Illustration of the shipwreck from the Christian Herald, June 11, 1914. Expanded with AI. — **Illustration of the collision from the u003cemu003eChristian Heraldu003c/emu003e, June 11, 1914. Expanded with AI.** Baukultur Wädenswil

Swiss on the Final Voyage of the Empress of Ireland

On May 29, 1914, the RMS Empress of Ireland met a tragic fate in the freezing waters of Canada's St. Lawrence River. A heavy fog obscured visibility, leading to a catastrophic collision with the Norwegian collier Storstad. The disaster claimed 1,012 lives. Among those aboard were four Swiss citizens en route to Liverpool from Quebec City.

James Blake Wiener

James Blake Wiener is a world historian, Co-Founder of World History Encyclopedia, writer, and PR specialist, who has taught as a professor in Europe and North America.

Website: worldhistory.org

The Dominion of Canada received three million immigrants between 1901-1921, the majority of whom came from Great Britain, the United States, and Continental Europe. This influx dramatically transformed Canadian cities: Toronto's population surged by 150 percent and Vancouver's by 454 percent, while Montreal's population doubled in size and Quebec City's grew by over a third. Among these newcomers were numerous immigrants from Switzerland. During the Edwardian Era (1901-1914), many Swiss arrived as "sojourners" or "mountain guides" – seasonal workers with short-term contracts – recruited by Canadian or British agents. Others came to Canada due to generous homesteading offers – 65 hectares (160 acres) of prairie farmland for just ten Canadian dollars – or professional opportunities in major cities.

**The red lines show the network of the Canadian Pacific Railway around 1912.** Library of Congress

The Canadian Pacific Railway played a crucial role in Canada’s economic and population boom. By 1914, it operated the world's most extensive transportation and communications network, including the longest railway lines, a vast telegraph system, and vessels serving the Great Lakes, Pacific, and Atlantic Oceans. In the early 1900s, its maritime branch, the Canadian Pacific Steamship Company, commissioned twin steamships: the Empress of Britain and Empress of Ireland. The Empress of Ireland sailed on her maiden voyage from Liverpool to Quebec City on June 29, 1906. For nearly eight years thereafter, she sailed between Liverpool and Quebec City from May to October, switching to Halifax and St. John during winter months. Though far smaller than the Lusitania or Titanic at 14,191 tons and 170 m in length, she was still an elegant vessel with two funnels and tall masts. The Empress of Ireland could carry 1,500 passengers at a regular speed of 18 knots; she was also equipped with up-to-date safety features, including a double-bottomed hull and eleven watertight compartments. On her final, 96th voyage, there were four Swiss aboard: Arnold Rohr (1882-1974), Christian Bartschi (1880-1914), Theofil Bartschi (1881-1976), and Walter Erzinger (1889-1981). Their stories illuminate the fascinating connections between Switzerland and Canada on the eve of World War I.

**The large fleet of steamships belonging to the Canadian Pacific Railway. Poster from 1910.** Internet Archive
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The Empress of Ireland could accommodate more than 1,500 passengers and required a crew of 373. — **The u003cemu003eEmpress of Irelandu003c/emu003e regularly accommodated more than 1,500 passengers and required a crew of 373.** Wikimedia
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Passengers on deck of the Empress of Ireland. Date unknown. — **Passengers on deck of the u003cemu003eEmpress of Irelandu003c/emu003e. Date unknown.** Site historique maritime de la Pointe-au-Père, Rimouski (Canada)
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Passengers relaxing on board the Empress of Ireland. Date unknown. — **Passengers relaxing on board the u003cemu003eEmpress of Irelandu003c/emu003e. Date unknown.** Site historique maritime de la Pointe-au-Père, Rimouski (Canada)
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Swiss Stories from the u003cemu003eEmpress of Irelandu003c/emu003e

