Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1909-01-30
SUCCESS OF L-rnor = :
USED ON REPUBLIC
STARTLES SCIENCE
Vessels of the Future TO Be Equipped
with Wonderful Invention Which
SlgnaIed Sinking of Big
Liner

NEW YORK, Jan. 29.-The effective
wor-. Of Marconi, Gray and Mum
dy's submarine bell and wireless
warning inventions, which more than
proved their marvellous features when
put to a first real test in the collision
between the palatial liner Republic and
the steamship Florida, off Nantucket
last week, has become the sole topic of
scientists throughout the world, but es-
pecially in New York, where many
shipping and electrical interests are
closely watching the work of the great
inventor.
Marconi realizes the dream of his life
has come true. But greater than this
is the sudden realization that has come
to the great transatlantic steamship in
terests-the realization that wireless
telegraphy will be a dominant factor in
the future activities of the sea.
The submarine bell and wireless tel
egraphy equipments of the $1,50O, 900
steamship Republic undoubtedly saved
the lives of hundreds of it's passengers.
The test of the innovation would
have been as successful if twenty in
stead of two ships were involved, and
this unquestiOnable success of the in
ventiOn means that it must become a
permanent part of future ocean traffic.
Science robbed the sea of an army of
been one of the most appalling ocean
disasters in history when the wireless
telegraph and the submarine bell SyS-
tenn brought prompt aid to the White
Star liner Republic and the Florida af-
ter that collision off Nantucket.
In a few seconds after the Florida
crashed into the Republic in the thick
fog fully twenty steamships, revenue
cutters and signal stations caught the
Republics wireless distress signal
flashed in the code letters &C. d. O."
The Lorraine and the Baltic also
caught the helpless steamers subma-
rine bell signals. Flashing the reply
that they were coming to the aid of
the Republic and the Florida, the two
big liners began steering for the scene
of the disaster, using the submarine
bells as a means of ascertaining the
direction of the i'll fated Ships
Meanwhile several revenue cutters
having received the wireless signal
hastened to the aid of the Republic and
transferred her passengers to the Flor
ida.
A. ]. Mundy conceived the idea of the
submarine bell, but died before the in
vention was complete. Prof Elisha
Gray developed it. The effective work
of the wireless and the submarine bells
in the Republic disaster must immor-
talize the names of Marconi, Mundy
and Gray.
Besides this fact, there were real
heroes developed in that collision. Few
men have shown truer bravery or dis
played more GOODNESS in a sea disaster
than did Captain Sealby of the Repub-
lie when his ship was sinking after the
collision. He caused the distress signal
to be flashed by wireless to all vessels
in the neighborhood, giving them his
exact bearings, and then coolly set
about transferring the 460 passengers
to the crippled Florida, which stood by.
Captain Sealby stuck to his ship until
the last minute and was rescued last of
all by the crew of the revenue cutter
Gresham. Captain Ransom of the Bal
tic went to the Republics aid and took
the passengers of both ships to New
York.