The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1909-01-26
Arrived There day on the
Boat Seneca
BLAME IS NOT YET CERTAIN
Details Now at Hand Regarding the
Terrible Collision at Sea on satur-
day--The Stories Of the
Passengers

&oooNhkcA&
New York, Jan. 26.--The revenue cut
ter Manhattan, having aboard Capt. John
/. Sealby, Second Officer Richard Will
liams and forty Of the crew who Were
taken from the steamer Republic just
before she sank Sunday night, arrived at
the White Star Lines pier at eight
o'clock this morning. The Florida, which
gave the death blow to the Republic, lies
badly damaged at her pier at South
Brooklyn, where q large force of men
will attempt the removal of the dead
bodies of two sailors, which are in the
shattered PROV. BY last night the pas
Florida had been landed from the Baltic,
which picked them up at the scene OF
the collision
Captain Sealby Of the Republic and
Jack Binns, the wireless operator who
only knew to "stick on his job were
carried ashore to-day on the shoulders
of the crews Of the Republic and the
Baltic. A great crowd at the pier
cheered both wildly, and buglers called
welcomes, ships in the harbor shrieked
sounds and bells clamored. At the Of
fees Of the White Star, Capt. Sealby
refused to place any responsibility, and
declined to express what chance there
was to have avoided disaster if the
Florida had been differently handled.
With the important work of rescue
thus practically finished, attention turns
to the question Of how the two big ocean
travellers had come to collide and whether
their fateful meeting was as unavoidable
as at first appeared On the Republics
side, little was TO be learned. Her pas
sengers told graphic tales Of the crash,
Of the excitement on board, OF the brav.
cry Of the officers, the good behavior Of
the crew and the efficient work Of res
cue.
Little could be learned either from
Capt. Rospini Of the Florida but accord
ing to others who had been on board the
Florida and were brought into port by
the Baltic, something went wrong with
the FIorida's steering gear when the
collision was imminent. One story had
1t that quarternaster had the wheel
when the commander yelled for it to-
be iammed to starboard, he put 1t to
port instead, and the liners crashed into
each other
Another story Is that the man dropped
his wheel In panic when danger Inn
pended. Both versions agree in saying
that the commander felIed the quarter.
master with an iron spike following
what he must have considered the sea-
mans recreancy. An injured quarter
master from the Florida was brought
to port on the Baltic yesterday. He
stoutly asserted that he was not at the
! wheel when the accident occurred.
Probably not until both commanders
have made their formal statements will
the actual facts be known. Possibly
the verdict Of marine court will be
necessary to determine them.
Standing out prominently. on the other
hand, is the conduct of Capt. Sealby Of
the Republic, who true to the best tradi-
tons Of the sea, kept hts ship beneath
him as long as there was enough of her
afioat to afford him foothold. Ana
practically all accounts agree that, aside
from the starting Of an incipient panic
among the steerage passengers on the
Florida, both ships forces and passen-
gers kept their heads well in the midst
Of most trying conditions
Trouble on Florida Denied
When the Florida, in from her fate
ful experience, passed up the harbor
late yesterday she looked every bit the
part Of the ocean battering ram she
Ind played. Flying the signal, snot
under control she was guided up the
bay by two tugs. Her bows were crum-
pied up from the impact with the Re-
public, the plates and beams being
buckled and twisted for distance of
fully 80 feet. Caught on the Jagged
iron braces and angle irons was can.
vas covering to keep out as much water
as possible from her forward compart-
ment. With her fore peak full of water
her burdened bow dipped low while the
stern showed high above the surface.
Slowly and with difficulty she was
finally warped into her pier in Brook
bn.
That there had been any trouble at
the wheel OF the Florida was denied
by the Florida's purser, MarbiIa Gina.
When asked about the reports of the
hellnsman's delinquency he said that
the quartermastcr was thrown from
tho wheel by the shock of the collision
but stood to his post until the crash
came. The purser likewise denied that
the wheel was turned the wrong wav
as the vessels were approaching each
other, or that the captain struck down
the steersman.
Captain Rospini talked but briefly.
He said that he preferred to await a /
statement by the Republics command
er before making his. He said. how
ever, that he heard the Republics
whistles at intervals for some time
on the morning of the disaster. but
they seemed quite far away Sudden
" the big liner came out of the fog
and the vessels came together. The
Florida veered off and the Republic
was swallowed up again in the mist.
4 cautious search for her was then be.
gun and it was two hours, the captain
said before the Florida again found her
partner in misfortune and began the
work of rescue which resulted 50 for
fslnately.
A Story BY a Passenger.
Picced out into a continuous story an
account Of fhe collision, as related fo