The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1909-01-24
Liner Republic Carrying Seven Hundred and
Sixty.one Persons Rammed by the Florida.
WIRELESS SIGNALS BRING RESCUERS JUST IN TIME
Big Ship Bound for Mediterranean Ports Is Struck During
Dense Fog Off Nantucket Island---Myserious Elec-
trio Waves Bring Salvation to Those Threat
ened With Death in the Waters.

h in the Waters.
I Florida was capable Of taking care OF
the entire ships company Of the re-
public, Notwithstanding the fact that
she had on board, in addition to heY
crew of 200. nearly 900 Italians bound
| for New York.
Sea Is Calm.
| Throughout the long day the ex-
panse of the North Atlantic, which
for weeks had been swept by the
fierest storm, was as cal mand peace
full as in summer time. The fog, it is
true, held dense for a greater portion
of the fateful hours during which the
passengers were transferred and the
crew waited for the last plunge of the
ship The transfer of the passengers
who had rushed to the decks as the
gongs changed out the signal to close
| the compartment doors, was made un-
der unusually favorable conditions.
In the meantime, the operator on the
Republic stood by his post and flashed
! wireless rays asking for aid. He had
heard his fellow operators on board
| LaLorraine, the Baltic and the Lu-
cania speaking words of encourage
ment and telling him of the Fastening
assistance and of the revenue cutters
| Gresham and Seneca running at full
speed from the New England coast.
I The transfer of the Republics pas
sengers to the Baltic was accomplished
speedily and shortly before / o'clock
both the Baltic and the Florida start
ed for New York. If the Baltic goes
at her average speed and does not de-
lay to act as convoy for the Florida,
she should reach New York Sunday
| afternoon.
Off Her Course.
1t is apparent that the Florida must
| have been between 80 or 40 miles off
her course in being anywhere near the
Republic, as the eastbound and west
| bound steamer lanes are this distance
| apart here.
AS soon as the Republic had been
struck and the extent of the damage
had become known wireless calls for
assistance were sent broadcast over
the Atlantic. All vessels within range
Of the mysterious pulsations were
| asked to hasten to the scene.
| The call for help which the Repub-
| lie had been sending into space was
| first recorded on land at the Charles
ton navy yard at s o'clock this morn
ing 1t said:
'To revenue cutter Gresham, Bos-
ton. Steamer Republic in distress and
sinking. Latitude 40.17, longitude
1925; southeast of Nantucket"
Catches Appeal.
The Gresham was not at the navy
yard, but intercepted the appeal in
Provincetown harbor. She started i'm
mediatelY for Nantucket. Other wire
| less apparatus also caught the mes
sage and in a short time the cutter
Acushnet was on her way out from
Woodley; the Mohawk, another reven-
ue cutter had started from New Bed
ford, and the Seneca had been ordered
out from New London, Conn.
The Mohawk soon ran aground while
| the Acushnet did not get outside of
Vineyard harbor and later came back
to assist another vessel In distress.
| In the meantime the Baltic and La
| Lorraine, both Of which had passed
the Republic a few hours earlier and
were speeding into New York, needed
the call for assistance and put about.
The Lucania, which was to the east
ward of Nantucket lightship, also
! catching the message out Of the air,
hit up her speed and pressed on to
| the assistance of the Republic
Floods Engine Room.
The collision, being amidships al
most Immediately flooded the engine
room of the Republic, and, of course,
rendered her absolutely helpless. For
tunately, her wireless equipment was
well supplied with storage batteries
and these were used for more than six
hours, until they gradually became ex-
hausted After that recourse to sig
mailing by means of submarine bells
was adopted.
In the middle of the forenoon the
transfer of passengers to the Florida
was made and although the fog was
very dense, unusually calm weather for
this season enabled the transfer to be
made without accident Only human
beings were taken in the lifeboats,
which made the passage between the
two vessels, all baggage being left on
board the Republic. By noon the
Baltic and La Lorraine were close to
the scene of the collision, but OWING
to the dense fog were unable to locate
the Republic, although the submarin,
bells could be heard frequently
Fears AlIayed.
| During the forenoon the fears OF
the thousands of friends of the pas
sengers on board, many of whom had
besieged the offices of the White Star
line, were somewhat allayed by the re-
ceipt of more reassuring message
from the captain, which read as fol-
lows:
steamship Republic. off Nantuck-
ct, when 26 miles off Nantucket light
ship was ran into by an unknown
vessel. Engine room full Of water Can
remain afloat. No danger. No lives
lost. Seeley. captain"
After this came the still more en-
couraging report that the Florida had
taken off the passengers without ac-
cident The Florida is about two