The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1909-01-26

Woods Hole, Mass, Jan. 25.-The
story of the sinking of the big liner
Republic and the dogged heroism of
Captain Sealby in sticking to his ves-
sci until it had sunk beneath him was
told today by Lieutenant Scott, execu-
tive officer of the revenue cutter
Gresham. Lieutenant Scott said that
when the Gresham found the Republic
Sunday morning many passengers and
all the crew but Captain Sealby, the
second officer and 35 men who had
volunteered to stay by their chief,
had been transferred to the Baltic.
THE Gresham and a British pas
senger steamer passed lines to the Re-
public to tow the injured vessel but
she proved very unmanageable in
the northwest wind. Later in the aft
ernoon the derelict destroyer Seneca
passed a line to the Republic, but by
this time she was filling rapidly.
"A short time later two pistol shots
were heard and two blue lights were
burned. At $40 the Republics bow
shot up high in the air and she sank
in 3S fathoms of water in a position
Is miles west, southwest of Nam
tucket south shoals lightship
Lifeboat Dropped
"A lifeboat was dropped from the
side of the Gresham and a crew under
the command of Gunner Carl Johnson
started off. The boat returned in
three quarters of an hour with both
the captain and the second officer on
board. They had been picked up
clinging to wreckage. Neither had on
life preservers.,
when the Republic began to sink
Captain Sealby climbed the foremast
and reached the masthead light as his
boat went down. The second officer
jumped from the rail to the sea, and
said that he fell some distance and
sustained slight bruises in striking the
surface of the water. Captain Sealby
was unhurt.
''The Republic was struck on the
port side, a little more than two
thirds of the way aft. A large hole
was torn in her side, which was clear
ly visible, but, as sometimes happens
in such cases, she had a big list to
starboard.
0ouIcS 40 OoWn.
Captain Sealby stated that on the
deck of the Republic when she went
down rested two caskets containing
the bodies of those passengers who
had been killed in the collision"
According to officers Of the Gresh-
am, Captain Sealby and the men Of
the Republic praised the conduct of
the Republics passengers during the
hours Immediately following the acci-
dent, when it was known the vessel
might go down any time. While prep
arations were being made to aban-
don the Republic, one woman beguiled
the time of waiting for the boat by
sitting down on the deck of the Re-
public to play solitaire. Another pas
senger, a man, came up to the first
officer and, apologizing for speaking
to him on such an occasion, when he
knew he was very busy, said that his
wife had been injured and asked that
she be taken in one of the first boats.
The man was also injured, but made
no mention of the fact. Captain
Sealby said that room was made for
these people in the first boat that left
the ship.
Declines to Talk.
Gunner Johansen declined to discuss
his exploit in leading in the rescue of
Captain Sealby and Second Officer
Williams, but from other members of
the crew the story was obtained.
When the Republics crew transferred
at the command of Captain Sealby he
said he would signal before the final
plunge of his ship in order that the |
towing lines might be cut and the
possibility of the Gresham being
drawn under avoided. Those on the
Gresham were watching for the sig
nal, and when at length it flashed |
out, accompanied by two pistol shots, |
the connecting hawser was severed |
with an axe. At the same instant |
the Gresham's lifeboat was lowered |
and Gunner J0hap sen with fopr of |