Like many of his countrymen who sought employment at sea during the "long Edwardian summer,” Arnold Rohr specialized in the creation of toffees, lollies, and chocolates as chief confectioner on the Empress of Ireland. Born in Lenzburg (AG), the ambitious Arnold had immigrated to Great Britain in the early 1900s to work as a chef. He married Edith Dancy in London and welcomed three children in quick succession, Lydia, Arnold, and Eric. The life of the married couple was peripatetic, due to Arnold’s pursuit of career advancement, and they relocated several times between London, Brussels, Southport, and Liverpool from 1906-1911. His maritime career commenced with service aboard the Cunard Line's RMS Laconia in 1912 before he transferred to the Empress of Ireland around 1913. Onboard the Empress of Ireland, Arnold worked in a bustling kitchen complex with over a hundred staff members across multiple, specialized stations. Though the ship’s cuisine may not have matched the reputation of Cunard or White Star liners, the Empress of Ireland maintained extensive menus for four passenger classes and crew. Arnold's expertise and long hours earned him a premium wage of six pounds sterling monthly, surpassing typical crew salaries by fifty percent.

The Bernese brothers Christian and Theofil Bartschi arrived in Canada seeking prosperity and adventure. Born in Eggiwil (BE), the pair had crisscrossed the Atlantic Ocean and North American continent for the better part of a decade prior to boarding the Empress of Ireland. Their connection to Canada came through fellow Eggiwil-native Carl Stettler (1861-1920), a dynamic entrepreneur who had established a homestead north of Calgary thanks to the Dominion Lands Act (1872). Stettler actively encouraged Swiss immigration to his settlement, which eventually bore his name. Theofil heeded the invitation and purchased a farm of 65 hectares (160 acres) within Stettler’s Swiss colony in Alberta. Christian, the more restless of the two, worked seasonal jobs across major cities – from New York to Vancouver, Winnipeg to Seattle – returning occasionally to help Theofil at the colony. Their efforts proved lucrative: Theofil's agricultural enterprises flourished, allowing both brothers to send substantial remittances to their family in Canton Bern. By early 1914, Heimweh – homesickness – had taken hold. Eager to share tales of their North American adventures with family and friends, the brothers booked a third-class berth on the Empress of Ireland for a spontaneous summer visit to Switzerland.

Walter Erzinger, the youngest son of Heinrich Erzinger and Rosalie Stehli from Wädenswil (ZH), embarked on his North American journey in 1912 alongside his school friend Jakob Huber, who sought a position as a banker in New York City. After arriving in the United States, Walter continued onward to Manitoba, in central Canada, where his uncle Johan Erzinger had established himself as a successful merchant in the tobacco trade in Winnipeg. Winnipeg was then Canada's third-largest city and a thriving railway hub enriched by the Canadian Pacific Railway. Its diverse population included the Francophone Métis, in addition to, British eimmigrants, and Ukrainian emigrants. Under his uncle's guidance, Walter learned the tricks of the trade and financial management. After two productive years in Winnipeg, family duty called him home – his brother Hans had fallen ill and needed care. Choosing the swiftest route back to Switzerland, Walter purchased a second-class ticket on the Empress of Ireland, making his way to Quebec City by rail to board the liner.

An Epic Tragedy on the St. Lawrence River

At 16:30 PM on May 28, 1914, the Empress of Ireland departed Quebec City to complete her first roundtrip voyage of the spring season. The ship was underbooked and two-thirds full with 420 crew members and 1,057 passengers. The majority of passengers were middle-class Canadians and Britons, but there was a sizable component of U.S. citizens from the Midwest as well. The large presence of children – 138 in total – in addition to 170 members of the Salvation Army made the final voyage of the Empress of Ireland atypical. Moreover, among the 1,100 tons of general cargo, the Empress of Ireland also transported 252 silver ingots of an estimated value of close to 150,000 Canadian dollars (worth over 2 million Canadian dollars today). As the Empress of Ireland steamed out from Quebec City, the Salvation Army’s band played “God Be with You Till We Meet Again” to cheering crowds. Among all those on board, no one was more elated than Captain Henry George Kendall (1874-1965). A rising star within the Canadian Pacific Line, it was his first time at the helm of the ship.

