Birmingham state herald., 1896-02-01
ST, PAUL DID NOT BUDGE Four Tugs Pulled Away on the
 Big Ship, BUT COULDN'T GET HER OFF The Spring Tides Have Come, but Were Not
 High Enough. AN EAST WIND THEIR ONLY HOPE Should Storm Come Before She Is Floated the Beautiful American Steamer
 Will Become Thing of the
 ee45ss Past.
N EAST WIND THEIR ONLY HOPE

New York, Jan. 31.-Four tugs of the Merritt Wrecking company were at work this morning in another vain endeavor to pull the big American steamship St. Paul out of the sand off Long Branch. Despite the efforts of the tug boats the St. Paul refused to budge, and there is little likelihood of getting her off the beach into deep water until the 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 wreckers have hoped that the next high tide would see her in deep water. But the weather conditions have been against them. It was the same this morning. A spring tide was expected, but the water did not rise any higher than it did yesterday. This is the last day that the wreckers can hope for spring tide. Preparations to haul on the St. Paul were begun at the usual hour this morning-5 o'clock. Heretofore only three tugs have been used in hauling on the St. Paul and some of the time only two. Most of the wreckers might have used innumerable tug boats in the work, but they have been afraid of straining the ship. For this reason the work has been done carefully. It was deemed ad- visa ble by Captain Merritt today, how ever, to press another tug into the ser vice. The four boats were placed in the stern of the ship directly, 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 tugboats, half mile away, soon pulled taut and began to stretch, showing that little progress was being made in moving the ship. From the shore she did not appear to have moved much in the hour. It was evident ly the same story--the St. Paul sticks fast. Pulling away at her stern had the effect only of moving that end little off shore. The wreckers have now aban- doned all idea of getting the St. Paul's stern directly off shore in the hope of getting her propellers into deep water They tried that plan with one tug and the big kedge anchors buried in the sand off shore. The plan was originally adopt ed because by sounding toward the sea off the port side of the ship, as she points to the south, 1t was found that she could be float 100 feet at right angles from the spot where she is now cradled in the sand. The attempt to haul the ships stern out of the sea threatened to strain the hull and was also responsible for her heavy list to port. The tugs today were hauling the ship on line with her keel in the sand-that is to say, without try ing to twist her stern seaward
 Before abandoning the first plan the wreckers took soundings, in the direction which they. contemplated hauling the ship. They found that it will be neces- sary to haul the St. Paul, her entire length, or nearly 600 feet, to get the ship into deep water. This gives the work of getting the ship off the beach more difficult aspect The wind this morning was northwest, blowing lightly, when the tugs began to work. By o'clock, how ever, it hauled around to the northeast and the sea began to get choppy. The wind was not strong enough, however, to make. any great difference in the rise of the tide.
 While spring tides are now practically over so far as the present is concerned, the wreckers still base their hopes on an easterly wind to help the St. Paul off.