The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1909-01-29
PUTS BLAME ON
MAN AT WHEEL
Report Florida's Quarter
master Lost Head.
STRUCK DOWN BY CAPTAIN

One Version of What Occurred at the
Time Republic Was Rammed Is
That at Moment of Danger Seaman
Instead of Obeying Shippers Order
to Change Ships Direction Dropped
to Bridge Helpless From Fright.
Baltic Greeted With screech of
Sirens.
Less than seventy-two hours after
the crash between the ocean liners Re-
public and Florida off the Nantucket
Shoals, which eventually sent the one
to the bottom and reduced the other
to state of helplessness, the survi-
vors of the deep sea tragedy found
haven.
The 1850 passengers from the two
vessels taken to New York by the Bal
tic, and the rescued officers and crew
of the Republic landed at the same
port by the derelict destroyer Seneca
are thanking their lucky stars they
are on solid earth and living to tell
their thrilling stories.
The Republic lies in what will
doubtless prove her final resting place
beneath thirty-eight fathoms of water.
fifteen miles south of the Nantucket
south shoals lightship.
Sirens Screech Welcome.
No argosy of the olden days bring
ing golden treasure home was ever
more heartily welcomed than the Bal
~ ohn
ands at the pier when she locked
greeted her arrival, tears of gratitude
were shed, affectionate greetings were
exchanged and only here and there did
Il note of sadness intrude itself upon
the scene.
Following the Baltic up the harbor
was the Florida battered almost to the
sinking point herself by the force of
the blow she dealt the Republic and
hearing the bodies of her own three
dead and injured members of her
crew.
Attention has been turned to endeav-
Ors to learn definitely how the two big
ocean travellers had come to crash into
each other. On the Republics side
little was to be learned. Her passen-
gers told graphic tales of the crush. of
the excitement on board, of the BRAY
cry of the officers, the good behavior
of the crew and of the efficient work
of rescue.
There are two versions of what hap
pened on the bridge of the Florida.
Little could be learned from Captain
Rospinl.
FeIIed With Captains Spike.
According to others, something went
wrong with the Florida's steering
wheel when the collision was immi
nent. One story had it that quarter
master had the wheel when the COM
mander yelled for it to be damned to
starboard. He put it to port instead
and the liners crashed into each other
Another version is that the man
dropped his wheel altogether and in
fright fell helpless heap upon the
Florida's bridge.
Both versions agree in saying that
the commander felled the quartermas,
ter with an iron spike following what
he must have considered the seaman's
recreancy.
An injured quartermaster from the
Florida was brought to port on the
Baltic. He stoutly asserted that he
was not at the wheel when the acct
den occurred.
Captain Sealby's Loyalty. 80:
Standing out prominently is the
conduct of Captain Sealby of the Re-
,OI1hIic uh0> frIo to fbo hoct Traditions
of the sea, kept his ship beneath him
as long as there was, enough of it
above water to afford him a perch.
When the ships crashed six persons
We're killed and two injured.
The dead are: Mrs. e. Lynch, Bos-
ton, on Republic; w. J. Mooney, bank
er, Langdon, N. D., on Republic; four
members of Florida crew The in
iured: E. Lynch, Boston; Mrs. Muir