The sun., 1919-04-26
29,OS9 TROOPS
REACH HERE ON
6 TRANSPORTS
All Records Broken for One
Days Arrivals of Soldiers
From Europe.
IEVIATHAN MISSED NINE
Big Ship Leaves Brest After
500 Rainbows Coal Her Be-
cause Of Strike.
EEvIATHAN MISSED NINE

If an airman looked down on the
shores Of the North River almost any
time yesterday he could be pardoned
Tor thinking that some laundering
Broodingnasianh had kicked over a giant
anthill and thereby had sent myriads
oe the little brown fellows scurrying
up the banks. For before the day was
done the largest number Of troops that
ever came into the port of New York
in single day-33,os9 officers and
men-had been landed at the river
piers and by nightfall most Of them
were scattering toward Jersey and
Long Island camps.
Dusk saw the greatest scramble
ashore when the mightiest ship afloat,
the Leviathan. was warped into her
pier at the Port Of Deparkation, Ho-
boken. her decks, rails and rigging
draped with 121bs soldiers, not for
getting crew and some civilians that
brought the floating population Of the
big ship a couple of thousand notches
The thanks Of the Navy Department
end o: a lot OF rnothers--should z, up
this morning that naval officers OF the
ability OF Capt Edward II. Durell. L. s.
~. skipper OF the Lepisthan, and Lieut.
Commander Harold Cunningham. U. s.
y. II. F.. he- navigator. were directing
things. For II was the superb seaman
ship OF skipper DurelI---better. known as
"Boots"-that prevented the Leviathan
from crashing into the battleship Mis-
sour! and perhaps other boats during
high wind in the crowded harbor of
Brest a catastrophe that would have
played hob with running schedules. to
say the least
Narrow Escape for Big ship.
Also some mothers may give thanks
for the sharp eyes OF Lieut. ut.-Commander
Cunningham, his aIertness alone saving
the Leviathan, with almost $4,000 souls
aboard. from smashing into a big float
ing mine at 1880 O'Clock last Tuesday
morning IN longitude 81 west. latitude 40
north. or as tine Levlathan was steaming
along helibent for election south by east
of the Grand Banks.
As Il was the Leviathan, after Navi-
gator Cunningham had sighted the oh
jsct and had given orders that caused
the troopship TO shy aside with whatever
agility the giantess could muster. missed
the floating mine by less than ten yards
1t Is doubtful! that II the ship had hit
the mine squareiy she would have sunk,
but someone, or many someone's, would
have been killed or injured and the Le-
y!athan would have gone down by the
head sufficiently to make II necessary
70 have her toTed the rest OF the way
homeward.
The big ship got in at dusk last night.
however. unscathed, maktng the sixth
troopehip TO enter the port since morn
ing. The others were the Mt. Vernon,
with $40 troops aboard; the cruiser
North Carolina, 1,5ea; the cruiser Mon
tana. 1903; the Prinz Friedrich VII
helm. 1863. and La Touraine, with sst
soldiers besides her other passengers.
Mine Sighted by the Mt. Vernon.
The Mt. Vernon also sighted a mine
, On the way over and Immediately sent
a wireless warning 10 the I-eviathan
q about 400 miles behind tho Mt. Vernon
then, TO be on the lookout. Immediately
Capt. Dure!l OF the Leviathan began to
swing his vessel TO a slightly more
sou,herly course. thar se had Intended
He never saw the mine which the Mt
Vernon had come upon. The niine the
Leviathan brushed aside on Tuesday
forenoon was slightly more. than lo'
miles due south OF tne Mt. Nernon''
mine. or too far away 10 DO the sam'
III sch!ef maker.
The Ea!nbow troops aboard the
I.e,lathsn also had their share in get
ling the Leviathan under the wire las
night on the day before Good Friday
II became noised about among tht
tnoops on TIE giantess that owing TO q
labor shortage at Brest the coaling o.
the ship would be held up twenty-foul
hour. Tho soldiers hastily held coun
eli and suddenly they broke up heil
meeting with q yell
.'Weli coal the ship they shouted
and they i,d. More than 1000 soldier
,mnediately volunteered to get the Goa
hoard. but only about 800 were needed
'rhey started IN on tho day before Goot
Friday 10 the music OF four brass bands
rho bands had. to work In relays, OWN
10 human wind exhaustion, put TN
olive drab volunteer coal passers wotke'
m Thursday night and Good Frida.
morning. The result was that the Levia
than was out OF Brest harhor be,or
Gcod Friday had ended. thus gettin'
away tventy-four hours before sh
would have been able 70 ire the start
inf pistol 10 Il were not for the docshpo
volunteers.
with the exception OF the casual unit
the Lsviathan's human cargo coisiS.e