Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1912-04-18

ing on bottom by her solidty. She stayed
there about ten seconds, and then | felt
her part, break In two I let go, and fell
into the water about forty feet.
"'rhen ] threw off my overcoat and
started to swim backward. cannot de.
scribe the roar of the water as 1t rose
above the ship. 1t was like Niagara. like
thunder, like anything Internal. Above
me was the keel of the ship. standing
high In the air think must have been
about twenty feet from II. There seemed
TO be very little back-waph. and when
she went down with all flags flying.
there WAS not much suction, else
wouldn't he here.
while was swimming continued
Williams, "a hatch struck mo, and I tried
several times to get on It. but It was
jumping about in the heavy sea. and ]
didn't succeed A few minutes later an
other hatch came along, and I got that
between the two, with my elbows out
stretched.
GAME TO THE LAST"
81 could see the three vessels. but they
seemed great way off. and I heard
Cant Scalhy fire three shots. had been
in the water about twenty minutes, I
Judged when the Gresham's boat picked
me up I was pretty cold. but I think
I could have lasted an hour.
Having heard the shots. was able to
hclp the boats crew in their search for
the CAPTAIN. At last they found him
aboard He didn't know was there, and
Ma hie oil
He knew who 1t was, and he threw his
arms around my neck.
Williams he said. game to the
last"
Tie second officer said that he and
the captain spent a pleasant evening" on
the deck OF the Republic from six to
eight.
I'VE had dinner" he added, "but We
did not dress for It. went down and
rulnmagod In the pantry for grub. get
ting some biscuits. marmalade. and plum
cake. ! also got some blankets, for we
intended to make ourselves comfortable
If we were fortunate enough to stay
aboard all night"
Capt. Soalby naturally refused to dis
cuss the collision with the Floride, saying
his first duty was to his owners. but he
had many words of praise for the revenue
cutters. his own crew, and the Republics
passengers
Il attribute" said he, the successful
handling and transfer of passengers from
one ship to another to the splendid cOhe-
sion which existed from start to finish
between officers and crew. At no time
had | any doubt of my men. My conf
rl,nt,
In the time which elapsed between the
collision and the departure of the pas
.songers there was no confusion whatever.
The women behaved themselves remark
ably well. and to the men passengers
great credit is due for the valuable assist
ance they rendered us in so safely con-
du ting women and children from under
the bridge to the boats. They could not
have gone out of n theatre in more
orderly manner"
Captain Sealby had little to say about
his own fidelity to his ship.
1T Is simple business proposition" he
remarked. These things occur and we
have to be and are always ready for
them. That is the basis on which the
White Star line rests. There is touch
of human nature in Us ALL and we are
glad to know that people think we have
done we'll"
THE BALTIC HIT ONCE.
The Baltic herself also suffered a COLI
sion early in July. 1910, when she was
rammed by the German-American steam
ship Standard The Standard stove hole
seven feet square in the Battles port bow.
midway between the waterline and the top
of her bulwark.
The vessels crashed /. 3 miles east Of
Sandy Hook. The bow of the Standard
was crumpled in. and ten feet of her
prov, with part of the fgurchead, re-
manned jammed In the side of the Baltic.
Some of the latters plates below the
waterllne were dented, causing water to
pour into No. hold.
Both vessels We're proceeding at reduced
speed, and the shock of the big liner was
scarcely greater than Is felt when a fer.
ryboat enters its slip. 1t was Las p. M,
and most of the passengers had retired
The shrill whistlng which the vessels
kept up after the accident hlled every one
with apprehension but there was no
panic and very little excitement
Some passengers complained that they
received no definite assurances from the
officers of the Baltic that there was no
danger OF sinking
There was heavy fog" said one pas
senger who said he was sitting on deck
near the taltio's whistle. There had
been no warning sound from the vessel
tor twenty-five minutes before the ac-
c9de:t There were no fog warnings
irom tho STANDARD, either We we're Just
bara.y Under Roadway, and 1t was only n
r!anrins bow. There was scarcely any
jar iclt a9oard our ship"
Tho Baltic had on board al the time 1875
hrAt cabin Passengers. Isl second, and PSI
thlTd NO, | hold. which was filed with
wafer was loaded with chinaware and tho
cargo was not damaged
THE BIG AUTO SHOW
=" hc Held In Burlingtcn Merchants