New-York tribune., 1918-12-16
Leviatllan, With
$500 Heroes.
Held Up by Fog
Welcoming Crowd Waits
Hours at Hobokcn for
Big Transport to Dock
La Lorraine Is Delayed
Vessels Expected to Bring
Returning Veterans to
Shore This Morning

Shore This Morning
The United States transport Levia-
Than. with more than 5000 fighters
,ron, the American army and navy on
sosrd. came to a sudden and unexpect-
a halt off Sandy Hook at daybreak
yesterday, when thick blanket of fog
elosed down and made her prisoner.
She made her customary fast run to
nort from Brest, and wireless reports
received by the Navy Department from
day to day gave assurances that she
uould arrive at day break yesterday and
s,eed her soldiers and sailors on their
vav to debarkation camps before the
sun was at its zenith.
But the elements willed it otherwise.
The Leviathan and the French liner La
Lorraine, with Mrs. Vincent Astor and
other war workers on board, were un-
able to bulge after they made the Am
brose Channel Lightship, and with
eirhteen other vessels, freighters and
tramps. were forced to anchor, waiting
for break in the thick pail that spread
over the entire coast.
Crowds Wait in Rain
Thousands of persons throughout
the city who hoped that some one dear
to them was on the vessel chung to the
hone that the biggest of all transports
would come up to her pier somehow.
They hurried to Hoboken in the misty
darkness of the morning and stayed
there until dusk.
Throughout the day they had been
fed with hope from army officers that
the mist would clear and that the Le-
viathan would surely dock, and even
when at dusk sentry from the port
Of embarkation announced that the
transport could not come up before
S.45 a. m. to-day they took the news
suspciously.
Few of the five hundred at Hoboken
realized the enormity of the task OF
taking such a huge vessel through
n fog-ridden channel. In clear weather
z the job of plotting and docking the Le-
! yiathan is no child's play, and the
navigators of the navy, despite their
anxiety to get to dock, were taking no
/ chances with the lives of some nine
4 thousand OF board
Can't Break Fog Barrier
I The Leviathan was first reported as
/ being off the Ambrose Channel Light
ship at a. m. At that hour the log
was unusually thick and she dropped
anchor Meanwhile smaller craft from
the south and east nosed their way
1 to her vicinity, and the big liner was
reported as having weighed anchor and
moved eastward.
few hours later the mist lifted
ard she nosed her way back again tow
ards Sandy Hook and this report, which
enhanced as it was passed along, gave
rise to the belief that she was coming
In despite the fog.
The immigration cutter Immigrant,
laden with customs officials, reporters
and photographers started for quaran-
tine, but got no further than the Statue
OF Liberty, where she stayed for an
hcur and then returned. Meanwhile
word was sent to the Barge Office
from the port of embarkation that the
beVlathan would not stop at quaran-
"ne for customs officials, and that the
examination of the baggage of civilian
passengers would have to be made at
the pier
Meanwhile the French liner La Lor-
rane was reported as having poked her
way from the Hook to Quarantine and
l again the Immigrant started down the
oay' This was another false alarm
iOr the ship supposed to be the Lor-
'a'he was the Chicao of the same line
'aat left her pier on Saturday and had
sone aground south of Swnburne
| Island.
1850 Fighters on Board
me Leviathan's passenger compile
"ene Is said to be about 8,700 persons
''0OV being officers and men from the
'~y and navy, in addition to casual:
n0m ammunition trains and construe-
ton workers.
I among the military passengers there
4 s's Tour officers and 1,421 men from
army and navy recovering from i'll
ss or wounds received in battle.
"nen the docking of the vessel wa.
s.anaoned for the night fifty canteer
.''aen from the Red Cross, through
w" leader, announced that the,
4 "0u'd be ready again this forming t,
The men with hot coffee an,
'pw'ches and have sufficient amhu
q sSs to care for those in need O