The Writings of Stephen Pavey
My Home on the Web.
Researching the Novel
In researching for this novel, I studied deck plans, consulted various literary authorities, visited The Salvation Army's Archives, Mt. Pleasant Cemetery, and watched Empress videos. Pictures served as a helpful guide to setting descriptions. A picture of a salvager standing next to the bars of silver recovered from the wreck is where I got the main idea for the plot.
I tried to stay out of history's way and used mostly fictional characters. I incorporated real people from the ship in a minor way, but only based on what we already know about them from historical accounts.
Empress of Ireland Book
Purchase Pursuit of Grace: Aboard the Empress of Ireland
Book Synopsis
Troubled by her mother’s recent death, sixteen-year-old Grace is forced to leave her beloved
History Speaks
Picture below, is a cornet recovered from the Empress of Ireland wreckage, belonging to one of the Salvation Army Staff Bandsmen.
Pictured left, is an original 1914 Staff Band tunic, as worn on the Canadian Staff Band's 1994 CD, entitled "Spirit of the Pioneers". It belonged to a bandmember who travelled to England, prior to the band's trip aboard the Empress, thus being preserved.
Below, a picture from the funeral for the Salvationists who perished aboard the Empress. The funeral took place at Mt. Pleasant Cemetery in Toronto, where a memorial still stands today. This picture comes alive as a scene in my novel. The picture is used with permission from The Salvation Army Archives, Canada and Bermuda Territory.
Below is a picture of the main staircase from the Empress which became an important escape route for many survivors. For many, however, this staircase became too inverted to climb, by the time they reached it. The picture is used with permission from The Salvation Army Archives, Canada and Bermuda Territory.
Did you know?
More passenger lives were lost on the Empress of Ireland than the Titanic. The Empress' story is not well known, since World War I broke out only a month later. Try asking someone, "Have you heard of the Empress of Ireland?" You will most likely hear, "No. Who is she?"
The Titanic went down after more than 2 hours, and most people drowned because of a deficiency of lifeboats. The Empress of Ireland had many lifeboats, and lifebelts. Unfortunately, most lifeboats and lifebelts could not be accessed, given the small window of 14 minutes that it took for the ship to sink, and the extreme list.
When you research the Empress story, you will discover various stories of passengers who took out last minute insurance policies, or made arrangements for others to raise their children, should they not make it back home to Canada. Even the ship's cat, Emmy, was reportedly seen sitting on a storage shed as the ship pulled out of Quebec City.
As the Empress was leaving the pier, the Staff Band performed on deck, playing several tunes. Among these songs was "God Be With You 'Til We Meet Again", a song that has been featured by the modern day Staff Band on numerous occasions.
Unlike the Titanic, the Empress wreck is much more accessible, resting about 130 feet below the surface, and has been visited by many expert divers over the years.
bravenet.com