The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1909-01-26
PASSENGERS
AND crew. SAFE
FROM THE OCEAN
Baltic and Florida Reach Port
After the Disaster off
Nantucket Shoals.
LINER REPUBLIC AT
BOTTOM OF THE SEA
PASSENGERS HAVE WORDS OF
PRAISE FOR OFFICERS AND
MEN OF THE VESSELS.

New York, Jan. 25.-Less than seven
ty-two hours after the crash between
the ocean liners Republic and Florida,
off the Nantucket shoals, which event.
ually sent the one to the bottom and
reduced the other to state of stag
gering heiplessness, the survivors of
this thrilling deep-sea tragedy have
found a haven at last.
At nightfall tonight, 1850 passengers
from the two vessels were safe in this
port, brought here by the Baltic, while
nearing it were the rescued officers and
crew of the Republic, safe on the dere-
lict destroyer Seneca, to which they
were transferred from the revenue cut
ter Gresham, after staying to the last
moment by their sinking vessel. At
her dock in Brooklyn was the battered
Florida aboard which her crew had
remained throughout her trying expert
/ enoes.
Republic Finally Went Down.
Only the Inflated Republic was want
I ing to complete the list. And she, too,
was in port-her last port of call, what
will doubtless prove her finSl resting
place beneath thirty-eight fathoms of
water, fifteen miles south of the Nan
tucket south shoals Hghtship. 1t be-
/ gins to be apparent that the last three
days have witnessed what is beyond
/ question the most remarkable series of
/ happenings in the history of modern
navigation.
Sixteen hundred and fifty passengers
/ from the Republic and Florida, whose
/ lives were in jeopardy for hours while
the call of the wireless was gradually
/ bringing aid nearer and nearer. reached
/ New York today on the steamer Bal
tic.
cheered by Thousands.
No argosy of the oIden days bringing
/ golden treasure home was ever more
heartily welcomed. Frenzied cheers
from thousands at the pier greeted her
arrival
Following the Baltic up the harbor
was the liner Flori6a, battered almost
to the sinking point herself by the
force of the blow she dealt the Re
public, and bearing the bodies OF her
own three dead and the injured mem
bers of her crew. The Republics pas
sengers told graphic tales of the crash,
of the excitement on board of the
bravery of the officers, the good behay-
ior of the crew and of the efficient
work of rescue.
/ Something Went Wrong.
litlG dtE Nv , NtlSiDllS VI Alldi UcD-
pened on the bridge of the Florida
when the Republic doomed up in front
I of her through the morning fog. Little
/ could be learned from Captain Rospini.
| According to others who had been on
| board the Florida, however. something
went wrong with the Florida's steer
ing wheel when the collision was i'm
miHent. One story had it that a quar-
termsster had the wheel when the COM
starboard. He put il to port instead.
and the liners crashed into each other.
FeIIed With Iron Spike.
Another version is that the man
dropped his wheel in a panic when dan
ger impended. Both versions agree
that the commander feIled the quarter
master with an iron spike following
what he must have considered the sea
mans recreancy. An injured quarter
master from the Florida was brought
to port on the Baltic today. He stout
iy asserted that he was not at the
wheel when the accident occurred.
Presumably not until the command
ers have made their formal statements
, will the actual facts be known. Posi-
bly, a marine court will be needed tc
determine them.
Heroic to the Last.
/ Standing out prominently is the con
/ duct of Captain Seaiby of the Repub-
lie, who, true to the best traditions Of
the sea, kept his ship beneath him a:
long as th.re was enough of her afloat
. to afford Tim a fOothold. And prac-
tically all accounts agree that asid.
from the starting of an incipient pani'
among the steerage passengers on the
, Florida the crews and passengers Of
both ships kept their heads wen in tbs
midst of the most trying conditions.
Survivors had warm words of com
mendstion for the officers and men o
the Florida. who worked like heroes
with their own ship in a sad state Z
= get the passengers from the worse dam
5 aged Republic to comparative safet!
5 on board the Italian vessel.
. lowed Into Port.
. When the Florida passed up the har
5 Dor late today she looked every par
\ of the ocean battering ram she ha'
= played. Flying the signal, not unde
8 control she was guided up the bay b,
? two tugs. Her bows were crumpled III
!. from, the impact with the Republic, tn
!. plates and beams being buckled an
o twisted for a distance of fully thirt
: feet. Her fOrepeak was full of water
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