Weekly Watertown leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1908-1909, 1909-01-29
MARCONI BINNS
+ MODEST HERO
OPERATOR OF WIRELESS INSTRU-
MENTS ON STEAMER REPUBLIC
TELLS HIS EXPERIENCE.
NO BOASTS IN HIS STORY.
Sends Mysterious Flashes for Assistance
IN Darkness, Fumblng Way
to the Ticker
sIAscoNsET WAS FIRST TO REPLY.

NEW YORK, Jan. -Binns-John
r. Binns-the Marconi hero Of the Re
public wreck, has written modestly the
story Of his experiences in the new ocean
drama that Binns made possible with his
wireless calls for help in staccato dots
ana dashes.
Binns, whose nerves are shattered and
muscles worn, declares that there was
nothing i'll his conduct that would not
have been equaled by any of his fellow
operators had they been called upon as
he was.
Il had just turned in says Binns,
after the previous days work when the
shock Of the impact shook me out of my
berth. y crunching, ripping noise fol
lowed as the Florida's bows crumpIed
upon our side, the panels and side of our
cabin fell i'll, one panel being smashed
to splinters, but fortunately the wireless
apparatus was uninjured and remained
standing.
Finds His Masts Intact
q had Il fear, however that the
aerial wires between the masts might
have been shaken down, so | hastily
tested them and found they were still
intact.
The dynamos being stopped greatly
handicapped the working distance Of
our station, but the accumulatOrs were
in good condition, and so l Immediately
sounded the &C. @. D. signal, which an
nounced to. surrounding sister ships the
peril of our position.
Il reported to Capt. Sealby that every
thing was all right with my wireless in
struments and he FASTENED to reassure
the passengers, brave but anxious, with
this most comforting news.
This having been done. | returned I'M
mo toly 70 NV h 10 10
isfaction of gaining the attention of our
station at Siasconsett on Nantucket is
land. This message was flashed to A
II. Gilman, the operator there:
1.-The Republic. We are slipwrecked
stand by for captains message
This was the answer that was i'm
mediately flashed to us:
"'All right, old man. Where are
you"
Sealby Sends His Message.
at this stage our chief officer came
and anXiously inquired if | had yet got
in communication with anybody ana
was greatly relieved to learn that Sias-
consett had answered me. He at once
FASTENED to the captain to convey this
latest Intelligence. Capt. Sealby then
sent me this message for transmission:
Republic rammed by unknown
steamer, twenty-six miles southwest of
Nantucket lightship. Badly in need of
immediate assistance, but no danger to
life. SeaIby."
Five minutes later Siasconsett in
formed me that he had sent for the
revenue cutter Acushnet, then lying at
Woods Hole, and that it was to proceed
to assist us. Word also had been sent
to the steamships Baltic, La Lorraine
and City Of Everett.
Sends with Broken Lever.
Il was now working under extreme
difficulty, as it was extremely dark. I
had broken the lever of my sending key
Just after the lights went out, but even
tually managed all right by holding the
broken lever with one hand and sending
with the other.
Then came the first respite l had
had since the force of the crash had
hurled me from my bunk It was now
getting light, and with the first StreakS
of dawn | was enabled to look about me
and comprehend the damage that had
been wrought. together with the extreme
peril of our position.
This was more wildly brought home
to me when, glancing at the floor just
outside my wrecked cabin, | saw the
mangled bodies OF two passengers.
Gets on Some Clothes.
Sick with the horror Of the scene that
had been enacted before my eyes, | was
indeed grateful for the brief respite that
followed.
/ drew on my boots and waistcoat
and was lucky enough to find an app!e
and some water at hand, but it was bit
terly cold in the cabin, a stiff breeze
was blowing through the splintered
woodwork. and then, too, the binding
fog filtered all about me, chilling me TO
the marrow.
Just as the Florida returned to us
hN 70 ,;a1- /
and from then on l was kept busy no
tifying that ship of our position, and
from that time forward it was a steady
interchange of messages between latter
sail and Balfour, the Battles operators,
and myself.