Perth Amboy evening news., 1909-01-26
CHARGES ARE
BAD STEERING
Captain Of the Republic Ac-
cuses the FIorida--Wi
less Operator The Hero.

New York, Jan. 26.-Captain William
l. 6ealby Of the White Star liner Re
public declared today that all the
blame for the loss Of that vessel must
fall on the Italian Lloyd liner Florida,
which rammed the Republic off Nan
tuckef.
'@The Italian ship was ksdly steered," :"
said Captain Sealby. "Either the man
at the wheel or the captain must have
lost his head"
Captain Sealby gave the highest
praise for the women passengers on
the Republic, who, he said, had acted
like heroines. He spoke Of Jack Binns,
the Marconi wireless operator on the
Republic, who stood by his keys for
thirty-six hours after the collision, as
the hero Of the disaster.
italian Captain Won't Reply.
When Captain Rospini Of the Flori-
da was told of Captain Sealby's state
ment he declined to reply. He merely
said that he had heard the Republic g
whistles at intervals for some time on
tho morning of the disaster, but they
seemed quite far away. Suddenly the
big liner doomed up out of the fog and
the vessels came together with a
crash.
The Florida veered off and the Re
public was swallowed up again in the
mists. A cautious search for her was
then begun, and It was two hours, the
captain said, before the Florida again
located her partner in misfortune and
began the work Of rescue.
That there had been any trouble at
the steering Of the Florida was denied
by the Florida's purser, Marbila Gina
He said that the Quartermaster had
been thrown from his wheel by the
shock of the collision, sticking to his
post until the crash came. The purser
likewise denied that the wheel had
been thrown the wrong way as the
vessels were approaching each other.
Explorer Praises Women.
Harry Savage Landor, the African
explorer, a passenger on the Baltic,
was emphatic in his praise Of the
pluck and bravery Of the American
women aboard the Republic.
Never in my life," said the ex-
plorer, have I seen such splendid
nerve exhibited by human beings as
that displayed by the American woin-
en- after the terrible ordeal through
which the passengers Of the Republic
were forced to go.
Transferred from one sinking ship
TO another and finally to the decks of
the Baltic, they showed marYelous
fortitude and nerve. 1t was enough to
bring the tears to ones eyes. Imagine
those women, In wet night attire, with
hair hanging dishevelled and wet from
the ocean spray-not one complaining
or protesting. They had lost their be-
and their lives had been
thrice endangered, but they were ac-
tually CHEEKY. 1t was spirit that
us all.
Zone Of the noblest spirits Of that
noble band of shipwrecked humans
was the Countess Pasolini. an Ameri-
eau xiii, tue WIG VI al AtuAidh hSUiO
man. When she came aboard the ship,
wet and bedraggled, she went at once
to the steerage ana began to minister
to the unfortunate women of the
steerage. She forgot her own miseries
to lessen those Of others. 1t was
magnificent sight"
Asleep When Crash Came.
Mrs. Herbert L. Griggs, who had
narrow escape, said that she occupied
stateroom 80 next to the two rooms
occupied respectively by Mr. Mooney
and Mrs Lynch, who were killed.
Coming on near daylight" she said,
II had fallen into nap when there
was a terrific crash which sounded
like report Of cannon. All re-
member Of 1t was that l was covered
with debris.
Everything was in absolute dark
ness. was pinned down by wreckage
and could not move. I think lost
remember that
repeatedly on piece of wood
that lay over my head. Then / cried
out as loudly as could.
Continued on page A.