The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-04-07

 n<%<%+%%%%+%<>> <<t<<<>-<->-< New York, April e.-Seventeen hundred and twenty passengers. within sight or the first of the big lights which marked the finish of their transatlantic voyage are spending a sleepless night tonight on the great steamship Princess Irene of the North German Lloyd line. fast in the sands off the seaward coast of Long Island on the edge of the graveyard Of the Atlantic,' and less than 50 miles from this harbor.
 As night fell high ground swell was battering the full height of the vessels superstructure.
 After running her big nose in the sand during the fog early this morning the liner lay helpless throughout the day, surrounded by tugs and revenue cutters. Efforts to pull her free at afternoon high tide failed and because of a rough sea no transfer of passengers was attempted, pending renewed attempts to drag her clear early tomorrow. If these fall trans fer will be made to the Prinz Frederick Wilhelm, of the same line, which will be sent to the scene from her dock here soon after daybreak.
 Moved by Tugs
 At midnight tugs had pulled the stranded vessel about 10 degrees from her broadside position on the beach.
 At low water this evening the strand ed liner lay with her length of 525 feet broadside to the beach. The in- coming tide, urged on with a wind which haS ocreased to nearly 20 miles an hour, DvsSa the vessel visibly as ,..3 1kTf1f rolled up her black sides and spat about her white superstructure.
 As the night wore on. life guards patrolled the beach with surf boats and brooches buoy in readiness for any emergency and pinned little faith in the sturdy efforts of the tugs to pull the liner off. They recalled the ground ing of the St. Paul some years ago and how she was stuck fast for 10 days in just such sandy bed. Two big wrecking tugs kept their lines to the ship and reinforced by the derelict de- ftroyer Seneca waited for the further aid of the tide after midnight
 The scene of the grounding Is about 10 miles east of Fire Island. The yes se1 lies 1000 feet from the beach on the treacherous sand spit which skirts Long Island.
 Creeping carefully in the murky weather the Princess Irene did not strike hard and few of her passengers, 235 of whom were In the cabins, real ized what had happened until they rose for breakfast Although two-thirds of them are Italian and Greek immigrants unable to understand the assurances of the officers. they were reasonably calm
 Captain Goddard and six veteran life guards, who went out to the Princess, remained aboard all night to help re- assure the more nervous passengers. On the beach Capt Charles w. Baker re- n In nj Slx fpC xyif cj n,o ready to put out life boat shoot a brooches buoy line if condition re- quired. He said 1t would be easy to cast a line to the stranded vessel.
 Although the increasing breeze came from the most undesirable quarter the southwest--Captain Baker doubted if 1t would develop into a real storm. and assured the few on1ooke CTS that the f liners water tight compartments would keep her dry if even the straing sprung some of her plates.
 In the IS hours she had been stuck up to midnight, she had suffered no apparent damage. although from bow to amidships the hull was caught in the sand with considerable of a list to port.
 number of boats maneuvered about the Princess Irene. but no attempt was made to board her. A visiting card was cast upon the beach tonight bear ing the name of Mrs. Monroe F. El- 1is.' and written on the back were the names of Mrs. Anna Wey and Miss Taft. The identity of these passengers was not established.
 Went Aground At 4 O'clock
 wireless dispatch shortly before 4 o'clock from the Princess Irene stated the steamer ran ashore early today off the Line Hill station, 10 miles east of Fire island The lifting fog between [ and o'clock disclosed the, grounded liner to the life-savers. who put out to determine whether she needed as- sistance. There was no sea and the big vessel was in no apparent danger.
 On board the Prinzess Irene are 235 cabin passengers and 14S5 in the steer age. all from Naples, Genoa, Palermo and Gibraltar. The North German Lloyd line officers in this city said they would not know the Identity of any of the passengers until the ship reached quarantine.
 By wireless message Captain Won Letten Petersen assured the company here that the vessel was not in dan gerous position and that he expected she would float herself at high tide. The navigating officer believed he was standing several miles off the Long Island shore and heading for Sandy Hook when the Irene pushed herself slowly but securely upon the sandy reef of the Lone Hill saving station.
 The ship immediately sounded dis tress signals and soon the life saving crews from three stations were along side the Irene. Their services other than to tell the captain of his location were not needed.