New-York tribune., 1909-01-25

a,
way wss still CAIN enough not to .mpede seri-
ously the work Of rescue. Trip after trlp "as
mace between the vessels each boat carrying
off about ten passengers at 6 time The ma
1oratv Of the passengers Of the Republic were
-ro,oe, taking advantage OF the winter rates
,a- rr-,ise % the Mediterranean. The feluc-
-s,o. of some of them 10 climb over a snip
side for second time and into the tossing sHaii
boats added greatly 20 the difficulty o. rescue
rs,.ze trouble was had with the steerage pas
seneers-Portuguese and Italians The master
~ q boat carrying that class lines UP the IleH
O.. eoor1 as they are clear of port and connscaues
~ tb4 knives and revolvers found on poaro-
Tn. s,eerase passengers then have little oppor-
+y,f,y q, getting the upper hand IN emergencies
while the passengers were being taken OF the
@s,e-s all stood bv the side. armed and ready to
email arv outbreak that might result. The way
IN uficb the officers and men had acted al the
great crisis OF the day before apparently had Its
moral effect on the steerage passengers, for good
order was kept and the turbulent and fright
ened crowd gave little real trouble
THE NEW YORK COMES TO AID
While the transshipment was being made the
American Line steamship New York came along
She had been searching for the disabled vessel.
and at once signalled her offer/of aid Like
the Baltic, she had had her boat covers on and
everything ready fer the work OF rescue SHOULD
that task be imposed upon her. When sne hao
closed up on the Baltic and the Florida she put
her boats over but the work wes proceeding so
smoothly that her offer Of assistance was de-
ciined.
When all the passengers Of the two vessels
Including the crew of the Republic, had been
fsken on hoard the big Baltic she sent a wire
less message 10 the offices Of the White star
Line SAYING that she would reach Ambrose
Channel by IL O'Clock Sunday night She failed
however. to do this, but II is expected that she
will dock with the shipwrecked passengers ABOUT
8 o'clock this morning. She also brings the IN
su-ed and the bodies of the dead. The Baltic
had stood by the Republic for some time before
vhe began to convoy the Florida to port
The first message from Captain Ransom OF
the Baltic: received yesterday morning, read;
Baltic standing by Republic. Republic in good
towing condition Lucania has left and is now
On way to New York"
Before departfrag with her triple load OF human
freight the Baltic had been In communication
with the Lucania- OF the Cunsrd Line; with the
E,,r-,essfs OF the Anchor Line which agreed 10
stand by the Republic until the arrival OF power
ful tugs which had been dispatched. and with
the New York Of the American Line, which
made arrangements TO tow the Florida into this
port.
coul6 be towed the captain and crew of the
latter were placed aboard again The Baltic
headed for New York about noon. Some delay
was caused N the departure Of the Baltic from
the side Of the Republic by the drifting Of the
latter during the night. Influenced by the cur
rent OF the Gulf Stream and carried along by
light wind. the half sunken beat had travelled
distance of some sixteen miles.
THE REPUBLIC GOES DOWN
After the departure of the Baltic the large
revenue cutters Gresham and Seneca. which
had arrived at the scene in the mean time. af-
, fixed hawsers TO the Republic and started on
: long tow to New York. The steamer dragged
heavily and the speed was very slow. About
eighty miles had been completed when the Re
public began to settle. and finally she went
down
The Florida proceeded under her own steam
at about seven or eight knot gait The New
York which offered TO convoy her, was told 10
proceed at her own convenience. the Florida
DID not require her aid. The New York will
dock this morning.
The belief among mariners yesterday was
that the Republic was struck on the port side
by the Florida while the latter was hunting for
the thirty fathom curve line and making
soundings TO find her exact position
LANES FOLLOWED BY STEAMERS
Easigators, after the position of the accident
twenty-six miles south-southwest OF Nantucket
ightship and the nature of the Republics in
iu-ies had been given them, get out charts Of
Nantucket Shoals and pointed out the so-called
steamer lanes used by transatlantic steamers by
agreement Of the companies. The eastbound
steamer lane, of Nantucket lightship, is about
thirty miles south OF the westbound and in
bound steamers to New York on the westward
lane turn. the lishtstip close aboard
II Is customary for inbound steamers from
European parts approaching the coast and Nam
tucket Shoals in thick weather 20 hunt for the
thirty fatnom curve which sweeps down forty
miles from Nantucket Island. and just outside
of which Is anchored the Nantucket South Shoal
LiEhtship. Vessels falling to pick up the light
ship in the fog keep on sounding until they
strike this thirty fathom curve. If the charac-
Ter OF The bottom is sand at thirty fathoms. il
vas explained, il shows that the vessel is to
the eastward and north of the Hghtship and
vessels are Immediately headed to the west
along this thirty fat1om curve To the west
ward Of the lightship there is mud button, and
this siso gives pretty definite position for ves-
sels trying TO get their bearings
Mariners here were of the opinion that the
Florida in her long voyage the Atlantic,
had eered of further to the south than her cap
tain thought. and that failing to find the
Nantucket Lightship, he had run in for sound
ines on this thirty fathom curve, when she
struck the Republic, which was on her regular
course.