~Allamakee Journal, Wednesday noon, May 27, 1914; pg 2

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Lansingites Among the Lost

The dreadful disaster which befell the steamer Empress of Ireland below Quebec in the St. Lawrence river early last Friday morning, and which has appalled the whole world as it has not been saddened since the ill-fated Titanic, over a year ago, has added interest and sorrow for this city because of the fact that five of our people the Hans Lone family, consisting of husband wife and three children, were among the passengers of the lost vessel. They were en route for their former home in Norway, intending to remain for two years, and the Journal last week chronicled their departure.

They had tickets on the ill-fated steamer and, as near as can be learned, were all lost save the husband, through no direct word has yet been heard from him by anxious relatives in this city and vicinity. The following clipping from Monday's LaCrosse Leader-Press evidently refers to him:

Among the survivors finally admitted to view the bodies was H. Luren, a Norwegian. He and his wife were bound to Norway to visit their old home after a fifteen years' stay in the United States.

His wife was torn from his grasp when the ship went down and though he searched for her for a long time as he swam near the wreck, he could not find her. "If only I had died instead of her," he said.

The Empress of Ireland, bound from Montreal to Liverpool, collided with the Danish collier Storstad and sank in about ten minutes.. 965 perished and 403 are reported saved.

A special dated June 2d from Rimouski, the scene of the disaster, says that a woman, apparently a Swede, was found wandering naked near there. It is believed she is a survivor of the wrecked Empress of Ireland who made her way to land on a piece of wreckage and was driven insane by suffering. She was taken to the hospital of the Sisters of Mercy. It is thought probable she is the wife of H. Luren, who became separated from his wife shortly after they were thrown into the water when the boilers of the sinking steamer exploded. Luren was saved.

~Allamakee Journal, Wednesday, June 3rd, 1914; pg 2

Note: Later news articles indicate that none of the Lone family survived. Also, the 1910 census gives their immigration as 1908, so they'd been in Lansing less than 15 yrs. The accident occured 5/29/1914.

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A photo of the ship was published in hundreds of newspapers around the world, including the Postville Review, 6/5/1914.

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Diving operations for the dead of the Empress of Ireland disaster are at an end. There will be no more attempts made to secure the 800 dead imprisoned within the hull of the liner. The whole work has been abandoned as impossible.

~North Iowa Times, Thursday, June 25, 1914; pg 2 (Weeks News Summarized column)

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Aleck Knudtson, a brother of Mrs. Hans Lone, lost with her husband and three children on the Empress of Ireland, last month, who went to Quebec shortly after the disaster to try to identify some of the bodies, failed to find any of his relatives and went on to Norway to break the sad news to the parents of the couple, who were anxiously awaiting their arrival.

~Allamakee Journal, Wednesday, July 1, 1914; pg 2

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Louis Lone of this city must certainly have been born under a lucky star. He had engaged passage on the Lusitania but cancelled it before the sailing. Mr. L. is going home to be married shortly. His brother Hans and family of a wife and two sons were lost on the Empress of Ireland about a year ago.

~Allamakee Journal, Wednesday, May 12, 1915; pg 2

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1910 U.S. Census, Lansing, Allamakee co., Iowa; Pearl street; 4/16/1910

Hans Lone, HOH, age 19, married 2 yrs, born Norway, occupation: Plasterer in cement works; immigrated 1908, alien

Annie Lone, wife, age 18, born Norway, immigrated 1908

Allic Lone, son, age 1, born Iowa

[Note: Rena & Clara were born after the census]

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Unknown if any of the Lone family remains were recovered. It is likely they were among those trapped in the ship's hull.

A memorial for the family on Find-a-Grave includes a photo of the Lone family:
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/138723391/hans-alasken-lone

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