The sun., 1918-04-26
LINER ST. PAUL
SINKS AT DOCK
IN NORTH RIVER
0pen Ash Door Blamed for
Accident to Ship Refitted
as Transport.
FIVE MEN MAY BE DEAD
Four Hundred Workers Scram.
bic to Safety as Vessel
Turns Over.
FIVE MEN MAY BE DEAD

Inc american liner 1T. Paul, lem
p.ramental lady with a past, turned
ever on her left side and went to sleep
IN forty feet Of water yesterday morn
ing as she was being edged alongside Of
Pier 81 at the foot OF West Twenty.
hrst street.
Having served in two wars and par.
taken Of high adventure Il may have
been that she was weary: but she tried
{, quit at the very time that Uncle Sam
Va. preparing her for the most impor.
'ant duty that a Yankee ship can take
up. and 1t will take weeks Of valuable
tine to rouse her and right her.
She lies now like q stranded whale in
the square slip between the two great
concrete piers. 60 and 81. her nose
pointing toward land and fairly clear
Of the sea, her middle and stern we'll
submerged. She IL . drab and dismal
picture OF the fns ship that loomsd In
Yesterday morninG's sunshine up the
North River. Down In her bowels are
the bodies Of few unfortunate men
who were betrayed by her capricious-
rest and who wer. drowned at their
duty. How many per1shed is not defi-
n!'ely known and may not be until the
lst Of dockyard workmen and seamen
tha. were aboard IL checked up
Five Mes May Ne Lest.
The American Line assumes that three
men were drowned. but there was gossip
smons the mariner refugees yes.erday
that perhaps hve Of the workmen and OF
The st. Pauls people were caught within
tie ship or crushed betweca a lighter
and the st. Paui's starboard side as she
turned. That more were not drowned
or injured In one OF the most singular
accidents in the history OF the port a.
400 men. suddenly alarmed. scrambled
20 the decks and clawed their way over
the slippery. turning plates. Is the re-
markahle thing. Only four were injured
seriously enough to require hospital at
,en'ion. and none Of these was hurt
!ita,iy.
Exactly what caused the big liner to
re7sorm this amasinG and costly prank
Is more or less Of a mystery and can
tearcely be known until after ofncial
:aquiry. The generally accepted theory
i ha' it was due to neglieence-neeli-
t'H'e with which the navy had nothing
70 do, since the ship had not yet been
'aaea over by naval officers and crew
aAd was entirely in charge OF her own
Ee'oaAtie officers Tho explanation
eh.cn seemed most probable yesterday
70 officials Of the American Line and to
sea'ar'ng men generally was that the
principal cause OF the accident Was an
s'a door caTeleasly left open near the
water line. Then a combination OF i'm
Noper ballasting, etraining ha wsers and
en- outrushinE tide which pressed
,ea'1!y against her underbody caused
A'' 10 list heavily to port As she
Io'nied toward land. As she listed the
sea poured into the open ash door, add.
"s new and tremendous pull down.
"''a on the port side. This brought her
open coal ports down to the water and
'lsse began 20 drink up the river. With
o" any more hesitation she sank.
ship was Rested.
ae steamship. which was one of the
.'N armed against submarines before
Ms thiied states entered the war. ar.
..,ea al this port on April Is. bringing
passengers. Last Thursday she was sent
70 NE Robins Dry Dock at Erie Basin
. south Brooklyn to be RENTED as a
nanspoF'' As is the practice the Gov
nneht ueterred taking charge OF the
p uh'.l The work OF refitting was COM
I"'eH and she had been delivered to her
.sgha'ed pier. The dry dock concern.
winch William II. Todd IL president,
sa' 'een employing a force OF about 500
n'n on mechanical repairs, 'carpenterins
qua renting. and OF these about zoo ac-
hpah.l the ship to the North River
PVT '' her own crew OF 3a5 IL was
t'a'en yesterday that abou, zoo we're on
"'aI', go that there were few more
''sL 900 endangered when she rolled her
H under n was difficult to get pre.
@ "'ormat'on even on these simple
,,Vf,7 because Of the tight resi- trictions
RACED BY the United States Army au.
o'.''' on any news having to do with
"e accident, the explanation being that
was rnvise to give out informa tion
..S'' a board OF inquiry had determined
eAact facts
iNr t~o or three days wind and
-a,heT have given trouble TO tho doci
.s'! People. steadily blowing ives,
:, ni H"ep'ng the water low and making
"'H-Vt 10 take ships over dry dock
s 'he story current In marine cir.
~ dst night was that efforts to III,
~, ran. over the sill OF the dry dock
,t N"'h we lay were fruitless until all
S,n tn' water had been pumped out Of heI
'"'E' 'anHs, Whether that was done OF
49,. we TACT remains that she rode lishl
nu "'eh when she finally cleared tn.
s "P'S Yesterday morning at 8 O'Clock
s a., oesan her journey across the harbo,
n ~ the North River Spectators
"'ns her from lower Mania ttan not ed
vi" .""med extraordinarily high and
,.' too that she listed a little ts
Apparently the work Of reballast.
,f 'A' an. was begun az she voyaged
,.N a"I'A i'rooklyn to Manhattan, and
"'simp'ion IL that tho baliastlns
EhNe very uuevenly too much o,ato