The White Pine news. [volume] (Ely, Nev.) 1906-1910, 1909-01-27
Great ThrOne Receives
Heroic Captain and
Wireless Operator of
the Republic at Pier.
CARRIED ON SHOULDERS OF
MANY MEN WHILE THRONG
STORY OF
RESCUE AND SINKING OF SHIP.

NEW YORK, Jan. 26.-Captain
selby, with the officers mess and the
crew of the wrecked steamer Repub-
lie was given a remarkable demon
stration today when they landed Mt
the pier of the White Star line from
the revenue cutter Gresham.
4 great throng was at the dock
when Captain Selby and the ship
wrecked crew stepped down the gang
plank. The captain was caught up
to the shoulders of u number OF men
and carried the whole length of the
dock amidst the blowing of trumpets
and the wild cheering of the great
crowd.
Burns, the brave wireless telegraph
operator of the Republic, was given
the same treatment. despite his pro-
test that the crowd cease its demon
strations.
The story of the sinking of the big
liner Republic, and the heroism of
Captain Selby in sticking to his YES
sci until it had sunk beneath him,
was told today by Lieutenant Scott,
executive officer of the revenue cut
ter Gresham.
Lieutenant Scott said thai when
the Gresham found the Republic
Sunday morning the passengers and
all the crew had been transferred to
the Baltic, except the second officer
and 35 men, who had volunteered 10
stay by their chief. Captain Selby.
The Gresham and a British passen-
ger steamer passed lines 10 the Re-
public to tow the injured vessel, but
she proved very unmanageable in the
northwest wind. Late in the after
noon the derelict destroyer Seneca
arrived and passed a line to the Re-
public. but by that time she was max
ing water Z o'clock the entire crew
were ordered by Captain Selby TO
abandon the ship. They easily over
took the Gresham and said they
could not persuade Captain Selby to
leave his vessel. and the second Of
ficer refused to leave the side of his
commander.
At O'Clock the bow of the Re
public. Illuminated by the rays of the
searchlights, was seen rising fast.
Five minutes later two blue lights
were burned. At $40 the Republics
bow shot up high in the air and she
sank in 3S fathoms of water in a
position | ) miles west southwest of
Nantucket south shoals lightship.
/, A lifeboat was dropped from the
side of the Gresham and a crew un-
der command of Gunner Carl John
son. started off. The boat returned
In. pfn of uri
both the captain and the second Of
ficer on board. They had been pick
ed up clinging to wreckage. Neither
had on life preservers.
When the Republic began to sink,
Captain Selby climbed the foremast
and reached the masthead light as
his boat went down. The second Of
ficer jumped from the rail to the sea
and said he fell some distance and
sustained slight bruises in striking
the surface of the water. Captain
Selby was unhurt.
The Republic was struck on the
port side a little more than two
thirds of the way aft. A large hole
was torn in her side. which was clear
ly visible, but, as sometimes happens.
in such cases, she had a big list TO
starboard.
Captain Selby stated that on the
deck of the Republic when she went
down, rested two caskets containing
the bodies of those passengers who
had been killed in the collision
According to the officers OF the
Gresham, Captain Selby and the men
of the Republic praised the conduct
of the Republics passengers during
the hours Immediately following the
accident when ii was known the yes
sci might go down at any time. While
! preparations We're being made TO
/ abandon the Republic one woman be-
4 guiled the time of waiting for the
boats by sitting down on the deck of
the Republic TO play solitaire. An
other passenger, a man. came up to
the first officer and. apologizing for
speaking to him on such AN occasion.
when he knew he was very busy.
said that his wife had been injured
and asked that she be taken in one
of the first boats. The man also was
injured. but made no mention of the
fact Captain Selby said that room
Continued on page two.)