“CQD... CQD... MKC,” Binns
tapped out. That was an emergency call
meaning “All ships. Danger. The Republic.”
“All right, old man. Where are you?”
A. H. Ginman, the wireless operator at
Saisconsett, tapped back.
“We are shipwrecked. Stand by for
Captain’s message,” Binns replied.
Ginman immediately repeated the CQD
message to all ships and stations within 200
miles. Then Ginman cleared the air for
Binns’s next flash, asking all other ships and
stations to stay tuned but keep silent so that
Ginman could receive Binns’s next message.
Meanwhile, Sealby’s steward had finally
found Binns. They struggled through the
wreckage to Sealby on deck and confirmed
that two passengers had been killed in the
crash. Sealby handed Binns a message to
send. Binns headed below again.
“Republic rammed by unknown steam-
ship, 26 miles southwest of Nantucket
Lightship. Badly in need of immediate assis-
tance,” Binns flashed out.
The Baltic, a passenger liner about 100
miles from Long Island, New York, immedi-
ately turned in her path and headed full speed
for the Republic. The French liner La Lorraine
headed full speed to the scene, too.
The revenue cutters Mohawk, Acushnet,
Gresham, and Seneca also heard the call, but
they were so far away that there was no guar-
antee they could reach the Republic before she
sank. Fortunately, there was one ship that was
closer: the Florida. Unfortunately, the Florida
was the ship that had rammed the Republic.
The Florida had been steaming from
Naples, Italy, to New York City under the
command of Captain Angelo Ruspini. Unlike
the Republic, the Florida was not a luxury liner.
It was a utilitarian ship that carried 850 immi-
grants, a cargo of macaroni—and no wireless.
So Ruspini spent hours searching blindly in the
fog for the ship he had rammed.REVENUECUTTERS WERE LIGHTLY
ARMED GOVERNMENT SHIPS USED
FOR CATCHING SMUGGLERS.