The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1896-02-01
ST. PAUL STILL STICKS
-Four Powerful Tugs Fall to Move the Big
Liner From Her Sandy Bed.
WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE UAFAvORABLE
A Heavy East Wind Wauted to Aid
I'm GHttinE the Stranded Monster
An Deep Hntcr-A Haul of Six
Hundred Feet Necessary 10 FIont
1Ier-AlI Efforts May Prove Vain.

New York, Jan. 31.-Four tugs of the
Merrdtt Wreclting Company were at
work this morning in another vain en-
deavor to pull the big American steam
ship St. Paul out of the sand off Long
Branch. Despite the efforts of the tug
boats the ST. Paul refused to bulge and
there is little likelihood of getting her
off the beach into deep water until tile
wind blows from the east.
Since the st. Paul has been stranded.
high tides have come and gone and with
each unsuccessful effort to float
the ship, the wrecl<ers have hoped that
the next high tide would sec her In
deep water. But the weather conditions
have been against them. 1t was the
same this morning. The spring tide was
expected, but the water did not rise any
higher than yesterday.
Preparations to haul on the ST. Paul
were begun at the usual hour this morn
ing-5 o'clock. Heretofore only three
tugs have been used in hauling on the
st. Paul and most of the time only two.
The wreckers might have used innumer-
able tugs, but they were afraid OF strain
Ing the ship. For this reason work has
been dono carefully. 1t was deemed
advisable by Captain Merritt to-day,
however to press another tug into ser
vice. The four boats We're placed di-
rectly astern OF the ship. two In tandem
fashion. and when the signal was given
at o'clock, an hour before the time for
high tide. they began hauling. The two
big hawsers leading from the stern OF
the ship to the tug boats. Il half mile
away, soon pulled taut and then began
to stretch. showing that little progress
was being made in moving the ship
From the shore she did not appear to
nave moved much in the hour. II was
gtnrN-tnn Pan
sticks fast. Pulling away at her stern
had the effect only OF moving that end
q little of shore
The wreckers have now abandoned all
idea OF getting the St Pauls stern al
rcctly off shore in the hopc of getting
propellers into deep water. Theytried
that plan, with one tug and big drcdsc
anchors buried in the sand off shore
the plan was originally adopted be-
cause by sounding toward thc sea Off
the port side of the ship. as she points
to the South. II was found that she
could be tloated one foot'at right anc les
from the spot whore she is now Graded
In the sand. The attempt to haul the
ships stern pf: 20 SEA threatened 10
strain the hull and was also responsl.
BILE for her heavy list to port The tugs
to-day were hauling the ship Oh line
with her stern seaward. Before aban-
doninE the first plan the wrrckers took
eouhHHES III the direction which they
contemplated hauling the ship. They
found that 1t will be necessary to haul
the ST. Paul her entire lcrSth or nearly
SIX hundred feet. 10 get the ship into
deep water. This gives the work of
getting the ship off the beach a more
difficult aspect. The wind this morn
Ing was Northwest blowing lightly
when the tugs began to work by 3
o'clock. however, II hauled around to
the Northeast and the sea began to get
choppy. The wind was not strong
enough to make any great difference in
the rise of the tide
While spring tides are how practi-
caily over, so far as the present is con-
cerned, the wreckers still base their
hopes on an east wind to help the st.
Paul Off