Nantucket, Massachusetts, USA
1909 - Six Killed In Crash at Sea.

The White Star liner Republic, rammed by the Italian liner Florida, in the fog off Nantucket, Mass., when six persons were killed, sank after being kept afloat for thirty-six hours. Her passengers, 1650, taken off many hours before by the steamship Baltic, were landed in New York.

The Republic was in tow of the revenue cutter Gresham and the derelict destroyer Seneca, proceeding to New York, when she sank. On board her was Captain Sealby with a volunteer detail of fifty of her crew. They were taken off by the Gresham, which cast loose from the crippled liner and stood by until she sank beneath the waves.

The Florida, which crashed into the Republic in the dense fog Saturday morning and gave her her death blow, was conveyed to this port by the American liner New York.

From the moment that the Republic was struck amidships by the Florida the danger that she would perish was apparent. The Republic was equipped with wireless telegraphy, and hardly had the shock of the collision passed when her call for help went out to all vessels and shore stations that it might reach. The engines were stopped and the dynamoes dead, but storage batteries had been provided, and as long as they lasted the wireless operator of the Republic continued to send out the call - "C. Q. D." - the ambulance summons of the sea.

Many vessels caught it and turned about to hasten with all speed to the rescue. The huge Baltic, of the same line as the wrecked vessel: La Lorraine, of the French line; the Cunarder Lucania and several revenue cutters along shore were at the fleet that went groping in the almost impenetrable fog, their sirens screaming and submarine bells booming their signals, in search of the helpless ship.

Adams County News
Gettysburg, Pennsylvania
January 30, 1909

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