A WIRELESS TRIUMPH.

Feilding Star, Volume III, Issue 82, 6 March 1909, Page 4

A WIRELESS TRIUMPH.

AND THE STORY OF A YOUNG HERO. MARVELLOUS EXPERIENCE AT A WRECK. ' News by cable recently related the (ale of the collision between the White Star liner Republic and the Italian emigrant ship Florida, in a dense fog, 100 miles off the American coast. The Republic, with 231 passengers in the first cabin, 111 in the steerage, and about 300 officers and crew, was christened the "millionaires' ship" before she cleared New York, because of the number of conspicuous and enormously wealthy Americans who were on board in quest of pleasure in the Mediterranean. The Florida instantly rebounded from the collision and was lost in the fog. Every light on the Republic went out, torrents of water roared through vessel's side and stopped the engines. The captain remained cool, however,' and addressed the passengers, calmed the panic, and per suaded the people to return to their cabins and dress themselves. A TRIUMPH FOR MARCONI. In the midst of all this tumult, another mind was working as coolly and effectively as the captain's. Jack Binns, the young Marconi operator on board, went direct from his berth to tiie instrument. He found the room a mass of wreckage, but the wireless apparatus was intact, and, perched among the ruins, he clicked out the magic letters "C.Q.D.," the Marconi signal for a vessel in distress. Again and again went the message, broadcast through the atmosphere, to be picked up by any receiving instrument on land or sea within a radius of between 200 and 300 miles. For sometliing like two hours Binns appealed vainly. Then out of the fog and darkness oame the response, "6.," which in the international code, represents "I am coming." And, immediately afterwards Binns had the satisfaction of knowing that he was in touch with half-a-dozen instruments. His appeal had been heard on the 6ist«r White Star ship Baltic, and French mail liner La, Lorraine, by the ojjerator of the wireless station in Massachusetts, and other stations along the coast. Binns now began to talk to some purpose. He flashed the name of the vessel ,her exact latitude and longitude, the nature of the mishap, and the urgent necessity for assistance. Clicking away, hour after hour, he sent out thousands of words, which were picked up with ease and accuracy, and which gave to the press on both sides of the Atlantic detailed reports of the disaster, . long before the survivors got within sight of land. In the meantime, the Florida was patched up and took off the passeisgors from the Republic. STEAMERS TO THE RESCUE. Affi this time, the heroic wireless jpprator was busy, leading a number )f relief steamers to the rescue. "This hum in the fog was a sort >f 'blind man's buff.' " One of tho trangest and weirdest scenes recordid in the annals of modern seafaring. Bound for the same spot, unable to ;et their bearings, almost feeling their vay, -unseen and unheard, yet constantly, to one aaiother, as though iide by side, were five ihuge greylounds of the Atlantic and . four evenue cutters., Collision threatenid them, and the fate that had-over-