Omaha daily bee., 1909-01-26
SEA WRECK COSTS SIX LIVES
Passengers from Republic and Florida
Reach New York.
BIG STEAMSHIP Is A TOTAL LOSS
Indications Are sunken Vessel VIII
BE of Little Value Even IL it 10
ta RRised-ThrilIinE story
of Accident.

NEW YORK, G3si. z5.-The dramatic sea
story OF the wrecking Of the White Star
liner Republic by the steamer Florida OF
the Lloyds Itallana line, in which six lives
were lost and four people injured came to
close today when the big steamship Bal
tic Of the White Star line came into port
bearing on board more than 1900 pessen-
gers of the sunken Republic and the Grip
pied Florida Stories told by the Repub-
lies passengers show that the transfer of
passengers from the Florida to the Baltic
in the dark hours of Sunday night came
perilously near resulting in riot OF the
500 italian steerage passengers on the Flor
ida, who believed that their vessel was in
imminent danger OF sinking Only the ef-
forts of the officers. aided by several of
the Republics passengers. quieted the
frightened men, who sought to be the first
to board the lifeboats.
The officers of the Baltic report the
deaths of Mrs. Eugene Lynch of Boston
and W. ]. Mooney OF Langdon. n. D.. to-
gether with four negro sailors, whose
names are not known. The bodies OF Mrs
Lynch and Mr.. Mooney were placed in
hermetically sealed caskets. which sank
with the steamer Republic off Nantucket.
Mr. Lynch is on board the Florida. He,
is broken hearted over the loss of his wife.
His leg Is fractured. Mrs NJ. j. Murphy
of Grand Forks, N. D., sustained a severe
injury in her right limb. and steward on
board the Florida by name OF Woodward,
sustained fracture at the base OF the
skull. Mrs. Griggs who was injured, had
miraculous escape. She was found under
a pile of debris and for a time 1t was be-
lieved she was lost.
The transfer of passengers from the Re-
public to the Florida was effected without
incident. but when 1t was found that the
Florida had insufficient Accommodate
for the large number on board and that It
would make slow time to New York, the
order to retransfer all passengers to the
Baltic, which had arrived several hours be.
fore, was given. Hrhe night was dark and
the fog hung thick over the troubled sea
Twenty lifeboats were used TO carry the
passengers from the Florida. which lay
at distances varying from 900 to 500 yards
from the Baltic.
Passenger Tells Experience.
An account Of the collision. as related TO
the reporters by II. J. Hover OF Spokane,
Wash, one of the passengers, was as fol-
lows:
The shock came when all Of the passen-
gers OF the Republic and most OF it's crew
| were asleep. Mrs. Hover and !, like most
OF the Republics passengers. were awak-
ened by being violently thrown against the
side OF our hunks. The shock was terrific
| Outside, In the passageway, I could hear
| the sound OF running feet From the deck
above came cries and the shouting Of or
| ders.
! II turned on the electric light and. hastily
throwing an overgarment over US, Mrs
! Hover and I made our way, bareheaded
and barefooted, TO the music room on the
promenade deck. While the alarm gongs
/ were sounding all over the ship the
stewards were going from state room TO
state room arousing the passengers BY
the time We got TO the music room the
place was full OF men and women. some
with nothing over them but the clothes in
which they had been asleep others
wrapped I'm ship blankets and steamer rugs
| all more or less frantic with fear and
shivering with the cold.
Women Grow HysterIeaI.
The women huddled together, some
weeping, a few hysterical Most Of the
| man r1tahed olaf IN dacL 10 aacart.fn