The Topeka state journal., 1909-01-25
PASSENGERS STORY
Is Told an A. p. Representative
Through a MegaphOne.

New York, Jan. 25.-As the steamer
Baltic carrying the passengers from
the steamer Republic and Florida
anchored three miles east of the Am
brose channel early today, an Asso-
ciated Press tug ran alongside and
succeeded in opening communication
with H. j. Hoover, of Spokane, Wash,
one of the Republics passengers. Mr..
Hoover and wife planned an extended
automobile trip abroad and were out
ward bound on the Republic, when she
was rammed by the Florida Saturday
morning
Through the megaphone Mr.. Hoover
described the transfer of the passen-
gers from the Republic and later from
the Florida to the Baltic. The trans
fer of scantily dressed and frightened
men and women from the vessels
lasted IL hours. Work began at
o'clock Saturday and ended at s
o'clock yesterday. During the night
the searchlights of the Baltic
illuminated the sea making a weird
picture as boatload after boatload
were safely gotten on board the Bal
tic. Two of the Republics passen-
gers tumbled into the sea while being
placed in a boat, but were promptly
rescued.
Where the Injured Were.
Mr.. Hoover said that the injury to
the Republic was abaft midships of
the port side just forward of the CEN
Ter naLcn- state rooms "a ana 20
were stove by the bow of the Florida
which withdrew from the gap almost
instantly and vanished in the mist
astern, leaving one of her anchors
in the wreckage of the dem olished
state rooms of the Republic. The i'm
pact and withdrawal were swift
that no one aboard the Republic had
a chance to identify the steamship. In
half an hour, however, summoned by
the distress blasts of the Republic,
the Florida picked her way through
the murk and came alongside, Cap
tain Sealby had his own boats lowered
and in these and those of the Florida
all the passengers of the wounded
liner were put aboard the Florida.
This operation took two hours in a
placid sea. Among the wounded who
were put on the Italian liner was
Eugene Lynch, whose wife had been
killed in their state room on the Re
public. Mr. Lynch's leg was broken
in three places and he was otherwise
injured. AS it was considered unsafe
to transfer him to the Baltic, he was
left in charge of the Florida's sur
geon. Mr.. Hoover said there was
very little panic aboard the Republic
although many came on deck in their
of the crew was perfect.
How the Collision Occurred.
The collision. he said occurred be-
tween 8 and o'clock on Saturday
morning when every one was in bed
great many passengers were
thrown from their hunks by the crash
and many rushed wildly on deck in
their bare feet. With the return of
the Florida the transfer of passengers
began. Carrying out the rigid rule of
the sea the women were placed in
the boats first and in two hours all
were safely on board the Florida.
That ship was terribly crowded how
ever and at the conference between
the captains of the Florida and the
Baltic it was decided that another
transfer of passengers was necessary.
Accordingly this second hazardous un-
dertaking was begun. While the sea
had been smooth during the transfer
of passengers from the Republic to
the Florida, the waters were now
rough and the operation was neces-
sarily more dangerous and of longer
duration. Thinly dressed passengers
crowded to the Baltic's rail and
watched the work while those who
remained on the Florida waiting for
the next boat load saw their COM
panions lifted safely to the new
haven. It was during that time the
passengers fell overheard but were
rescued little the worse for their ex-
Oerfence.