Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1909-01-26
White Star Liner Baltic Creeps
Toward Land With 1900
Passengers From Republic
and FiOride.
REPUBLIC GOES DOWN
WITH SIX PASSENGERS;
FLORIDE LOST IN Foe
Rescue Ship Starts for Pier To Dis
charge Passengers as Heavy Mist
Clears - Survivors Tell Graphic
story OF Crash.

uy Ausoiatsd Prsshl
NEW YORK. Jan. S--The White Star
liner Baltic. bearing 1.so passengers from
the steamships Republic and Floride.
which were In collision on Saturday. was
anchored OF the Ambrose channel light
ship at the entrance to New York harbor,
early today. waiting for the fog to hft
90 MAKE her way into port
The F1orids passed IN by Sandy Hook
about 2.0 p m with a tug astern 70
assist In steering her. The FlOrideSs bow
was badly stove In and she was down
BY the head as though her forward CON-
partment was filled with water.
Six Passengers Dead
With the captain and crew Of the
steamship Republic who remained with
the stricken vessel until she sank last
night. safe on the revenue cutter Gresham
anchored OF Vineyard Haven. Mass. the
last chapter Of the sea drama of satur-
day, which cost six lives, was thus draw
Ing 10 a close.
There was a heavy fog down the bay
this morning and all vessels CROPPED their
way with caution For this reason Il
seems probable that the Baltic would be
late in coming up to her pier.
whether the crew OF the Republic
would be transferred TO the derelict de-
stroyer. Seneca. or whether they would
land near Vineyard Haven, was not
known, although II was thought that they
would Go 10 New York on the Seneca.
The six dead and two injured on the
Republic IS apparently the sum total OF
casualties. but the Republic having sunk
win either be a total loss or very heavily
damaged
Florida Lost i'm Fog
II Is doubtful when the Floride. in her
crippled condition with her progress I'M
peded by the fog, yin be able % reaen
PgaAr-----~l>a--------@A-a-a@s. s--a
The Baltic reached the Quarantine sta
ton az 1o.2s a. m
The steamer Florida had not reached
this port up to SIS a. m today. But this
caused no uneasiness as she was expected
70 uroceed slowly, owing TO her injured
how and the dense fog. She was conveyed
on the way from Nantucket hghtship to-
ward New York by the steamer New
York.
Story by Megaphone
As the Baltic anchored three miles
east OF the Ambrose channel early an
Associated Press tug ran alongside and
succeeded in opening communication with
II. J. Hover. Of Spokane. who was one
OF the Republics passengers. Mr.. Ho-
and VIE naQ nAannC4 NANNAGC1
automobile trip abroad and were out
ward bound on the Republic when she
was rammed by the Floride Saturday
morning.
Through the megaphone Mr.. Hover de-
srrfbed the transfer Of the passengers
from the Republic and later from the
Fgoride to the Baltic The transfer OF
scantily dressed and frightened men and
women from the Floride lasted twelve
hours. beginning at s O'Clock on Satur-
day night and ending at o'clock yes
terday morning. During the night the
searchIIghts Of the Baltic illuminated
the sea, making a weird picture as
boatIoad after boatload were safely got
ten on board the Baltic.
Two Of the Republics passengers tum-
biet into the sea while being placed In
q boat but were promptly rescued
State Rooms Stove
Hover said that the injury to the Re
public was abaft amidships on the port
side. Just forward OF the center hatch
staterooms "a and = were stove In
Ly the bow OF the Floride which with
Grew from the gap almost instantly and
vanished in the mist astern. leaving one
nf her snchors in the wreckage Of the
demolished state rooms Of the Republic.
The impact and withdrawal were so
swift that no one aboard the Republic
had a CNAmCG 10 h0EnElLN NnE
In half an hour, however. summoned by
the distress blasts OF the Republic. the
Fioride picked her way through the murk
and came alongside. Captain Sealby had
his own boats lowered and in these and
those Of the Floride all the passengers Of
the wounded liner were put aboard the
Florids. This operation took two hours
IN a placid sea. --mong the wounded
who were put on the Italian liner were
Eugene Lynch. whose wife had been
killed in their state room on the Repub-
lie. Mr.. Lynch's leg was broken in three
places and he was Cs4erwise injured As
r. was considered unsafe to transfer
him 20 the Baltic. he was left in charge
81 the Floride's surgeon
Discipline Was Perfect
Mr.. Hover said that there was very
little panic aboard the Republic, al
though many came on deck in their
might clothes. and that the discipline OF
the crew was perfect
The collision. he said, occurred between
3 and 4 o'clock on Saturday morning
when everyone was in bed. A great many
passengers were thrown from their
hunks by the crash and many rushed
wildly on deck in their bare feet. With
the return OF the FlOride the transfer
Of passengers began. Carrying out the
rigid rule OF the sea. the women were
placed IN the boats first. and IN two hours
all were safely on board the Floride.
That ship was terribly crowded. how
ever. and at the conference between the
captains OF the FlOride and the Baltic. II
was decided that another transfer OF pas
sengers was necessary. Accordingly this
second hazardous undertaking was begun.
While the sea had been smooth during the
transfer OF passengers from the Republic
TO the Floride. the waters were now rough
and the operation was necessarily more
dangerous and OF longer duration. Thinly