The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1909-01-23

is doomed to founder those on oodIu
will az once be picked up by the cutter
Acushnet, which is standing by.
WIRELESS REPORTS.
Capt. /. SeaIby. commander of the Re
public. notified the White Sar offices in
this city of the collision in a brief wire
less message. He said his vessel had
Ieen rammed by an unknown ship. that
no lives had been lost, that the engine
room was flooded, but that the ship
could keep ahoat until assistance reach
ed her.
Other wireless messages received our
ing the morning We're not encouraging.
The captain Of the La Lorraine. for in
stance. sent to his agents the following
wireless dispatch;
Am going TO the rescue of the steam
ship Republic. which is sinking about
forty-dve miles southwest Of NantucS-
ct. Heavy fog. Cannot so to her right
away. as we have to take bearings
At about the same time this message
reached the French line offices, Captain
Ransom. of the Baltic. sent a wireless
stating that he was on his way to the
rescue Of the Republic. The Baltic,
steaming westward i'm the fog. had
reached a point liz miles east Of Sandy
Hook and off the easterly end OF Long
Island when the news Of the collision
reached her commander. The vessel
was instantly sent around and headed
back toward Nantucket The Baltic
and Republic had passed close to each
other and exchanged messages only a
few hours before.
Located by Cutter
The revenue cutter Acushnet, after
two hours search through the fog OF
Nantucket, located the Republic. and
ran alongside.
So far as was known up to that hour
the little revenue cutter was the only
ship within reaching distance Of the dis
abled liner. The Acushnet could &C
commodate only a few Of the survivors
should the Republic sink.
It was believed by mariners that the
collision occurred as the Republic was
about 10 turn Nantucket Lightship, al
though that beacon was some distance
away. The position in which the Re
public reported herself TO be in latitude
4ol7 and longitude 20 s. slightly TO
the north Of the regular steamer lane.
but near the place where outward
bound vessels change their course a
little north OF east, in order to make
the great circle route for the Medi-
terranean.
Besides her passenger list OF al, the
Republic carried a crew Of go. She
had no second-class passengers. The
steerage passengers numbered III Ital-
fans and 30 Portuguese. From the fact
that the engine room Of the liner wa,
flooded. 1t is plain that the force of the
collision was most strongly felt in tn,
steerage, and there was undoubtedly a
thrilling panic in that part OF the ship
Saved by Wireless.
The wreck Of the RepdbIic is one o
the most marvellous stories Of the Sc,
in recent years. BY the use Of the mod
ern invention. wireless teIegraphy. sh,
was enabled to notify the shore and
other ships OF her dangerous plight
and the 700 souls aboard owe their lives
it IS likely. 10 this fact.
The last great disaster in this vicinity
was the sinking of the French liner
Labourgore. of the coast OF Move
Scotia. on July 4. 1895. That was befor,
the days Of the wireless. Alborugn,
went down with a loss OF $50 lives.
Nothing was known Of that accident
for two days Then the survivor
reached Halifax. y. s.. with the news
The fun extent of the disaster was no
known until three days after it hap
pened.
Today's accident shows the progress
toward the protection Of life on the higl
seas that has been made in ten years
As soon after the Republic was strucl
as st was possible 20 get the wireless fl
operation the electric waves were reach
ing out for hundreds OF miles in ever
44EEE4J4 carr INK fdtiH I1E lrlIa
Flashes Of Alarm.
While the steerage passenger
screamed, and fought, and prayed, an
the frst-cIass cabin passengers. fright
ened and hystericsL. but more reserved
were gathered Iu the saloon and reas
sUred by the officers or The ship. IN
wireless operator, perched up iu his Hr
Tie room high above the deck. va
pounding out his flashes OF alarm.
The FOG was so thick that it was i'm
possible TO see more than a ships Iengt
out over the oily waves. AS the en-
gine and boiler rooms were noodc,
there was no steam, and the couEhlu
OF the exhaust and the shlver OF tn
screws which the passengers had fe'
ever since they passed out by Sand
Hook yesterday were missing.
When passengers and crew were a
sured that the ship would not sink IN
mediately and the panic following Il
collision had Gained down the attel