IN THE FOG.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XXXIV, Issue 9390, 9 March 1909, Page 2

IN THE FOG.

The story of the disaster to the White Star liner Republic, on the morning of Saturday, January 23rd, is an intensely thrilling one. Af four in the morning, when feeling her way through a dense fog, the Republic was rammed hard amidships by the Italian immigrant ship Florida. The vessels did not sight each other until they were but a few yards apart, and the Florida rebounded instantly, and disappeared into the fog as suddenly as she had oome out of it; so suddenly thajt those on the Republic were unaware of her identity. The water rushed into the Republic, and stopped the engines, and so pnt oat the lights. The passengers rushed from below, and a panic seemed inevitable, but Captain Sealby calmed them by assuring them that there was no dan. ger, and advising them, to return to their cabins and dress in warm clothes In the meantime Jack Binns, the young Marconi operator, had. gone to his wrecked operating room, and begun to click out the letters “0.D.Q.,” the Marconi signal for a vessel in distress. For something like two hours Binns appealed in vaia for help. Then out of the fog came the response, “G. ”, which in the international code, represents, “I am coming.” Immediately afterwards, Binns had the satisafotion of knowing that he was in touch with half a dozen instruments. His appeal had been heard on the sister White Star ship Baltic, and French mail liner La Lorraine, by the operator of the wireless,station in Massachusetts, and other stations along the coast. Binns then began to send details. He flashed the name of the vessel, her exact latitude and longitude, the nature of the mishap, and the urgent necessity for assistance. Telegraphing away, hour after hour, lie sent out thousands of words, which gave the press on both sides of the Atlantic detailed knowledge of the disaster, long before the survivors were within slght,of land. At length the Florida located the Republic, and the big liner’s passengers were transferred to the immigrant ship. Later on the Baltic came up. and as there was danger of the Florida sinking, the passengers were pat oh’ board the Baltic—six hours’ work in a rising sea, with the Italian immigrants in a state of panic, which necessitated the free use of fists and heavier weapons. Captain Sealby and his first officer stuck to the Republic till she sunk, and were picked up greatly exhausted. “The triumph of Marconi is complete,” says a London correspondent, “Had the Florida been equipped with a wireless instrument the vessel would not have collided, six lives would have been'saved, and the Republic, whose value is placed at £300,000, would not at this moment be at the bottom of the Atlantic. ”