Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1919-01-03
STEAMER BATTLES
WITH ANGRY SEA
Three Rescue Boats Capsize
With Soldiers and Nurses
of Northern Pacific.
SPREAD OIL UPON WAVES
Wounded Taken Off With Life
Guard Boat and Breeches
Buoy.
fBy Associated Press.1

NEW YORK, January 2.-Battling to-
day against an angry sea. which cap
sized three Of their boats, coast guards
from many stations. aided by crows
from nearly twenty naval craft, had, by
nightfal. taken safely to shore seven
teen navy nurses and e37 of the 2.4So
homeward- bound soldiers on the trans
port Northern Pacific. hard aground for
two days on a sandbar near Fire Island
light.
When many barrels of oil spread on
the waves had failed TO make the water
surrounding the vessel measurably
calmer, the rescue work was halted
until morning. Remaining aboard the
Northern Pacihc are most OF the sick
and wounded. Naval officers deemed 1t
too hazardous to attempt to remove the
'stretcher cases"
The vessel is in no danger. according
10 wireless message from her captain.
received tonight.
weather conditions favorims," read
Captain Connelly's message. "Disem-
oarhe1 20 army passengers, some these
wounded and also seventeen navy
nurses; using lifc-guard boat and
breeches buoy. Have requested serv-
ices OF more iifeboats for Tomorrow.
SSnlp Sp IN no danger. Expect to d:sem-
Salvage operators will make attempt
to float ship high tide to- o-morrow.
anotner message received tonight by
wee ADMIRAL Gleaves, in HoDoken.
stated the Northern Pacific had enough
noats OF all classes to land passengers
II the sea Gains down, which the mes
sage predicted would happen to-mor-
row.
WILL RENEW RESCUE
WORK AT DAYBREAk
.tt daybrcak, however, II is planned
10 renew the work NJ IN,
Lie saving crews from SANDY Hook
and Rockaway are planning to leave [
midnight in their power boats TO be on
hand at dawn. With the aid OF the
squadron OF cruisers, destroyers and
naval tugs II Is planned to transfer the
wounded TO the hospital ship Solca e
ana ,tn take them direct 10 Hoboken.
nouOdt Oht.nuGus H rain, fog and heavy
io%er tne spirits of those abonru the
,pansport, which is now listing hard
10 port. The ships band played lively
ing carried on. AS one soldier ex
pressed IL, lit takes more than a few
SAD sea waves to shake the nerve. of
France" - N.o o.er 'teSr si
Debarkation was begun shortly af:
,bs ,ss hooh' when an attempt earlier in
from her bed of sand had failed Emre
ing the debarkation process, a launch
from the cruiser Columbia was dashed
,rsnpnns, 70 pieces ,a agains. the stern of the
transfer men TO the shore was twice
capsized, but all aboard were saved.
When the order came for the frs,
men TO go over the side, a cheer broke
out over the whole ship
ORDER MEN ABANDON
PACKS AND LUGGAGE
The men at first received orders TO
prepare TO take to the boats with their
packs. but this was countermanded and
bne the @eIe eo,bss .osd tbe to Ieaye everything
The l55 men of the Eighth Trench
Mortar Battery were the first to 20
oyer oyer the side. They were followed BY
units.
After the surf boat. used to ferry
tne men ashore. had twice been cap
abandoned for the breeches buoy, in
which soldiers were landed two at q
time. "
As soon as they were landed, the
Bay Shore, where the naval air station
hospital.
The Northern Pacific was tonight
art, while the waves were beating
against her side and sweeping under
her keel. Her water line is now many
feet above The surface.
Roy Arnott a bay pilot, saved the
lives of seven men who made an un-
successful attempt to reach the North
ern Pacifc in small boat. When the
watching from, the shore, knotted a
rope around his waist and plunged
into the surf. On reaching the over
snrned snI tha6, boat, he made the rope fast
ana those on shore pulled 1t taut.
Then Arnott assisted the seven men
houndering in the water to reach the
rope and they pulled themselves ashore