The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1909-01-26

iorepeak fuh of water. her burdened |
bow dipped low while the stern |
showed high above the surface. Slow
ly and with difficulty she was finally |
warped into her pier in Brooklyn.
Two of ahe Florida's dead had
been transferred to the Baltic. Peter
Peonto was brought in on his own
vessel
Eugene Lynch, one OF the Repub,
lies passengers who was severely In
iured, was on the Florida when she
came in. When he was taken later
to the Lond Island College hospital
1t was found that both his legs were
broken, his right thigh fractured and
that he was internally injured. II
is feared he will die. The last rites
had been administered to him at his
request while he was yet on board
the Republic by Father Norris Of the
Trenton diocese another passenger
With the important work Of rescue
prartically finished, attention began
to be turned to endeavors to learn
definitely. " possible, how the two
big ocean travellers had come to
crash into ealh other and whether
their faIteful meeting was as un-
avoidable as at first appeared. On
the Repuhics side little was to be
learned Her passengers told graphic
tales OF the crash, of the excitement
on board, of the bravery of the Of
fees, the good behacior OF the
crew and the efficient work of redme.
That all hal not gone so well with
the Florida and that possibly on her
bridge might be sought contrib-
uting cause OF the disaster was In
dicated by the late development OF
THE day
There are two versions OF what
happened on the bridge OF the Flor
ida when the Republic doomed up IN
front of her through the morning
fog Little could be learned from
Capt Rospini when he was seen on
board his vessel on her arrival in
the harbor.
According to others who had been
on hoard the Florida and were
brought into port by the Baltic, how
ever, something went wrong with
the FlOrida's steering wheel when
the collision was hmminent.One story
hal 1t that a Quartermaster had the
wheel when the commander yelled
for II to be iammed to starboard.
He put to port instead and the lin
ers crashed into each other.
Another version of the story Is
that the man dropped his wheel in
panic when danger impended. Both
versions agree in saying that the
Irommander felled the quartermaster
with an iron spike following what
he must have considered the sea-
mans cowardice An injured quar-
termaster from the Florida was
brought 10 port on the Baltic. He
stouty asserted that he was not al
the wheel when the accident occur
red.
That there has been any trouble
at the steering wheel Of the Flor
ida was denied by the Florida pur-
ser, Marbila Gina. When asked
as to the reports of the helnsmans
delinquency he said that the quarter
master had been thrown from his
wheel Cby the shock of the collision.
Iaioklng to his post until the crash
lcame. The pursuer likewise denied
THAT the wheel had been thrown the
wrong way as the vessels we're ap-
preaching each other or that the
commander had struck down the
steersman.
Capt. Rosplni talked but briefly,
He said that he preferred to await
a statement by the Republics
commander before making his. He
stated, however, that he had heard
the Republics whistle at intervals
for some time on the morning OF
the disaster, but they seemed quite
J. far away. Suddenly the big liner
lOomad up out OF the fog and the
vessels came together with a crash
The Florida veered off and the Re-
public was swallowed up again in
the mlsts. A cautious search for
her was then begun and II was two
hours, the captain said, before the
Florida again located her partner
In misfortune and began the work
OF rescue whB.h resulted 50 forum
ately.
When the Florida reached her
dock il was learned that 1t was
three and not four OF her crew as
. at first reported who had been killed
when the steamers cOllided.
They were sleeping in their fore
castle quarters and met instant
death two OF them being badly man
gled and so tangled in the wreckagt
that It was not until after the
I steamer eDt into her berth that
Z their bodies could be extricated The
men killed were Pasquale Layallo
3 Catolgera, Martuscelli and Salvatore
d'Amico. Three Others were severely
Z injured.