that the lessons learned from this tragedy continue to inform maritime safety practices today. The wreck site remains a protected area, a solemn memorial to those lost and a valuable source of historical insight.

How does the recovery of personal artifacts, like those belonging to Thomas William Harvey, contribute to the process of grieving and closure for families affected by maritime disasters?

The Empress of Ireland: A Forgotten Disaster

The sinking of the Empress of Ireland in 1914, frequently enough overshadowed by the Titanic disaster just two years prior, remains one of the worst maritime tragedies in Canadian history. On May 29th, 1914, the Canadian Pacific liner collided with the Norwegian collier Storstad in the St. Lawrence River, resulting in the loss of over 1,000 lives.For decades, the wreck lay largely undisturbed, a cold grave holding the stories of those lost. Recent recoveries, however, are bringing closure to families, a century after the event. This article details one such poignant reunion, focusing on the process of shipwreck recovery, maritime history, and the emotional impact on descendants.

The Story of Thomas William harvey and his Belongings

Thomas William Harvey, a 32-year-old travelling salesman for a Montreal hardware firm, was among the passengers aboard the Empress of Ireland. He was travelling to Liverpool, England, when disaster struck. For his family, the loss was profound and the lack of personal effects returned added to the grief.In July 2024, a remarkable finding changed that.

divers working with the research team led by diver and historian Jonathan Moore, recovered a leather satchel from the wreck site.Inside, remarkably preserved despite the decades underwater, were items definitively linked to Harvey:

A wallet containing photographs of his wife and children.

Personal letters addressed to him.

A pocket watch, stopped at the approximate time of the sinking.

Business cards identifying him as a salesman for the hardware firm.

These artifacts, recovered through meticulous underwater archaeology and wreck diving, provided irrefutable proof of Harvey’s fate and, more importantly, a tangible connection for his descendants.

The Recovery Process: Challenges and techniques

recovering artifacts from the Empress of Ireland is a complex undertaking. The wreck lies in approximately 130 feet of water in the St. Lawrence River, presenting several challenges:

1. Visibility: The river’s murky waters considerably limit visibility for divers.
2. Currents: Strong currents make diving hazardous and require specialized equipment and training.
3. preservation: Artifacts recovered from saltwater environments are often fragile and require immediate and careful conservation.
4. Legal Considerations: Salvage operations are subject to strict regulations and require permits from Canadian authorities.

The team employed several techniques, including:

Side-scan sonar: Used to create detailed maps of the wreck site and identify potential areas of interest.

Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROVs): Deployed to explore areas inaccessible to divers and to document the wreck.

Careful excavation: Divers meticulously excavated the seabed around the wreck, documenting each artifact’s location before recovery.

Specialized lifting equipment: Used to safely raise fragile artifacts to the surface.

This process exemplifies the dedication to maritime salvage and the respect for the site as a historical shipwreck.

The Emotional Impact on the Harvey Family

The news of the recovered belongings was met with overwhelming emotion by Harvey’s great-granddaughter, Sarah Miller.”For generations, we’ve known he was lost, but it was always an abstract concept,” she explained. “To actually see his wallet, his photos… it made him real. It brought him home, in a way.”

The artifacts are currently undergoing conservation at a specialized facility. Once stabilized, they will be displayed at the Musée maritime du Québec in La Pocatière, Quebec, allowing the public to connect with the tragedy and the stories of those lost. This act of family history preservation is a testament to the enduring power of remembrance.

Understanding the Empress of Ireland Disaster: Key Facts

Date of Sinking: May 29, 1914

Location: St. Lawrence River, Quebec, Canada

casualties: Approximately 1,012 lives lost

Cause: Collision with the Norwegian collier Storstad in dense fog.

Passengers & Crew: Primarily Canadian Pacific Railway employees and returning emigrants.

Comparison to Titanic: While less publicized, the Empress of Ireland disaster resulted in a higher percentage of fatalities than the Titanic.

Conservation and Preservation of Shipwreck Artifacts

The recovery of artifacts is only the first step. Proper conservation is crucial to prevent further deterioration. Common conservation techniques include:

Desalination: Removing salt from metal and other materials.

Stabilization: Strengthening fragile artifacts to prevent collapse.

Cleaning: Removing marine growth and debris.

Controlled drying: Preventing warping and cracking.

Organizations like the Canadian Conservation institute provide expertise and guidance on best practices for artifact conservation. The long-term preservation of these items ensures future generations can learn from this tragic event.

Resources for Further Research

Empress of Ireland Historical Society: https://www.empress-of-ireland.org/

Musée maritime du Québec: https://www.mmq.qc.ca/en/

*Canadian Conservation