The sinking of the Empress of Ireland was not Captain Henry Kendall's first misfortune. In 1901, he witnessed the SS Lusitania run aground. Later, in 1918, he was aboard the HMS Calgarian when it was torpedoed by the German navy. He survived all of these shipwrecks. — The sinking of the u003cemu003eEmpress of Irelandu003c/emu003e was not Captain Henry Kendall's only misfortune at sea. In 1901, he witnessed the u003cemu003eSS Lusitaniau003c/emu003e – not to be confused with the more famous u003cemu003eRMS Lusitaniau003c/emu003e – run aground. Later, in 1918, he was aboard the u003cemu003eHMS Calgarianu003c/emu003e when it was torpedoed by the German navy. He survived all of these shipwrecks. Wikimedia

As was British maritime tradition, the first evening at sea was relaxed. It was not even mandatory for passengers to dress their best for dinner. Many, like Walter Erzinger, were tired from having traveled vast distances, but other survivors would recall the festive mood that tends to infuse the air when one travels from one side of the Western world to the other. While Arnold Rohr toiled away below decks, preparing creamy desserts and delicacies, brothers Theofil and Christian Bartschi spent the evening socializing with English passengers, enjoying the performances from the ship’s band, and playing cards. As the evening wore on and passengers finished their dinners, cocktails, and dances, most retired to their cabins by midnight. When the Empress of Ireland passed Rimouski, Québec around 1:00 AM, she received and exchanged mail with the postal ship Lady Evelyn. Shortly thereafter, around 1:20 AM, the Empress of Ireland’s river pilot, Adélard Bernier, boarded the SS Eureka and wished Captain Kendall much luck as he departed.

About thirty minutes later, the Empress of Ireland’s lookout rang a bell to alert the crew that in the distance were the visible lights of a ship about eight nautical miles (14 km) in front of them. Although Captain Kendall did not know it at the time, this ship was the cargo freighter Storstad, which sailed in the direction of the Pointe-au-Père pilot station. As though fate were playing tricks, a heavy fog rolled in unexpectedly, obscuring the view of the Storstad. There were simple rules for dealing with fog at sea – it was a common enough occurrence along the St. Lawrence River. Captain Kendall ordered the engines to be put in reverse in order to bring the Empress of Ireland to a complete stop. He sounded his ship's whistles three times to signal that he was going astern; he hoped that the Storstad would stop and do the same. Once the fog dissipated, the two vessels could continue on their way in full sight of one another. As a precaution, Captain Kendall ordered the ship’s whistles to be blown twice more to signal to the Storstad that the Empress of Ireland was at a complete standstill. A lone, loud blast bellowed out through the fog, but Captain Kendall and his officers could not decipher from where the sound had originated. Then, emerging from the mist came the Storstad – heading straight for them. Captain Kendall immediately ordered the engines restarted to steer his ship away from catastrophe, but that proved futile. The Storstad's reinforced bow knifed into the Empress of Ireland's starboard side. In just fourteen minutes, the pride of the Canadian Pacific Railway's fleet would slip beneath the waves, while the damaged Storstad remained afloat.

The coal ship Storstad after the collision. — **The Norwegian coal ship u003cemu003eStorstadu003c/emu003e after the collision.** Baukultur Wädenswil

The Empress of Ireland immediately listed heavily to starboard. The damage rendered by the Storstad left a catastrophic hole in the ship, perhaps 8 m deep and 5 m wide. Captain Kendall ordered the watertight doors to be shut, but this could only be completed manually. The crew and night stewards were unable to comply with the captain’s orders given the severity of the ship’s list. Meanwhile, a torrent of 227,000 liters of water per second began to pour into the Empress of Ireland. As the previous day had been warm and pleasant, many passengers had left their portholes open to enjoy the fresh air. This would hasten the time in which it took for the ship to sink and prevent Captain Kendall from beaching the Empress of Ireland. Hundreds would drown horrifically in their cabins in a matter of seconds. Others would perish in the ship’s dark corridors once the power went out five minutes after the collision.

