New-York tribune., 1909-01-26
GEN. IVES AT OAR
Continued from first page.

their staterooms. Some Of the braver managed
to return for their valuables despite the efforts
of the officers and to keep all hands on
deck
The three hours from $50 until $50 o'clock
were narrowing enough to all of u.s. the fog de-
laying the daylight until nearly o'clock.
When the light finally appeared it was possible
to make out the lines of another steamship not
far away on our port side. This ship turned
out to be the Florida, of the Loyd-Italiano
destroyer and fellow cripple
Ever since the collision our own fog horn
and whistles and those of the Florida had been
sounding necessarily. We also had the con-
ISOLATION Of knowing that Jack" Binns, the Re
public's gallant wireless operator, was sending
his calls for help to every point Of the compass
The wireless certainly gave a feeling OF
security and hope which helped greatly to buoy
us all up.
: TRANSFER TO THE FLORIDA
1T was nearly 9 O'Clock 1 think, when the
word passed that TO be transferred
10 the Florida, which was said to be in much
better condition than the Republic. A rope lad
der stretched over the port side of the Re
/ public and the work of transfer began, the
! women and children Of course. going first. The
water fortunately smooth 1t was novel
and thrilling experience, and one not to be for
gotten.
I,
| turned face about and told to climb as speedily
! as possible down the fragile. swinging rope lad
I der. AS they approached the water they were
grabbed by the officer in charge Of the waiting
| boat and seated AS soon as a boat was filed it
/ pulled off into the fog toward the Florida
THE officers and crew of the Republic worked
| like beavers, and with never hitch falter
and by noon every one OF the Republics pas
! sengers was safe board the Florida. The
conditions found there. however. we're not ideal
as the Florida is much smaller than the Repub
J lie and carries nothing but third class emil
I grants
! She had pretty big passenger list, and when
the eight hundred passengers from the Republic
| had clambered aboard II far too crowded
! for comfort 1t was also far from clean enough
to be enjoyable but the officers and crew Of the
| Florida did all they could. and there never
| a murmur from the rescued passengers of the
| Republic.
AT noon the fog turned into a drizzling rain.
| which made it pretty hard for those who were
forced to sit out or the Floridas deck with only
scant and insufficient clothing. Many a brave
woman wound blanket about her and sat and
| shivered in the rain through that long and har
rowing afternoon. Twelve fifteen of the Re
I publics women were accommodated in the cap
tain's ca bin but these constituted a favored mi
nority
! "Only the cheering news brought by the Re
public's ever faithful wireless opsrator-that
! the mighty Baltic speeding to our rescue
! made the dreary hours bearable. We knew that
! the Florida in bad shape, as her bows were
! badly stove in, but were told that she was
we'll able TO keep afoat for many hours TO come.
/ or food We had little or none and few there
we're who gave q thought to IT,
/ .Retween ; and Is o'clock in the afternoon the
/ fash q rs
was close at hand. and soon after O'Clock the
/ big greyhound came up and anchored less than
! i mile away. All were eager 10 leave the Flor
/ ida for the conditions very bad. No move
! was made to take us off. however. AMI herein
/ is the only criticism l have to make of the
whole affair.
.Au through that long evening We remained
! hudded together the malodorous Florida,
while the sea rose and the fog shut in thicker
! than ever The officers hated TO make the
! transfer in the night with the crew OF the Re-
public tired out by its herruean exertions and
I not knowing how much dependence could be
! placed on the Florida $ sailors.
% Finally. at midnight Captain Ransom, or
! the Baltic determined that the shift must be
i made and preparations were put under way. It
i vas plain 10 all that the task ahead was far
different one from the transfer of the Republic s
( passengers to the Florida. The night was pitchy
! black the sea was running high and there were
! eight hundred badly scared emigrants. the pas
/ sAngers OF the Florida. to he taken into consd-
! Grafton. The distance longer and the
| chance Of mishap far greater.
.Tnstead or the rope ladder which was used
! in leaving the Republic and boarding the Flor
ida a companion way was lowered and manned
by four of the Republics most trustworthy
stewards Spencer and Barker stood at the
head Of the Companionway. and each proved
himself Of the stuff from which heroes are MADE.
! There was q terrible jam the italian emigrants
| made rush for the ladder and had to he forced
hack For a moment. but only a moment. II
looked as If there might be a panic
."The enierants did not like the idea Of the
women going first and it was necessary for the
men passengers of the Republic to take mana
in strengthening out the situation. Finally the
frightened ernigrants were herded back away
from, the companionway. and the Decentralization
began
TOO many wanted 10 get on the ladder at
once The sailors OF the Republic were tired
out and passengers willingly volunteered to
tate an oar where Il became necessary.
ruIIed an oar for the first time since my college
days I was not exactly in practice. but ! dld
nv best" A person who saw General Ives AT
! the oar said that IA handled II like varsity
stroke.
Il made several trips between the Florida ana
the Baltic. and I want TO say again that the
American women behaved like the Trojan
women Of old Never before did l see such 3
splendid exhibition or was I ever 80 proud OF
my countrywomen. Slowly and labortouSly the
little boats piled back and forth between the
two ships all through the long and cherries
night Before dawn broke all the women were
safe on the Baltic. but it was nearly noon on
Sunday before the last Of the men had made
the trip.