Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1896-02-01
THE ST. PAUL STICKS.
The Only Hope Now Lies I'm the Pos
sibility of an East Wind-An-
other Tug Added to the Hauling
Force.
Force.

NEW YORK. January 3i.-Four tugs
OF the Merritt Wrecking Company were
at work this morning in another vain
endeavor to pull the American steamship
St. Paul out of the sand off Long Branch.
Despite the efforts OF the tUgboats the
ST. Paul refused to bulge. 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 workers have hoped that
the next high tide would see her in deep
water. But the weather conditions have
been against them 1t was the same this
morning. A spring-tide was expected.
but the water did not rise any higher than
yesterday. This is the last time that
the wreckers can hope for a spring-tlde.
Preparations to haul off the st. Paul
were begun at the usual hour-5 O'clock.
Heretofore only three tugs have been
used, and most of the time only two.
The wreckers might have used innumer-
able tugboats in the work, but they have
been afraid Of straning the ship. For
this reason the work has been done care
fully. 1t was deemed advisable by Cap
tain Merritt to-day, however, to press
another into service. The four boats
were placed directly astern each two in
tandem fashion. and when the signal
was given at o'clock, an hour before
high tide. they began hauling.
The two big hawsers leading from the
stern of the ship TO the tugboats, half
a 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 APP
pear TO have moved much In the hour
IL was evidently the same story-the ST.
Paul sticks fast.
Pulling away at the stern had the ef-
feet of only moving that end little
off shore The wreckers have now aban-
doned all idea of getting the St. PauPs
stern directly off shore, I'm the hope of
getting her propellers into deep water.
They tried that plan with one tug. The
plan was originally adopted because, by
sounding toward the sea off the port
side Of the ship. as she points to the
south IL was found that she could be
foated 100 feet at right angles from the
spot where she is now Graded in the
sand.
The attempt to haul the ships stern
out TO sea threatened to strain the null,
and was also responsible for her heavy
list to port The tugs to-day were haul
ing the ship on a line with her keel
in the sand--that IS to say without try
ing TO twist her stern seward. Be
fore abandoning the first plan the wreck
ers took soundings I'm the direction
in which they contemplated hauling the
ship They found that 1t will be ne
cessary 10 move the st. Paul her en-
tire length, or nearly 600 feet, to get
the ship into deep water. This presents
a more difficult aspect.
The wind this morning was northwest,
and blowing lightly when the tugs be-
gan TO work BY o'clock. however,
It hauled around TO the northeast, and
the sea began TO get choppy. The
wind was not strong enough 10 make
any great difference in the rise Of the
tide. While spring-tides are now prac-
tically 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