The Topeka state journal., 1909-01-26
A NEW LIFE SAVER.

| Great is wireless telegraphy. Its
efficacy in most important particular
has been put to a supreme test and II
has not been found wanting. 1t will
undoubtedly be the means of making
travel on the high seas immeasurably
safer than it is on land Through it a
fear of unexpectedly going to a watery
grave that restrains many a person
from attempting an ocean voyage Will,
or ought to be, reduced to a minimum
This is made evident by the story
of the rescue of the passengers and
crew of the White Star steamship,
Republic which was run into, disabled
and crippled unto death on Saturday
morning last by the Italian liner.
Florida, while the vessels were in the
broad Atlantic and seventy miles from
the shore of Massachusetts. 1t is one
of the most absorbing stories of many
a day, and proves conclusively that if
neither of these vessels had been
equipped with wireless telegraph ap-
paratus, it would probably have been
necessary to tell of one of the most
terrible catastrophes in the modern
history of the sea. Seventy miles is
not a great ways from land when
compared with distances measured by
hundreds of miles, and if weather and
water conditions had been perfect the
passengers and crew of the Republic,
which was the worst injured of the
vessels in the collision, might have
been able to leave the ill-starred ship
and made their way to land in life
boats. But the odds would have been
greatly against the accomplishment of
this, and wireless telegraphy made the
attempting of such a perilous feat un-
necessary. AS soon as the crash oc-
Cured, and the extent of the damage
was found to be most serious. the
wireless telegraph apparatus was
started to work and in an instant the
almost mysterious waves of communi-
cation were floating in every direction
all over the sea and towards the land
telling of the disaster and calling for
help. They were picked up by YES
sells at sea and by stations on land.
Rudders were shifted by boats that
were passing, though out of sight, and
before a great while had elapsed the
help that was needed was at hand.
1t is most reasonable to suppose
that had the collision occurred at a
much greater distance from land the
relief asked for by the stricken vessel
would have been forthcoming as
quickly. The oceans are great in
breadth and length, but the travel on
them is heavy. especially in the At
lantic. Ships, and many of them,
many more in fact than are commonly
supposed, are continually ploughing
their way hither and thither. A ship
can make a passage from America to
England without the sighting of an
other vessel, though this is unusual
in these days. but just beyond the
horizon there are vessels at hand, COM
ing and going. 1t is seldom nowadays
that a ship in midocean can not open
up communica ton with some other
ship through wireless telegraph at any
hour of the day or night. Ships are so
constructed today with water tight
compartments and other modern
feature that they can re-
main afloat for quite a continued
period, no matter how badly they are
injured as the result of a collision or
in any other way. With their wireless
means of communication they can cry
for help with a feeling of certainty
that it will come before it is too late.
This has been demonstrated conclu-
sively as a result of the accident to the
Republic, which was severe enough to
sink her ultimately. And it is a dem
onstration that should be hailed with |
cheers and fluctuations.