The Empress of Ireland: Lost Not Forgotten

The Empress Of Ireland was Canada's maritime masterpiece, but on her very first (and only) trip in 1914, she was rammed by a Norwegian ship and sank within minutes, taking most of her passengers down with her. Few Americans know about the "Empress," and the producers could have focused on the inherent interest of the public in Titanic-like disasters. Instead, they chose to combine the historical events with present-day diving footage. The wreckage is accessible to only the most ex­perienced of divers, and the underwater photography is hampered by murkiness and a general lack of composition. Sections of the ship are shown as they looked at the time of her maiden voyage, but it takes great imagination to see those images in the gnarled and twisted remains of today. One outstanding highlight of this video is the computer animation that depicts how the accident happened and the events that followed. Most of us have seen this type of animation in criminal trials, but it's fascinating to see it applied to what was one of the truly tragic events in naval history. Still, this is an optional purchase that would be of more interest to serious divers than the general public. Also available from the same series: Tobermory. Aud: H, C, P. (J. Carlson)