ALMOST blindly groping her way through dense fog in the darkness of early morning of January 23, the floating palace, the steamer "Republic," steamed off the coast of Massachusetts by Nantucket Island, bound for the Mediterranean. More than seven hundred passengers were aboard, all eagerly looking forward to the sunny land of Italy where many of them hoped to find relief from the rigors of northern winter. Besides her passengers, she carried four hundred tons of food and supplies for the home-coming fleet off Gibraltar.
Suddenly, in the darkness, without warning, a ship appeared at the side of the "Republic." So close were they together before they could be seen that the course of neither could be changed, and in a moment there was a frightful crash as the strange ship from the darkness struck the "Republic" amidships, crashing into her engine-rooms, which instantly filled with water, rendering the great vessel helpless by disabling her powerful engines. Then out again into the darkness the strange craft glided.
Wildest confusion followed. Men, women, and children rushed from their berths to the decks. Half-clad, trembling and weeping with fear and pain and cold, the passengers crowded the decks. The electric-lighting system being disabled, orders were given prohibiting their return below, for in the darkness there was greater danger than on deck. Even with some semblance of order restored, hopeless fear was upon every face.
But a means of rescue was at hand. On board ship was the apparatus of the Marconi wireless system. Quickly the operator sent messages for help. Unseen, unheard, the word shot over the waves through the fog, telling of the dire distress of the ill-fated vessel. In every direction the messages sped, seeking the sensitive receivers on ships and at life-saving stations. The "La Lorraine" and the "Baltic" heard, and turned about in their course to help. The Cunarder "Lucania" heard from the open sea to the east, and put on speed to reach the scene quickly. Out of the skies the ticking instruments of the revenue cutter "Gresham," at Provincetown Harbor, near Boston, read the message: "Steamer 'Republic' in distress and sinking. Latitude 40.17, longitude 70, twenty-six miles southwest of Nantucket." And out around Cape Cod she steamed to carry assistance.
Soon the news was picked up at many points, the messages of cheer were flashed back to the helpless ship. Out of the very air came encouragement and cheer, promising speedy assistance from many sources. Every ship within two hundred miles which heard the call hastened to assist.
Then out of the gloom of the misty dawn came unexpected help, a ship appeared. It was the "Florida," with broken and twisted bow and well-nigh helpless machinery. She it was which had rammed the "Republic," coming now to her rescue. Seeing that the "Republic" was doomed, the passengers were transferred to the "Florida," which already carried nine hundred passengers, many of them refugees who had escaped from the Italian earthquake. Two thousand souls were thus crowded on the "Florida."
By noon the liners "Baltic" and "La Lorraine" had, after a weary search in the fog, by the help of wireless signals and submarine bells, located the wreck and stood by ready to give needed assistance, tho the dense fog rendered every movement perilous. By night it was seen that it would be best to transfer the passengers of both injured vessels to the "Baltic," which was done, ten small boats toiling in the darkness of the night until all were safe on the stanch liner, which carried them immediately to New York, there to be greeted by thousands of wildly enthusiastic friends of the passengers and interested spectators.
From the Philadelphia Press. Notice how in every direction the silent cry for help was heard. The first to receive the message was the most distant station, New York. If all modern inventions were but put to such a use.
It is another signal victory for modern science and discovery. Without the aid of the wireless system, the great steamer "Republic" might now be the grave of hundreds. Without those sensitive instruments, the "Baltic" would have steamed on her way, as would the other ships which arrived on the scene of the disaster in time to rescue the passengers, and to-day where there is rejoicing in a thousand homes of America, there would have been deepest mourning.
Through the air the call for help was flashed, caught up by receivers far away, and answered with promises of speedy help from many willing sympathizers. Hope rose in the hearts of erstwhile hopeless and helpless men and women; immediate danger past, they waited the coming rescuers, and welcomed them with inexpressible joy when through the gloom of fog and mist the far-reaching bells were heard and the lights were seen. And all this was the result of silent, unseen, little-understood air vibrations set in motion by the cunning power of electricity.
