The Detroit times., 1909-01-26
REPUBLICS 'SIGNAL
WAS NOT HEARD
DISTINCTLY
CAPT. RusPINI, or sTEAMsHiP
FLORIDA. SAYS WIND INTER
FEREo WITH WARNING WITS
TLE-HELP GIVEN At ONCE.

NEW YORK. Jan. 26.-with two Of
her dead still crushed beneath the
twisted steel and timber. the Italian
liner Florida which sent the Repub-
lie, OF the White Star line. TO the bot
tom, today was moored at her pier at
the foot of Forty-second-st.. South
| Brooklyn while dozens OF men work
ed 10 get at the bodies wedged In the
broken prov.
Eugene Lynch, the Boston merch-
ant whose wife was killed In the col
lision and who received terrible In
juries himself, died In the Long Island
| College hospital at o'clock this morn
ing.
| The Baltic, the sister ship OF the
sunken liner had arrived In port earl
Ter with the 1924 survivors OF the
latest tragedy OF the sea. while the
United States derelict destroyer Sen
eca. with Capt. John Isaac Sealby.
his second officer. Richard Williams.
and 40 OF the crew who had remained
with the captain on the Republic,
dropped anchor off Staten island.
Capt. Angelo NJ Ruspini. of the Flor
Ida, who is only twenty-nine years
old, the youngest commander OF an
ocean liner to undergo SO thrilling an
experience, today told the story or
the wreck that differs somewhat from
that told by wireless from the White
Star steamships. Capt. Ruspinfs
story follows:
BY CAPT. ANGELO M. RuSPiNI.
We were bound from Naples for
New York with passenger list OF Ia
first-class and S24 third class. My
crew numbered SO men. The Florida.
built in 1905. at Riva Trigosa, near
Genoa, is of $500 tons burden. has
1000 horsepower and speed OF 10
knots.
At the time OF the collision with
the Republic | was standing on the
bridge with my first officer, Amiellc
Garguile. II was then 5:45 o'clock
Saturday morning. Jan. %. The
weather was very thick. We had en-
countered heavy fog banks several
hours previous, and because OF the
fog we were running at quarter speed.
We were on our correct course, max
ing for this port.
We have no wireless outfit on the
Florida. but We were blowing our fog
whistle at regular intervals. Suddenly
III thought | heard whistling to the
starboard. | asked Lieut. Garguile TX
he had heard the fog signals. and he
told me that he had. l gave orders
To sound the fog whistle I'm sharp and
repeated blasts to warn OF the other
vessel that | knew must be In close
proximity.
| was keenly alive to the situation.
but the wind was blowing In such q
way that the whistling from the other
vessel could not be heard clearly
enough TO warn us how near II was.
Lookouts Shout Warning.
Suddenly out OF the dense fog, TO
my horror | saw the huge mass of u
mighty steamship loom forth. The
vessel was crossing our bows from
starboard TO port. and as she appear
ed in the gloom | heard my lookouts
shout their warning, ship aheado'
Instantly | shouted To my steers
man 10 jam his helm hard aport. but
liz was too late. Before the vessel
ahead had passed half her length
across my bow the keen steel prov
OF the Florida crashed into the port
side OF the ship that later proved TO
be the Republic.
There was kissing OF steam.
mingled with the crash of steel The
PROV OF my vessel was literally show
ed back into the forward section OF
the other ship.
Immediately | ordered my engineer
TO reverse. and believe that within
less than five minutes time We had
backed away from the wounded
steamship. Orders were at once CIV
en- to get In communication with her
by means OF blasts from our fog
whistle
My first duty was to see what In
jury had been inflicted on my own
ship. a haSty investigation showed
that the first bulkhead. which extend
cd 80 feet back from the prov. had
been destroyed and that the water
had rushed In as far as the second
bulkhead. 30 feet farther aft, which
stood firm. The other seven water
tight compartments were intact and
SO the Florida was In no danger or
sinking.
Three Were Killed.
But We had not escaped unscathed.
In the forecastle slept some 35 men.
OF this number three poor fellows met
death. crushed by the terrific impact
and probably instantly killed The re-
mains of two OF them are still In the
wreck OF the forward part of my ves-
sell Two boys were also caught In
the wreckage. but were extricated.
Seeingn that my own ship was COM
paratively safe. / backed away TO a
reasonable distance and then lay 10.
waiting TO render assistance. The
fog whistle OF the other steamer kept
blowing distress signals. and re-
sponded In kind in order that my To-
cation might be determined. Life
boats were manned and waited ihe
signal 70 be- lowered from the dayits.
Within 30 minutes from the crash a
lifeboat came out or the gloom where
!, We Law to and the first officer OF the
Republic boarded Us. stated that his
ship was sinking and asked immediate
, assistance lie said THAI there was no
immediate danger OF the Republic 30
ing down. but that Capt. Sealby asked
that / take his passengers aboard my
ship NJ once told the officer that
my vessel was At the disposal OF he
captain OF the Republic.
Comment unnecessary when ~ can
be seen on every hand that Stroh's
beer IL the universal favorite. Phone