New-York tribune., 1919-02-24
Destroyer's Signal Stops
the George Washington
1000 Yards Off Shore
Expresses Belief
Views Will Win
Congress Is Expected to
Yield After His Ideas
Have Been Explained

ON BOARD U. S. s. GEORGE
WASHINGTON, Feb % (By The Asso-
ciated ress).--While running for
Boston Light in heavy fog and rain.
President Wilson's ship and her
destroyer escort, all ran head-on
toward the beach at That,her's
Island, Cape Ann, at 3 O'Clock this
afternoon, but stopped probably
thousand yards off shore before there
was danger of grounding. About an
hour was lost before the ships got
their bearings and proceeded.
Coast Glimpsed Through Fog
The weather was very thick, and the
PRESIDENTS ship and her escort were
running on dead reckoning, with the
destroyer Harding as guardshin
ahead. Suddenly the Harding's look
out discovered land, and the DESTROYER
gave five quick blasts on her whistle
and made quick turn across the
Washington's bow
The wind was landward, and the
sound was carried away from the
George Washington instead of toward
her. The Washington's deck officer
however, saw the five jets of stean,
from the Harding's whistle, and. giving
three short blasts of the big liner,S
whistle, signalled the engine room for
full speed astern.
The big ship quivered with tho
throbbing of the mighty engines as
they churned the water, and that was
the first intimation any of the pas-
sengers and most of the crew had of
what was going on
President Wilson noticed the mo-
ton at once and with Admiral Grav-
son went on deck. He was ouite nm
concerned, however, and his attituda
was more one of curiosity and inter
est Troops and passengers piIed or
deck at the same time and saw tho
rollers on the sandy beach and the
summer cottages. A motion picture
snow going on in the main dining
salon. however, continued to hold the
O'N'''io" u manly OF the passengers
Episode Treated as Joke
Although going full speed. the Wash
lngton stopped quickly and easily and
began backing away, while the DESTROY
ers turned to, walowing about the
liner. The lead was got going quickly
and deep water Immediately was re-
ported. Passengers crew and troops
did not seem to regard the incident
as a possibility Of danger, many of
them thinking it rather a good joke
played by the fog and rain on the
navigators of all the ships.
II don't care if it is the beach"
exclaimed one soldier. ITS the good
old u 5. A, whatever it is, and
say Murray for it!"
After backing short distance Cap
tain McCauley dropped anchor to make
observations and get bearings, while
the destroyers formed a semi-circle
about the Presidents ship waiting for
orders. The wind shipped up a bit
and binding snow furry swept down
on the port quarter, making observa-
tions even more difficult. The de-
and the heliographs were got going.
Then from over the starboard bow
came the doleful, steady wall of a fog
horn dealing out It's warnings. Off
GERS recorded the blasts by stopwatch.
hoping to identify the station Mean
while Captain McCauley flashed a hello
graph message to the Paulding to pro-
ceed cautiously and attempt to identify
the signal.
Thatcher's Island Identified
In moment the destroyer got under
way, but she had hardly started when
the wind shifted and drove the snow
furry off to the north, the fog lifted
and one of the officers perched on the
upper deck sang out:
''Thatcher's Island dead ahead"
Through the dissofNing mist the two
lighthouses of the Cape Ann station be-
came visible and the suspense Was
over. The George Washington and her
convoy had been headed toward shore
just above Eastern Point, Gloucester,
and still further north from Marble
head. One OF the passengers, sweep
ing the shore with glasses, declared
he could plainly see his summer cot
tage, and remarked he would have no
objections to being landed there in a
breeches buoy.
Assistant Secretary Roosevelt, who
took the bridge Immediately with Can
tam McCauley, had yachted the waters
IN which the George Washington iaV.
and gave II as his guess just before the
fog lifted that the ship and her escor,
were in the vicinity of Marhlehead. II
turned out that the secretary was very
nearly accurate in his gless.
The weather continuedAto clear cvcls
moment, and before an our had quite
passed 1t was possibly to see fs0@