Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-01-26

Rev. John w. Norris, rector Of st
| Mary's Catholic Church at Deal. n. j.
had a remarkable struggle on board thu
Republic to reach the staterooms of Mrs
Eugene Lynch of Boston and w. ]
Mooney of Langdon, N. D., where he ad
ministered the last rites of the church
to them before they died
"a steward came up and told an office
several passengers were apparently bad
ly injured in their staterooms,'' he tells
II started for these staterooms wher'
the crash had occurred. Just then tn,
| lights went out. l had to feel my way
and soon I had to fight against tn,
stream of passengers in the corridor.
when l got near the rent in the YES
sci could hear the water gushing in
| 1t was necessary to use much strength
in removing splintered woodwork ant
other obstacles. but l reached Mrs. Lynch
before she died and ministered to her
She seemed to be conscious.
In getting into the adjoining state
room had to swing myself across
! chasm which had been made in the sid,
OF the vessel, as though a pie-cut has
been taken from it. In doing SO tn,
cold sea water caught my legs and near
| ~ carried me away. but held on, ant
/
self into what had been a part of Mr.
! Moneys stateroom
II was compelled to hold myself will
one hand while l pried out a bunk which
had been crushed against the wall. Ther'
/ l found Mr. Mooney in a friShtful con
dition. He was almost dead. Both h,
| and Mrs. Lynch were dead before l lef
| them. When 1 had concluded my re-
| ligious errand l had just as thrilling al
experience In regaining the deck.
| A man to whom his wife chung was
thrust back as they sought to descend
| to boat on the transfer of passengers
| to the Florida.
Never will I leave him. she shrieked
| Never have left him! He is blind!''
| The operation of the unwritten law
was suspended.
Children arose equal to the emergency
Mrs. Walcott, wife Of Prof Walcott OF
Chlcago. with her arm around her SON
was taking him in the line descending to
the tossing waiting boats.
Ill stick to pop" cried the boy. four
teen years old. I'll stick to pop and 20
| with the men!" And he wrenched him
| sel1 from his mothers anguished grasp
Mrs. Alice Morse Earl, a well known
author, had the most thrilling expert
ence among the hundreds of passengers
TRANSFERRED from the Florida to the Bal
tic. She said:
"A sailor grasped my arm, and at the
critical moment ordered me to jump: /
knew 1t was not the right instant, but
obeyed orders. and the next thing l
knew l was struggling in the water l
again, but l was powerless. Then l
felt the boat hook thrust against my
back, and the next thing I knew the
sailors hands were entangled in my
hair. l never lost consciousness. and
when az were out Of the boat got up
and made my way. this time safely, to
the Baltic's deck"
There were heroes who do not shine
who were hidden in the ships depths
The fourth engineer of the Republic,
while torrent was descending through
the ships rent in the engine room, pre-
vented certain explosion of the boilers
by opening their main feed checks The
tight bulkheads and closed them in an
instant after the collision. else the
Steamer would have sunk almost imme-
diately.
American women rescued came aboard
the Baltic nearly every one with a smile,
in odd contrast to the scared and care
worn visages Of the Italian women. The
first exclamation Of one girl on setting
foot on deck was:
''Tell us, will you, where to get bar
ber''
She and the girls with her had had
their hair sopping wet and much disar-
ranged by reason of spashes from the
sea and wind.
THE American women are magnificent
in their courage" cried Henry Savage
Lander. the Englishman who has Travelled
much and studied many peoples, who
was the first European to meet the Grand
Lama in Thibet's capital.
One thing that particularly impressed
was the demeanOr of the rescued women,
those of them who had husbands and
fathers and brothers, as they waited,
after themselves being brought aboard the
Baltic. the arrival of their loved ones.
1t was a sight that brought tears to the
eyes of many.
A case that excited general pity was
that Of Samuel Cupples. Cupples is a
St. Louis millionaire. He is seventy years
old. and was in a weak condition. 1t was
far beyond him to get himself up the COM
panion ladder. !.
His daughter. Mrs. William Scudder,
who also lives in st. Louis. had preceded
him to the deck of the Baltic It was nee
essary that chair be passed down the
ladder by the long relay Of men that lined
that very narrow passage.
The old man was lifted up with great
care from the lifeboat and placed in the
chair. Again the chair was relayed along
the lengthy line, this time to the deck. 1t
was an extremely difficult task.
Cupples was found on the deck of the
surrounding him. while he led them in
prayer.
Mrs. A. NJ Miller of. Duluth, MIMI, a
Republic passenger, said:
Il have read sea stories, and have read,
time and again of the command, To the
boats-women first But let me tell you.
knew what 1t meant last Saturday morn
ing for the first time. Out of the fog-h:d-
den night it came: l could not trace the
speaker at first. as we all huddled on the
deck. Out of the dark it came. straight
and true, and strong, and with all the
chivalry of man at his highest behind it.
Women and children will enter the boat
first I think more of bravery now that
l know what it means: think more Of
manhood. ] am glad I heard that COM
mand. as Capt. Sealby hurled 1t at us
through his megaphone."
"It was to have been my first trip
abroad" said William White Of St. Paul,
land as I never had much Of liking
for the ocean. 1 don't think l will again
attempt to cross.
My wife and daughter have Travelled
to Europe for, twelve years and never met
with an accident. / had demurred against
going but at length consented and in
tended to meet them in Rome.
I'm the two days was aboard the Re-
public I have had more experience than
my wife and daughter have had In all
their travels. 1t was terrifying expe-
rience. of which nothing but a confused
blur of events now remains" B..