The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1909-02-03
SAFE IN PORT
Steamss Into New York Almost
in Sinking Condition.
BALTIC CONES FIRST

Passengers OF Wrecked Republi
Graphically Describes Tragedy
The Frenzied Cheers of Thous
ands, Gathered at Water Front
New York, Jan. 25.-Less thar
seventy-two hours after the crash be
tween the ocean liners Republic ant
Florida, of the Nantucket Shoals
which eventually sent one to the
bottom and reduced the other to {
state Of staggering helplessness, the
survivors Of this thrilling deep sea
tragedy have found a haven at last
At nightfall 1850 passengers from
the two vessels were safe in this
| port, brought here by the Baltic
while nearing it were the rescued
officers and crew of the Republic
safe on board the derelict destroyer
Seneca, to which they were trans
ferred from the revenue cutter Gres-
ham, after staying up to the last mo-
ment by their sinking vessel.
At ler dock in Brooklyn was the
battered Florida, about which her
crew had remained throughout her
trying experiences.
Only the ill-fated Republic was
waiting to complete the list. She
lies beneath % fathoms of water,
fifteen miles south of Nantucket
South Shoals light ship.
Frenzied cheers from the thous-
ands at the pier when she docked
greeted the arrival Of the Baltic,
tears of thankfulness were shed, af-
feet. .0tnate greetings were exchanged
and only here and there did note
Of sadness appear upon the scene.
Following the Baltic up the har-
Dor was the liner Florida, battered
almost to the sinking point herself
by the force Of the blow she dealt
the Republic, and bearing the bodies
of her own three dead and the in
jured members of her crew.
The Republics passengers told
graphic details Of the crash, of the
excitement on board, Of the bravery
of the officers, the good behavior Of
the crew and the efficient work Of
rescue.
From some, who had been on
| board the Florida, and were brought
| into port by the Baltic it was learned
that something went wrong with tine
r.lorida's steering wheel when the
| collision was imminent. One story
| had it that quartermaster had the
wheel when the commander yelled
!or it to be jammed to starboard
He put it to port instead, and the
liners crashed into each other.
Another version of the story is
that the man dropped his wheel ir
a panic when danger impended
Both versions agree in saying that
the commander felled the quarter
master with an iron spike following
what he must have considered the
seaman's recreancy. An injured
Guartermaster from the Florida was
brought to port on the Baltic today.
He stoutly asserted that he was not
at the wheel when the accident oc-
| Cured.
Capt. Sealby, of the Republic, true
4
to the best tradition of the sea,
kept his ship beneath him as long
as there was enough of her afoat
to afford him a foothold. And prac-
tically all accounts agree that, aside
from the starting of an incident pan
ic among the steerage passengers on
the Florida, both ships forces ana
passengers Kept their heads well in
the midst Of most trying conditions.
When the Florida, in from her
fateful experience, passed up the
harbor today she looked every Bit
the ps-ft CT the ocean battering ram
she had played. Flying the signal.
Not under control" she was guided
up the bay by two tugs. Her bows
were crumpled up from the impact
with the Republic, the plates ans
beams being buckled and twisted for
q distance of fully thirty feet.
Caught on the jagged iron braces
and angle irons was a canvas COW
ering to keep out as much water as
possible from her forward compart-
ments, with her forepeak full of wa
ter, her burdened bow dipped low
while the stern showed high above
the surface. When the Florida
reached her dock it was learned that
it was three, and not four, Of her
crew who had been killed when the
steamers collided.
They were sleping in their fore,
castle quarters and net instant
death, two of them being badly
mangled and so tangled in the
wreckage that it was not until after
the steamer got her berth tonight
that their bodies could be eNtricated
The men killed were Paquale Laval
10, Caterogo Martuscelli and SalTa
tore D'Abico. Three others were Sc
verely injured.
Capt. Rospini stated that he hat
heard the Republics whistle at in
. I tervals for some time on the morning
of the disaster, but they seemed
quite far away. Suddenly the BIZ
liner doomed up out of the fog AM
the vessels came together with
crash. The Florida veered off AM
the Republic was swallowed up aSall
in the mist. A cautious search TO
her was begun and it was two hours
the captain said. before the Florio
again located her partner in mis-
fortune and began the the Work 0
rescue which resulted so fortunatel!
Voted It Down.
Austin, Texas, Jan. 26.-ln tn