The passengers desperately tried to save themselves. — **The u003cemu003eEmpress of Irelandu003c/emu003e's passengers desperately tried to save themselves.** Wikimedia

After the disaster, Walter Erzinger composed a letter to his family in which he recalled feeling a sudden jerk as a result of the collusion. When he heard passengers desperately running around on deck, he decided to leave his cabin. Grabbing his lifebelt, he made it up to the boat deck before jumping into the frigid 2° C waters. Walter would forever remember the harrowing cry of a single crew member, “Everyone prepare for the worst, save yourself if you can!” Luck, however, was on Walter's side, and crewmen from the Storstad managed to rescue him from the water before the onset of hypothermia. Theofil Bartschi conveyed similar memories of terror and confusion when subsequently interviewed by a reporter from the Calgary Herald. He and his brother Christian had initially thought that the ship had run aground, but both had the good sense to go up to the boat deck to see what had transpired. Finding chaos and realizing that the Empress of Ireland was doomed, the two dived into the seething waters of the St. Lawrence River in an attempt to swim towards the Storstad. The brothers were separated in the water, and Christian perished. One of the Storstad's lifeboats picked up a distraught Theofil, bringing him to safety. Thanks to his intimate knowledge of the Empress of Ireland’s layout, crew member Arnold Rohr also managed to abandon ship before it capsized and sank. Although the Empress of Ireland had more than enough lifeboats for passengers and crew, the ship’s list and the rapidity of the sinking permitted the successful launch of only five steel lifeboats.

**Passengers attempt to launch a life boat. Illustration from a contemporary English newspaper.** Britannica Imagequest, The Granger Collection

Interwoven: Swiss and Canadian Histories

The sinking of the Empress of Ireland remains the largest peacetime maritime disaster in Canadian history. It is worth remembering that more passengers died on the Empress of Ireland (840) than on either the Titanic (817) or Lusitania (786). Of the 1,477 aboard, 1,012 lost their lives, including 134 children.

The day after the disaster: Coffins were lined up and the survivors received medical attention. Wikimedia

Only 188 bodies were recovered; Christian Bartschi’s remains were never found. Arnold Rohr returned to Liverpool after the sinking and immigrated to the United States in 1917. He would divorce his first wife and remarry, but he would never work at sea again. After receiving US citizenship in 1922, he settled in Wisconsin before dying in 1974 at the advanced age of 91. The Allgemeiner Anzeiger vom Zürichsee reported Walter Erzinger’s presence on the Empress of Ireland in its May 30th issue, and the Erzinger family was relieved when a telegram from Walter arrived the following day. Years after the disaster, Walter married Fanny Stiefenhofer, becoming father to Silvia, Walter, Adrian, and Frank. Alongside his older brother Heinrich, he ran the profitable "H. & W. Erzinger", Brush Factory for many years before his death in 1981 at the age of 92. An expert accordion player, dancer, and businessman, Theofil Bartschi led a long, happy life. He received Canadian citizenship in 1924 and spent many years in Stettler before relocating to Edmonton to work for the National Music Service of Canada. Ever the entrepreneur, he helped found the Sunland Biscuit Company at an advanced age. Theofil died in 1976 at the age of 95 in Edmonton and was buried in Stettler.

**Walter Erzinger (far right) and other survivors of the sinking.** Baukultur Wädenswil

Despite being one of the twentieth century's deadliest maritime disasters, the tragedy of the Empress of Ireland was soon overshadowed by the outbreak of World War I. Though divers mapped and explored the wreck in 1964, it was not until 2009 that the Canadian government designated the wreck as a national historic site. Today, the Empress of Ireland rests on her starboard side in 45 m of water, just 8 km from shore. If the Titanic's sinking marks the zenith of the Edwardian era and the Lusitania's demise signals its end, the Empress of Ireland's loss symbolizes something equally profound: the conclusion of a century of mass European migration. Between 1820 and 1920, nearly 40 million Europeans migrated across the Atlantic to the Americas. The Empress of Ireland played a significant role in this movement of peoples, carrying more than 117,000 immigrants to Canada and returning 70,000 others to Europe. The descendants of these immigrants number over a million today, and those of Swiss descent form a part of this rich human tapestry.

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