The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-02-02
STILL ON THE BEACH.
The wreckers Again Fail TO Float
the st. Paul.


the st. Paul.
Network, Feb. 1.-The wreckers at
work on the stranded steamer st. Paul,
at Long Branch. were doomed to disap-
pointment again this morning. The east
wind which they had been whistling for
had come. but the big ship still refuses
all efforts to get her off the beach.
Long Branch, N j., Feb. Tonight,
at O'clock, the wrecking crews made an
other endeavor to pull the St. Paul off the
beach, with no apperciable gain made. The
wreckers viii renew their efforts with ev-
cry high tide They hope that the easterly
winds will freshen up by tomorrow and
make a sea that will result in the floating
OF the vessel.
Since the American Liner st. Paul has
been resting in the Jersey sands at Long
Branch, with only three or four wheezy
tugs pulling at her occasionally, the ques-
ton most frequently asked by people TALK
ing about her has been: why don't they
send fifteen or twenty times as many
boats as they have and get her off quickly?
The usual answer has been: They are
afraid they'd strain her"
While talking with Clement A. Griscom,
the president OF the American line, to-day,
Mr.. Griscom answered: THAT'S a point
that people seem to be all at sea on.
The trouble is just this: 1t is impossible
to get resistance from the water. Boats in
the water cannot get the purchase to pull
great weights. Great ships, like the St.
Louis and the st. Paul. with their 10000
horsepower, represent only about sixty
tons Of pushing or pulling power. Tug
boats with their little engines, have prob
ably not half a ton of power each.
A single hawser such as any one of the
four the st. Paul has out with an anchor
at the end out to sea, and being pulled
on by the engines windlass on the ship,
has a 90-ton pull, or equal to one and
half times the pull of the st. Paups 10000
horsepower when she is floating in the
water. 1t has as much pulling power as
a hundred tugboats have. The four haw-
sers that are out represent great deal
more power than could be exerted by all
the tugboats that could crowd around the
St. Paul.
hawsers even than we want. At no time
since she ran aground has all their avail
able power been used to pull her off
1T is not possible to pull R,5 ship IKE IKE
must work herself free. The pulling on
the hawsers aids her in doing this The
St. Paul is working herself free and the
four cables and windlass are helping her
more than ali the tugboats in New York
harbor could help her."
While Mr.. Griscom was at the station one
of the oldest residents of Long Branch,
a man nearly 80 years old told him that
he clearly remembers when the spot where
the liner now lies was a part of one of
the best farms in Monmouth county and
that that particular section of the farm
was cornfield, where corn grew that in
variably took the first premium at the
wish that the cornfeld was there now
instead of the St. Paul.
Maj. Edward Wardell, agent of the
board of underwriters of New York, and
also agent for the Merritt Wrecking Com
pany, expressed himself as entirely conf
dent that the st. Paul will be fioated just
as soon as there is enough wind to kick
up a little sea-" and roll the ship a little.
Maj. Wardell is regarded as an authority
on such matters, having grown gray and
weather-beaten by long contact with the
10 ta-a q mo n ~ Dna rd ha
steamer after she struck New jerseys
shore on Saturday morning, the first be-
ing Capt. Mulligan of the life saving crew.
They both made the trip in the breeches
buoy, along the line put aboard by the
life savers. He said: You can say that the
St. Paul is lying in from ten to twelve feet
of mud-mud, not sand, and she Is likely
to stay there until we can get an east wind
to give us high tide and roll the ship
little. Then it will be an easy matter
to pull her into deep water.
She now draws about twenty feet of
water All her cargo has been taken out
and all the water ballast that we dare
remove. We can't take out all the water
because IL would leave her top-heavy
She draws a little more aft than for
ward now. Her heavy anchors have been
taken below from between decks, so as to
put all the weight as low in her as pos
sible. Even the davits have been removed
and her topmasts lowered for the same
purpose"
Mai Warden was asked what would be
the most favorable conditions for moving
the vessel, and said that a northeast wind
would be the most acceptable. The ar
rangements have been made with that end
in view. as that is the style of a blow
generally 10 be looked for at this season
\ southeast wind would have the ten
dency to force the steamer further up on
the beach, as the cables holding her have
all been arranged for hauling her off in a
northeasterly direction. The major
thought the weather conditions were IA
vorable for the desired wind in day or
two
The arrangements for floating the great
liner are interesting. over the stern of
ers. Two of these are sixteen inches in
circumference and two fourteen inches.
Each Of these four are attached TO