The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1919-01-04
LAST Of THOSE
ABOARD NORTHERN
PACIFIC LANDED
200 Sick Removed to Hospital
Ship on Litters
ONE-LEGGED MEN CLIMB
one.Armcd and Blind Also Make
Their Way Down Rope Ladders to
small Boats.

Fire Island, Jan 4.--The removal
OF two hundred wounded, the last of
the Northern Paciiic's soldier passen-
ger list aboard the stranded liner, was
begun early today under clearing
skies and in an even sea. Submarine
chasers and naval launches carrying
men to the hospital ship, Solace, We're
expected TO complete the operation
around midday.
Two powerful wrecking tugs made a
futile effort at high tide to free the
vessel. Later naval vessels began re-
moving baggage in an effort to tighten
le..
New York, Jan 4.-Twenty-o
hundred wounded soldiers climbed
down, rope ladders from the sides of
the stranded Northern Pacific, off
Fire Island, yesterday, and made diff
ficult landings on the decks of small
boats, which were kept in continual
motion by moderately stiff sea-
The crews OF the antisubmarine pa
trolls and coast guard craft, which
took them, caught and steadied the
men as they reached the bottom of
their dancing rope ladders and helped
them down. The small boats. difficult
to manage because OF the wind and
sea, kept staggering into the hull of
the transport and then pulling away
the length of the hawser 1t some
times proved tantalizing task to jug
gle a man safely from the dangling
ladder to a wobbling deck. Some of
the men who were landed at Hoboken
yesterday said it was like the Hal
lowe-en sport of bobbing for apples
All the wounded soldiers who were
able to walk were taken from the
transport by this process yesterday.
About 200 men on stretchers are still
on the ship, They win be swung to
small boats in screen baskets II there
is a fiat caIlir today or tomorrow. or
VIII reIdain-on btlfd untfi the North
ern Pacific is foated off the bar
where she has rested since o'clock
Of the morning of Jan. l.
Some of the men who were trans
ferred yesterday had lost their sight
temporarily or permanently in the
fighting In France Ropes were made
fast about their bodies to keep them
from dropping ipto the water should a
slip occur between the rope ladder
and the small boats, and they strug-
gled down the ladder until they were
grasped by the men on the cutters
and patrol boats.
Several OF the men taken off had
only one leg each. Their crutches
we're lowered first to the small boats.
Then the first one made his way down
supporting himself only by his grip on
the sides of the ladder, as he removed
his one foot from rung of the lad
der and thrust 1t about until he got
II firmly placed on the next one. He
made remarkably quick time, and was
soon followed by his fellows. These
cripples were sure OF their ability ia
descend the ladder in this fashion,
and none of them had a rope bound
around him for safety.
Some OF the men had only one arm
in good working order. Others had
bandages about their heads or bodies
over unhealed wounds. All were SC
eager. however to get away from the
big ship, which has shaken and
groaned necessarily under the bat
tering Of the surf, that they were
ready to take any chances. Some oI
them were badly bumped and bruised
before they reached the small boats
Many of those who were taken of
will have TO undergo HOSPITAL treat
ment for some time to come.