New-York tribune., 1909-01-25
SEARCH FOR REPUBLIC
LII LORR.4IN GOT NEWS
13O NILES AWAY.
UreICss Records of French Liner
add Thrilling Chapter to Story
of Collision.

With the arrival here at yesterday Of
the French liner La Lorraine the first news
came from a vessel that had been in constant
communication by wireless with the steamship
Republic. While CAPTAIN Edouard Tournier Of
La Lorraine and his officers did not catch a
glimpse of the Republic on account of the thick
fog nothing left undone by these Jnavi-
gators in their efforts to find the disabled vessel
captain Tournier. who had been on the bridge
for about thrty-six hours. told of his expert
ences. saying:
As soon received that first wireless mes
sage. giving the Republics position. at once
found my approximate position on the chart.
for ! had not seen the sun to get an observa-
tion since early on Friday morning and then
got a line of bearing for the steamer I'm dis
tress. I calculated my distance from the Re
public to be about one hundred and twenty
miles, and told her by wireless
We arrived at the point where the Republic
should have been by 12:45 O'Clock. The Baltic
arrived there at almost the same time. We
looked north south. east and west. receiving
and giving messages, and remained in the
vicinity six hours. but unable TO find the
Republic. Then. when We got the message that
all the passengers had been taken on board the
Florida We started after that ship
At $50 we heard four blasts from a whistle
We reduced TO slow speed and steered for the
signal We heard it two three times and
then lost il for good The Ambrose Channel
I.ightshp submarine bell was the next thing
we heard when II was about ten miles off. and
soon after that we got the pilot board and
came up the harbOr. l very glad to be in
and to know that the Republics passengers are
all safe"
STORY TOLD BY WIRELESS.
The wireless kilograms received by and sent
from La Lorraine tell story that is fraught
with human interest. showing not only the won
derfuI possibilities of the wireless system, but
a1so forming a chapter in the history OF this
disaster which illustrates the earnest endeavor
Of the French officers to help their comrades in
distress.
After going through nearly five days of the
toughest weather she experienced. and
after running at reduced speed for many hours
in a thick fog when about one hundred and
twenty miles east of Nantucket Ltghtship
Ernest Monrouzeau. one of the wireless opera
tors on board La Lorraine. received at a. m
on Saturday morning this message from the
shore station at SiascOnset,. &c Q d, which Is
the emergency code signal. meaning "All Ships
Danger"
To this the operator replied &C. the code for
Nonrouzeau received this message from the
shore station: Latitude 4017 north, longitude
20 west NJ X wrecked Wants assistance
The IN K" meant Republic.
Knowing that the Cunard liner Lucania was
some thirty miles astern, and fearing she might
be out of the shore wireless zone, Captain
Tournier directed his operator to relay the last
message to the Cunarder. This was done at
7Oj A. m Five minutes later this message was
flashed from the French steamer to Siasconset:
Your C Q D. message received o. K and cap
tain notified"
DASH THROUGH THE FOG
At 7:5O a m. Captain Tournier had this mes
sage sent to Siasconset: Please tell Republic
we are 120 miles off. Shall reach her at 2
D. m" Then at s:45 a m, the following mes
sage went through the fog from the French
liner to the disabled steamer: please tell us
if YOU are in fog and your exact position
It was just five minutes after the last mes
sage was sent that Jack" Binns. on the Re
public sent this back to La Lorraine: Posi-
tion, 4O17. lon 20 W. We in fog
At 1925 g. m. the operator on La Lorraine
heard the Republic send her position to the
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