The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1909-02-04
HEAVY DAMAGES FOR
BIG LINERS LOSS
The Republics Owners Want Two
Million Dollars.
PUT BLAME ON THE FLORIDA.
Libel Suit Grows Out of the Sensation
al Wreck of the White Star Line
Boat Last Saturday-Each Captain
Shifts the Blame, Claiming He Was
Running at Moderate Speed.

New York Especially The Oceanic
Steam Navigation Company, which
owns the steamship Republic. sunk
off Nantucket Shoals lightship in col
lision with the Italian steamship
Florida, filed libel against the lat
ter vessel in the admiralty branch
of the United States District Court.
Damages in the sum of $2,000,000
are demanded for the loss of the
ship, her equipment, stores, of an
estimated value of S1,500,00o, and
for the loss of the cargo and personal
effects of the master, officers, crew
and passengers of an estimated value
of supplies freight and passage mon
ey, all of 100000.
The owners of the Florida, the
Lloyd Italiano Societe Di Naviga-
zione, stole a march on the owners
Of the Republic by filing before hand
in the same court libel and petition
against the Florida for limitation of
the vessels liability and then secur-
ing a restraining order from Judge
Adams staying all proceedings
against the Florida growing out of
her collision with the Republic. This
restraining affects at least tempor-
arily the libel filed by the Oceanic
Steam Navigation Company.
The libel and petition filed by the
Italian corporation says that the
Florida is 5,11S tons gross, and 3d.
231 tons net, register; 3S1 feet in
length, and AS feet beam. She is
registered in Naples and sailed from
that port for New York January 10
with S24 steerage, and IA cabin, pas
sengers, besides a cargo consisting
principally of macaroni. All went
well until the collision with the Re
public on the morning of January 23.
There was a dense fog at the time,
and the florida was proceeding slow
ly, blowing her fog whistles at fire.
quent intervals.
The captain and chief officer were
on the bridge, a competent quarter
master was at the wheel and look
outs, which had been doubled on ac-
count of the fog, were properly sta
toned. Fog blasts were being given
every minute and a half, says the
libel and in return the fog whistles
of the Republic were head some
where off the starboard bow" The
Florida's engines were Immediately
reversed and two signals of three
whistles each were blown to indi-
cate that her engines were going
astern. When the Republic was first
seen she was crossing the Floridas
bow from starboard to port and the
latter boats helm was promptly port
ed with the intention of swinging her
how to starboard to avoid a collision
II possible. The Italians bow struck
the Republic on the port side some
what aft of amidships.
After the collision, the libel con
tinues, the speed of the Republic
carried her out of sight in the fog.
After patching up her damage as
much as possible, the Florida started
on a search for the other boat.
The libel then states that the COL
lision occurred without any fault on
the part of the Florida or those nav
i8ating her, but was solely due to the
faults of the Republic and her Of
ficers, which faults are enumerated
under several heads.
Not being responsible in any way
for the collision, the petitioner
claims the benefit of the limitation
of liability as provided for in sec
tions 4,283, 4,2S4 and 4,285 of the
Revised Statutes of the United States.
The court is asked to direct the
seizure and attachment of the vessel
by the marshal, and this was done
by United States Marshal Henkel.
The court is also asked to appoint
a trustee to take charge of the Flor
ida and also a commissioner to take
proof OF claims. This has not yet
been done. The bond for the overs
was given by Oscar L. Richard in
the sum of $4,000.
In the libel filed by the owners of
the Republic 1t is stated that the
fault of the collision lies wholly with
the Florida in that she did not keep
proper course; that she did not
keep out of the course of the Repub-
lie, whose bows she was crossing;
that she did not have a proper look
out and did not give proper signals /
or whistles; that she did not give
proper heed to the whistles of the
Republic; that she failed by whistles
to indicate the change of helm; that |
she was proceeding at immoderate
speed and did not stop her engines |
on first hearing the Republics whis- !
ties, and that she did not port her
helm. but instead starboarded it,
thereby thwarting all efforts of the |
Republic to avoid her.