The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1918-12-02
400 WOUNDED IN
ON HOSPITAL SHIP
Northern Pacific Docks With
Heroes After Stormy
Passage Across.
GALES CAUSED DELAYS
Men Will Be Transferred to
Various Stations in City
To-day.

The first American hospital ship to
reach New York from the war zone
rode into the harbor last night with
her superstructure covered with ice
And the LOO wounded men aboard her
still suffering as a result OF some OF
the worst weather encountered in
many months in the shipping lanes
Of the north Atlantic.
She was the Northern Pacific, and
her officers. admitting that the big
ship had pounded hcadlong into three
separate storms. volunteered the in
formation that there wasn't a man
aboard who had been able to obtain a
full nights sleep from the moment
she drew out OF sight of land several
days ago. The crossing. they said, was
he slowest the Northern Pacific ever
had made. because the ships crew.
from captain down TO the deck
squads. were doing everything they
could to make things as easy as pos
sible and as comfortable for the
wounded men she was bringing back
home.
The transport was expected to reach
here at o'clock yesterday morning,
but with full steam ahead she ran
straight into another hard gale TWEEN
ty-five miles Off the entrance to the
harbor and again was delayed. The
first storm was encountered when the
transport had just left Liverpool but
it did not last long and the ships Of
ficers hoped that the wounded men
would not get another taste OF such
treacherous weather.
Only a short time afterward how
ever, another gala broke, and the big
ship tossed and pounded In the heavy
seas. Only half of tho wounded men
were so far recovered that they were
able to be out Of bed. and many of
these still could move about only with
the aid OF crutches. The others-ap-
proXimately 800 OF them-had "A hard
time of II. unable to sleep. and not Il
few of them so seasick that the sur
geons had a hard time to give them
the attention they required.
As soon as>the Northern Pacific
reached the harbor she was hurried TO
Pier s, at Hoboken. and made fast
The men who were able to be out OF
he'd were on deck as the ship came up
the bay, and they let out whoop of
JOY as they tossed caps and crutches
and everything else throwable, when
the Statue OF Liberty dropped into
sight. No boisterous welcome awaited
the wounded heroes at the pier. how
ever, for the crowd that stood and
shivered all day waiting for the
Northern Pacific to arrive had
dvindled by the time the pier was
reached and TIE soldiers went 10 bed
TO await transfer TO hospitals this
morning.
The only unwoupded men aboard the
ship beside the crew, surgeons and
nurses were 400 sailors picked up at
the last minute before sailing. The
men with the wound stripes said the
surgeons and nurses performed Won
derful job in ministering to them dur
ing the storms They said they were
comfortable all the way over as a re-
suit OF the surgeons and nurses devo-
ton to duty, but the doctors admitted
the men IN the cots had had a pad
time Of IT. Many OF the injured had
lost legs, others are minus arms, and
still more are so severely wounded that
II will be several months before they
are able TO get about.
Arrangements have been made to
have the men taken in Red Cross am
balances, beginning at o'clock this
morning, TO debarkstion hospitals in
various parts Of the city. The sur
geons said they expected al would be
of the ship by noon at the latest,