The Newport miner. [volume] (Newport, Wash.) 1899-current, 1909-01-28
BIG SHIPS
COLLIDE
OF COAST OF MASSA.
CHUsETTS, SUNDAY.
BY WIRELESS MESSAGES HUN
DREDs OF LIVES SAVED
THEREBY.

Nantucket, Mass, Jan. 24.-In CROP
ing her way through the dense fog OH
Nantucket lightship at dawn, the
steamer Florida Of the Lloyd-Italian
line, bound to New York from Naples,
dealt deathblow to the outward bound
steamer Republic Of the White Star
line, laden with passengers seeking
pleasure in southern Europe and with
supplies for the United States battle
ship fleet.
The steamer Florida, proving to be
less seriously injured than the other
steamer, took aboard the Republic IS
passengers almost Immediately and IL
hours later all the officers and crew
of the Republic, with the exception Of
Captain Sealby, left that vessel, Cap
tain sealby in his gig refusing to leave
the sight of his beloved ship until she
had disappeared forever beneath the
| waves.
The Republic was on her regular
course for the outward passage, but
the Florida was 30 miles off the pre-
scribed line for inward bound steamers.
The watertight compartments pre-
vented repetition of the Burgoyne
disaster of 10 years ago, and kept the
Republic afoat for more than Is
hours. They not only kept the Florida
above water, but enabled her to re-
turn to the assistance of the Repub-
lie after the fearful recoil Of the col
lision.
Transfer of Passengers.
The two ships collided at $3.50 a. m.,
about 26 miles southwest Of Nantucket
| ightship. The next three hours were
occupied in summoning aid and trans
ferring the 461 passengers-25 in the
cabin and oil in the steerage-from
the Republic to the Florida.
The operator on the Republic stood
by his post and flashed wireless
messages asking for aid. He had heard
his fellow operators on board La Lor-
raine, the Baltic and thu Lucania speak
ing words Of encouragement and telling
him of the fastening assistance and of
the revenue cutters coming at full speed
from the New England coast.
Signals Flashed 200 Miles.
The consensus of opinion was that
the wireless telegraph had robbed his
tory Of another awful havoc of the sea.
Science has had few stranger tales
than that of the signals reaching out
from the mast of the Republic and be-
ing picked up by friendly ships within
radius of 200 miles, bringing them to
her aid. After the Boston navy yard
had been reached and revenue cutters
warned the Republic IS crew that they
were on the way, the operators on the
distressed ship were able to pick up
the White Star docks, and reported
from time to time the condition of the
ship and the progress of the rescuing
| vessels. Then in turn La Lorraine, the
Baltic and the Onondaga were found
by the electric messages. They turned
in their course and started in the di-
rection of the Republic, the Republic
itself being able to direct the searchers
When the sinking Of the Elb and
La Bourgoyne are recalled, when it
was long time before the slightest
| news Of the disaster reached shore, let
alone summoning aid, it can be real
lied how wireless has torn from the
deep that uncertainty which lowered
over every ship when she passed be-
yond the limit of land signaling. When
the La Bourgoyne went to the grave
yard of ships with her $50 souls it was
two days before message filtered into
the Western Union Office at Halifax
telling Of her fate.
"Come Quick, Danger
Immediately following the collision
and throughout the entire day mod
ern drama of the sea was enacted
The Republic g wireless at once sent
out &C Q D" messages, the ambulance
call of the sea. Translated &C @ d.
means "Come quick, danger. - From
sea and coast for more than 100 miles
vessels began heroic task to find the
danger spot. The Lucania, the Baltic
and La Lorraine were all far this side
of the wounded Republic, but they
turned back on their tracks and pushed
through enveloping banks of fog,
scanning the air for messages and
sending the word uHelloo whenever
| the scent was lost.
In addition to the liners the revenue
cutters Gresham, Acushnet, Mohawk
and Seneca caught tho message of dis
tress and went scouting along the sea,
and the torpedo boat Cushing set out
from Newport.
The Baltic was the first to search
out the injured ship and it Immediately
began to sputter its wireless words to
the other searchers in an effort to di-
rect them.
Republic Sunk.