Pine Bluff daily graphic. (Pine Bluff, Ark.) 1893-1942, 1919-04-26
GIANT TRANSPORT
BARELY MISSED
FLOATING MINE
10000 Soldiers Knew Moth
ing Of Danger Until
They Docked.

New York. April 25.-The giant
transport ship, Leviathan with 10000
soldier passengers, the last of six
transports to arrive today, bringing
22,972 men. missed a mine by only
30 feet while off the Grand Bank of
New Founderland Tuesday morning
her officers reported when she dock.
ed tonieht.
The floating internal machine was
sighted dead ahead of the transport,
the officers said. Quick thinking and
quick action was all that averted a
collision. A desperate whi"l of the
wheel sent the great steamship past
the mine with a margin of safety of
ten yards.
None of the soldiers aboard knew
until thew locked how close they had
been to danger
The six transports BROUGHT in 22,-
973 troops, including 14,204 members
of the Forty-second (Rainbow) divis-
ion and 1896 members Of the Seven
tv-seventh liberty division New
York;. This is one of the largest
single day troops arrivals in this
port.
Major General George w. Reid re-
turned on the Leviathan in command
of the troops of the 42nd division.
Major General Samuel D. Sturgis,
returned on the Leviathan as casual
Other units on board included casual
companies of men from Oklahoma.
Lieutenant Colonel Ruby d. Gar
rett, of Kansas City, Mo-, division
adiutant. to whom ouestioners were
referred for information by the off.
GERS and men of the famous Rainbow
division, summarizing from a care
| fully prepared statement of the ACHE
I vements of the organization. pointed
out that from November 1st 1917. the
date of its arrival at St. Nazaire from
the United States until December
10Th, 1918, when. as part of the
American army of occupation, it took
position in Ahrweiler, Germany,
the division had been identified at
AS stations throughout France, and
Belgium up to the most advanced
points.
| The division was cited ten times by
the French and six times by the Am
erican commanders under whom il
served 1t participated in every ma
jor operation Of the American army
and received letters of commenda.
ton in each case.
Members of the division have re.
ceived two medals of honor, $50 dis.
tinguished service crosses, two dis
tinguished service medals. 175 CroiN
de Guerre. 10 legions of honor. five
medailles. militaires and 16 Belgian
decorations.
In killed, wounded and missing, the
division lost 439 officers and 13,4S5
men, its greatest casualty list fol-
/, lowing the Aisne-Marne offensive
July gath to August 9th, last year
which cost IA officers and 5,469 men
In this offensive, the 4and division
relieved the Goth American division
one brigade OF the 2Sth division and
four French divisions. 1t distinguished
! itself by cutting its way through one
Prussan guard division. and three
| other first class German and Bavar-
ian divisions. going forward Is kilo-
meters.
Recognizing the anxiety of the
troops to get home, officers in charge
of the coaling of the ship at Brest
declared that its departure could be
fastened "a hours with some volun-
| teer held on the part of the returning
! troops. More than one-half of the
men on board volunteered. Finally
J 500 were selected and they shoveled
coal while bands on deck stirred
! them up with Jazz music"
! The health of the troops on board
, was excellent.
| Among the casual officers on board,
the I.evathan was Brigadier General
| Douglas Macarthur
Lieut.. Col. Wilbur S. Conkling, of
Des Moines. Iowa, returned in COM
mand of the 117th sanitary train of
the division. This was composed of
ambulance companies from New
! Jersey. Tennessee, Oklahoma and
Michigan