AS R.M.S. REPUBLIC SINKS, ADMIRAL AND WIFE SAFE
Peter City, As survivors from the RMS Republic were unloaded from the RMS Baltic and SS Florida, the admiral and his wife, departing the Creedon Republic on their way to the Mediterranean on vacation, were rudely interrupted during the early morning hours as the bow of the SS Florida, a ship bound for Peter City from the earthquake ravaged city of Medina in Sicily, sliced into the ship. Captain Inman Sealby kept the ship afloat as rescue ships poured in from all over the region. First on the scene was of course the SS Florida. The Creedonian Naval Cutter Gresham also responded to the incident. The RMS Baltic was the last to reach the scene, as she had become lost in the fog. Jack Binns, radioman on board Republic, is quoted as having invented a new distress call. The previous call "CQD" was taking too much time to transmit, so a new call: "SOS" was used. The admiral, on hand after arriving back in Peter City, awarded him with a Life saving medal.
The ship after 39 hours afloat, finally succumbed to the sea. Amazingly, all but three passengers on the Republic survived. Three crewmen on the Florida were killed when the bow was crushed back to the collision bulkhead. When questioned about the sinking putting a dent in his vacation plans, Admiral Bukater said "We're going to try again, just don't tell the children, they'll be jealous." Also aboard, were the Langdon's from Brattleboro, VT. When the Picayune asked Bruce Ismay about the disaster, he replied "The ship performed marvelously in the manner that she was able to stay afloat while all passengers were rescued." He also called the ship "practically unsinkable." President John Hawkes(D) also commented on the sinking, calling it "An act of carelessness at the hands of the 'yellow Italians'" The Italian King Vittorio Emmanuel III called this quote "an act of slander towards the people of Italy." White Star Line will fully compensate the passengers of the Republic for goods lost.