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Originally built for the Dominion Line and christened COLUMBUS, she was placed into service between Liverpool and Boston, touching at Queenstown. Accommodations were available for 280 persons in her first cabin and 250 in her second cabin, while her steerage could hold 2300 passengers.2 She made her first trip across the Atlantic in October, 1903 and shortly thereafter was transferred to the White Star Line and employed in the Boston-Mediterranean service. At the time of transfer, her name was changed to REPUBLIC to correspond in termination (..."IC," e.g. Titanic, Olympic, Oceanic) with all other ships of the White Star Line. Republic spent fall and winter on White Star Line's Mediterranean service, from both Boston and New York in early 1904 and thereafter primarily from New York. In early morning of January 23 1909 whilst sailing from New York to Gibraltar and Mediterranean ports, she collided with the Italian liner SS Florida in fog off the island of Nantucket, Massachusetts USA , and sank the next day whilst under tow to New York . Three passengers died in the collision, the remaining passengers and crew transferred to SS Florida and then to the White Star Line 's RMS Baltic (commanded by J.B. Ranson ). Submarine bells, depth sounding, and radio signals were used by Captain Ranson to locate the drifting RMS Republic. This was the first occasion on which the CQD distress call had been sent by Wireless transmission. The RMS Republic was found by Captain Martin Bayerle in 1981. She lies approximately 50 miles south of Nantucket Island. The RMS Republic may contain one of the greatest treasures ever lost at sea. Footnotes 1. The Scientific American, February 6, 09, 110:1. See also: The Practically Unsinkable Republic . 2 Shipping Gazette and Lloyd's List, September 17, 1903, 3:2; Boston Herald, January 24, 1909, 2:4, 5. On a fully booked journey, Republic had carried 2,300 steerage passengers. Washington Post, Dec. 1, 1907, 4:2. EXTERNAL LINKS
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