Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1909-01-26


though less than a cable length away.
The boats would stand out under the
searchlight and then fade away into the
mist The Floride's boats had also been
put over the side, and it was a sort of
contest between the crews of the two
ships as to which would take over the
greatest number of people in the least
time. When it came to the turn of Cap
tain Sealby, the officers and men of the
Republic to abandon the ship, they re-
fused.
1--WE stayed aboard the Floride all day
Saturday, packed like sardines. At Z
o. clock word came that the Baltic would
take us off. Once more we had to go
through the experience of going from
the ship to the life boats. 1t was the
same thing as in the darkness of the
early morning, except that the sea was
running high instead of being quite still.
For more than eight hours the little
boats hurried from one ship to the other
until 1,6OO people had been taken over to
the Baltic.
Crew Stuck to Ship
"The crew of the Floride, following the
example set by the crew of the Republic
remained on board. as did one of our
passengers, Eugene Lynch, whose wife
two ships and who himself was too badly
injured to be removed.
I'VE are here now, and II is all over
and intend to sail on another ship next
week, but / hope that this is the only ex-
perience of the kind I will ever have"
Wireless Saved Lives
Wireless telegraphy only a few years
ago looked upon with skepticism so far
as practical results were concerned and
classed by the laymen as a weird some
thing whose benefits to humanity were
vague and cratic as shown by the i'm
portant part it played in the drama of
the Atlantic ocean on Saturday, that no
great vessel should leave port unequipped
with apparatus such as rendered invalu-
able service to the White Star liner Re-
public. With the 1850 passengers taken
safely from the Republic and the Lloyd
Italian liner Floride, which rammed her,
who have followed the details of the
wreck pause to think what might have
been had not the flashes from the strick-
en- instruments summoned other vessels
to her aid. Never before in the history
of maritime disaster has the wireless tele-
graph been demonstrated to better ad-
vantage, and it is predicted that steam
ship companies will not be slow to take
advantage of the object lesson with the
heretofore provided.
Some seamen there are who even go
so far as to say that had the Floride
been provided with wireless that the col
lision would never have happened. for
that, despite the fog, the vessels would
have been able to locate each other. This
is, however, a matter of conjecture which
will be threshed out when an official in
vestigation of the wreck is made.
Water Tight Bulk Heads
Men interested in ships and disasters
which befall them are also discussing the
water-tight bulkhead, brought out partic-
ularly prominent by the length of time
which the Republic remained afioat, not
withstanding that she was sorely crippled.
The steamer FlOride, which was in col
lision with the Republic, was sighted off
Ambrose channel lightship at al a. m,
bound in to New York.
CREW OF REPUBLIC
START FOR NEW YORK
MENEMSTIA Blight, Mass, Jan. g.
Captain Sealby and fifty members of the
n ~ -foy-v 70