New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1919-01-04
Coast Guard Officers Fear
Snow May Halt Rescue
Work on Stranded Ship
200 Soldiers Are
Removed in Safety
Efforts to Bring Troops
10 Beach Abandoned;
All Work Done at Sea

FIRE ISLAND. N. Y, Jan. S.-Plans
Tor the removal tomorrow of 200 seri-
ously wounded soldiers still aboard the
stranded transport Northern Pacific
ray be delayed owing to driving
northeast snowstorm that set in a
$50 o'clock tonight. Coast guard Off
GERS feared that unless the storm
sbatcd it would be impossible to take
off the wounded men.
AS the blizzard developed the lights
of the rescue feet standing by outside
the bar were obscured and even the
powerful Fire Island light, visible un-
der normal conditions for nineteen
miles, could rot be seen from the
shore watch stations a mile away.
Sklful work by the navy, combined
With an utter disregard for their own
lives on the part of coast guardsmen
rom nine lifesaving stations, has been
rewardcd by the rescue of 22OO sol
dcrs from the Northern Pacific
Only two hundred stretcher cases re-
maned on board tonight after dark
ness halted the rescue work
Thousands of pounds of mail from
France is to be removed tomorrow
also if the weather is favorable. Then
viii begin the work of lightering the
buge vessel of her cargo of ammuni-
iion and everything movable that will
take stress off her burdened keel.
All Rescues From Sea
All of to-6ay's rescues were made
rom the sea. No effort was made to
bring men to the beach in surf boats
nor in the breeches buoy. Four sub
marine chasers. numbers POI, 292, 293
and 294, were hazarded in the shallow
wiring water between the Northern
Pacific and the beach. These seaworthy
little boats headed in from the star
board quarter OF the transport and
tucked against her rusting plates,
while scores of clumsy y-looking figures
IN olive drab overcoats and life jackets
with Queen Elizabeth-lke ruff
about their necks, cautiously descended
nearly forty feet of slippery rope lad
der, with wooden treads.
There were fifteen Of these Jacobs
ladders hanging along the starboard
and shorew2rd side Of the vessel. In
addition there were half dozen ropes,
with knots tied at intervals, down
which the least giddy soldiers descend
ID hand over hand. All through the
morning there was hardly time when
there was not at least dozen soldiers
einging % The mottled side of the
Northern Pacific,
Captain Cheers Wounded Men
BIZ. the eyes and field glasses of the
my and navy men, Red Cross women,
fo4st guards and newspaper men on
nc beach scre focused most Of the
me on perpendicular gangway on
JIG starboard quarter down which were
sescending painfully men who are able
% walk orly WITH crutchcs.
The men backed down this steep
,airway" with It's iron rod hand raia
the decks Of successive submarine
chasers. Then over the ships side on
rope would go slngful Of crutches
- the top OF this gangway the watch
crs could distinguish the gold leafed
cap of Captain Connolly, commanding
inc Northern Pacific. He had a word
81 cheer for each Of the wounded, even
'nough his own heart was choked with
sorrow at the prospect Of losing his
NIP. lie was especially solicitous
~ncn stretcher cases in stiff wire
'ssAe's were lowered over the side
Six Baskets to Trip
ae submarine chaxers took s;x &c
''e@e baskets On every trip made dur
ing the day. Two OF the baskets would
ne placed On the tiny bridges Of tbese
boats, where they were protected from
The drenching waves by canvas. Tho
other four were parked" on tho fo.
ward deck.
With full deck load Of olive drab
lgurcs and the half dozen sinister Iool
ng baskets with their white bundles
'nc' chaserg would back out beyond the
ovcrhanging stern Of the transport and
men plough through waves that ran
higher than usual TO the side Of the
aospital ship Solace, a mile OFF shore
md then TO one Of the eight deetroycrs
ying in a tumbling line beyond the
Northern Pacific.
onpplemcnting the chazers we're
hrce .seabrights,' sclf bailing boats
u the coast guardsmen and the self
5@iling and scif righting power life
boat from the Coast Guard station ut
5zndy Hook, Captain Tiiden command.
'nz. The crew Of this little boat. open
Nxcept for an absurd little hood amid
Hfps, leot her chuggiDg all night
aoropgn heavy sen for The forty or
Z more miles ff>m Sandy Hook 10 the
s'oe Of thy beached transport.
re stsrt from sandy Hook<Nas made
Z ~ oeioek Th1Ysday night and the
f,Eys{1u5f%I M. ar, u< <<4.<-.