Omaha daily bee., 1909-01-27
OVATION FOR SEALBY and MEN
Captain of Wrecked Republic Carried
from Gangplank by Crowds.
TELLS OF THRILLING ESCAPE
with First Mate He IL Taken from
the sinking ship After water
Had Reached Upper
Rigging.

NEW YORK, Jan. 26.-Captain Sealby
and his officers and most OF the crew Of
the wrecked steamer Republic were given
a remarkable demonstration today when
they landed at the pier Of the White Star
line from the revenue cutter Manhattan.
which transferred them from the revenue
cutter Seneca.
great throng of officers and seamen of
the steamships of the White Star line In
dock together with 3c0 or 400 spectators were
on the dock when Captain Sealby and his
shpwrecked crew stepped down the gang
plank. Officers and seamen alike made a
rush for CAPTAIN Sealby and lifted him to
their shoulders. carrying him the whole
length OF the dock TO the street while the
crowd yelled itself hoarse and stewards
on the steamships blew trumpets. Behind
the captain the crowd carried aloft the
brave Binns the wireless telegraph opera
tor. Captain Sealby was carried from the
street to the office OF the steamship com
pany on the second floor OF the pier,
where only on his earnest protest would
the crowd cease its demonstration.
Few marine stories in recent years of
marvellous escapes from the equal in
dramatic intensity the narrative that Cap
tain Sealby told today OF the escape OF
Second officer Williams and himself from
the Republic The captain would not talk
Of the collision with the steamer Floride.
Captain sealby said;
Captain seaIby's Thrilling story.
ut was about o'clock Sunday night
when the Republic was sinking and only
myself and williams were on the bridge.
There was a rumbling and cracking In the
after-end OF the boat. The stem was set
| tling very rapidly and the was pretty
| bad Then I said to Williams. Well what
| do you think about IL Williams? and
| Williams answered, I don't think II will
be long race. Let us sprint for It. When
you are ready let her go.' l looked aft
again and saw how fast she was goink
and I told Williams to burn blue lights
Then I fired my revolver five times to let
| the boats around me know that we were
going off. Turning to Williams. said. Lei
us take to the forward rigging and we
ran from the bridge to the saloon deck
| burning our blue lights as we went and
| carrying an ordinary lantern.
| when we got to the saloon decks the
water was coming In little aft of where
we stood. AS we ran forward the sterr
was sinking so rapidly that the Incline was
so steep that when we got to the fore rig.
ging we started to slip back and could
hardly keep on deck. The last / saw OF
Williams he had crossed the port rail anc
was hanging over the side. took to tht
rigging and went up as high as the mast
head lights distance OF many feet.
rested there and took out blue light Il
was wet and would not go off and | ther
fired the last shot from my revolver. The
water was now up to me, coming up undei
my great coat and floated. The revolver
and my blnocular held my coat down. act
ing as a sort of ballast. At this time tht
water was roaring. seethng mass al
about me- was caught in a whirlpool fol
some time and was churned around until
came to the surface. tried to pull Of
my coat. but could not. There was consid
erable debris about me and / managed Il
catch hold of some broken spars. Then
caught a large hatch covering and I pulled
myself out on 1t and lay on 1t spread-eagl,
fashion.
Fires Last shot.
"rhe searchlights had been playing OF
the ship and we're now playing on the spo
where 1t went down. 1t seemed an indie
terminable time until they did see me. bu
managed TO load my revolver again an,
fired it TO attract their attention. Tn
bullets had been creased and they kept dry
II was getting weak. cold and numb.
just lay on the hatch and saved my strength
until the last, shouting at intervals. Thei
when the lightship played on me / waved
towel which had found floating near me
and shortly after the boats from the reve
nue. cutter Gresham picked me up and car
ried me aboard. ] found Williams In tina
little lifeboat thought / had seen IN
last OF him."
Captain sealby praised in unmeasure
terms the courage and pluck OF the Re
pubfic's passengers. officers and crew, an