Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1909-01-25

Whirled them around to the aid OF the
lsinking Republic.
1t also teckoned to the approaching
steamer I.lcania coming from the
eastw ard and made her speed up her
iengines; it reached out IL the little
rarbors on the New England coast
and told four revenue cutters and a
naval collier of the plight of the Re
public. Stout, water-tight compart-
merits prevented a repetition of the
| BOurgogre disaster of 10 years age
last July. and kept the Republic ahoat
| for more than ID hours. The water
tight compartment installation also
| kept the Florida, not only above the
water but enabled her engines to
" Ork and return to the assistance of
! the Republic after the fearful recofI
of the collision.
| The two slips met at $50 A. NJ. about
&c miles southwest of Nantucket light
| ship. The next three hours We're occu-
pied IN summoning aid and transfer
| ring the $50 passengers, $50 in the cab
| in and 221 in the steerage, from the
| Republic to the Florida. Captain Seal
| by and his officers and crew, however,
| refused to leave while there was the
| Friends of the passengers who had
| been early startled by the first reports
| that the Republic was sinking, were
| treasured by dispatch from Captain
Sealbs that all on board We're in no
| danger, and that there had been no
! loss of life. Later similar messages
were received on shore telling that all
tile passengers on the Republic had
| been transferred in safety to the Flor
| ida
| During the rest OF the day frequent
messages by the faithful wireless stat
| ed that the chances OF saving the Re
public We're hourly diminishing; that
| the Baltic. La Lorraine and Lucania
We're nearing the scene, and at P. NJ.
came word from the Baltic that she
was alongside the stricken vessel and
| ready TO render every assistance.
Ono by one the great water-tight
compartments On board the Republic
| filled as the bulkheads gave way under
the pressure and at o'clock Saturday
night all hands were ordered to aban-
dor shin, and the officers and crew
| went over the side into their boats.
An hour later Captain Sealby. hav-
ing sent his boats crew ahead of him,
came down eff the bridge and left the
| Republic, the last man over the side.
Captain Sealby resolutely refused to
leave the side of the vanishing Repub
lie while in the ofiing lay the Florida.
the Baltic and the Lucania, waiting
for the final plunge. 1t had been ascer-
tanned that the Florida was capable of
taking care Of the entire ships COM
pany of the Republic, Notwithstanding
the fact that she had on board, in adj
dition to her own crew of 200. nearly
900 Italians bound into New York. No
effort therefore was made to retrans-
fer The Republics passengers to the
r. main alongside and Convoy the Flor
ida into New York. which port it was
expected it would reach sometime Sun
day evening.
Throughout the long day the broad
expanse of the North Atlantic, which
for weeks had been swept by the
fercest storms was as calm and peace
full as in summer time.
The fog held dense for n greater portion
of those fateful hours. during which the
passengers We're transferred and the crew
waited for the last plunge of the ship.
been nearly thrown out of their berths
by the force of the collision and who had
rushed to the decks as the gongs changed
tout the signal to close the compartment
doors. only to be treasured by the Off
GERS, was made under unusually favor
able conditions. No one took anything
in the shape of luggage in those trips IN
the life boats, but everyone seemed
- no Nov In
was gained.
In the meantime the wireless operator
in the Republic, in spite of the ever
pressing doom of his ship, was shedding
wireless rays asking for aid and telling
hour by hour of the thrilling scenes that
were being enacted. He heard his fellow
operators on board the La Lorraine.
Baltic and Lucana speaking words of
encouragement and telling him of the
Fastening assistance of those vessels: Of
the revenue cutters Gresham and Seneca
running at full speed from the New Eng
land coast and assuring him that there
would be plenty of aid around the Re-
public in few hours But the fog ham,
pered considerably the oncomins vessels.
and although the Baltic reached the vi
cinity of the Republic about P. NJ. it
took her four hours definitely to locate
the sinking ship. In the meantime the
Republics wireless storage batteries had
become exhausted and signals were sent
by means of the submarine bells The
Baltic hove to half mile from the Re
public shortly after dark tonight and
then. drawing UP a little closer. got
within megaphoning distance of both the
Republic and the Florida The Lucania
was not far off and La Lorraine was in
easy calling distance. The other Marconi
operators allowed the Baltic full sweep
for its messages and the company's Of
five in New York was constantly kept in
formed of the situation.
All day the shore station of the Mar
conf system at Siasconset was flooded
with messages for the passengers on
board the Republic, but because of the
fact that everyone had been transferred
to the Florida. which was not equipped
with the wireless, none of them could be
delivered.
While the accident lacked the fearful
fatality of La Bourgogne, it resembled
in many respects the sinking of the Gu
harder Oregon. which occurred 20 years
ago less than 100 miles further to the