The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1919-01-04
.RESCUERS BATTLE
With THE SEA
237 SOLDIERS TAKEN FROM A
STRANDED TRANSPORT.

three of their boats, coast guards
from many stations, aided by crews
from nearly 20 naval craft, had by
nightfall taken safely to shore II
navy nurses and 237 of the 2,480
homeward bound soldiers on the
United States transport Northern
Pacific, hard aground for two days
on sandbar near Fire Island light
When many barrels of oil spread
on the waves had failed to make the
water surrounding the vessel meas
urably calmer, the rescue work was
halted until morning. Remaining
aboard the Northern Pacific are most
of the sick and wounded Naval Of
ficers deemed it too hazardous to at
tempt to remove the "stretcher
cases."
The vessel is in no danger, accord
ing to wireless message from her
commander, Capt. Connelley.
Life saving crews from Sandy
Hook and Rockaway are planning to
leave in their power boats to be on
hand at dawn With the aid of the
squadron of cruisers, destroyers and
naval tugs now guarding the strand
ed vessel it is planned to transfer the
wounded to the hospital ship Solace
and take them direct to Hoboken.
A message received by Vice Ad-
miral Gleaves at embarkation head
quarters in Hoboken stated that the
Northern Pacific had enough boats
of all classes to land passengers if
the sea calms down.
The bringing of the well troops
ashore was a scene of dramatic inter-
est Four lifeboats piled back and
forth between the transport and the
beach. These carried lines and all
hands on shore lay to hauled them on
these voyages to shore. In the first
boat to land were II nurses--two
from Brest and Is from Queenstown.
Red Cross workers received the
men as they reached shore, assem-
bling them in the welcoming heat of
a roaring beach fire and supplying
them with coffee and sandwiches be-
fore they were marched away.
The soldiers said that the only real
hardship they underwent on board
was the shortage of water There
had been no drinking water at their
meals since Wednesday morning
they said and they had to assuage
their thirst with coffee and cocoa.
Because of the rough seas it was
l. 4 To
the side of the ship on ladders. A
ships lifeboat was slung from the
davits and lowered to the surfboat
into which the men were transferred
The first trip from the, ship to the
shore was hard one. Several times
ii looked as if the boat would be
swamped Only the clever work oi
the coast guards saved 1t. However
the doughboys, aside from getting
wet, were none the worse for the trip
powerboat from the cruiser Co
lumbia engaged in bringing ashore
troops from the transport capsized
when her engine went dead as she
approached the beach, throwing al
hands, nine men, into the sea. AL
were rescued by life guards, who
ged the men ashore.
After the mishap the life saver!
abandoned for while the method o.
bringing soldiers ashore in the small
boats. Instead, the breeches buoy
was rigged and soon the troops be
gan reaching land two at time
Later preparations were made tt
launch lifeboats again.
Sixty men from the vessel hat
reached the Y. M. c.. A. hut at th'
naval air station at Bay Shore. The!
were mostly from the Eighth trench
mortar battery, comprising five Off
GERS and 153 men, who were in train
ing near Metz at the time the armi
stice was signed. Most of these wer'
brought ashore in lifeboats followed
by the Fifth battalion, consisting o
% officers and 500 men.
A lifeboat loaded with troops from
the transport Northern Pacific wa
caps>zed by the heavy surf, THROWN,
water. All were saved.
One soldier and three of the lif
savers were caught under the boat
Life guards on shore rushed into tn
surf and after rescuing the others
dragged the boat to the beach, wher
the four, who were unconscious, wer
revived.
Roy Arnott, bay pilot, saved tn
lives of seven men who made an un
successful attempt to reach tn
Northern Pacific in a small boat
When the frail craft capsized Arnott
who was watching from the shore
knotted rope around his waist an,
plunged into the surf. On reachin
the overturned boat he made the rop
fast andthose on shore pulled it taut