Bisbee daily review., 1919-01-02
TROOPS SAFE. ABOARD SHIP. ON SAND BAR.
Northern Pacific Bringing 2480 Soldiers Home, Goes Aground Off Fire Island; Danger of Life Loss Past

NEW YORK. Jan. 1-Relatives of men aboard the United States trans port Northern Pacific aground on a sand bar off Fire Island, need lave no fear for their safety, according to a wireless message from Captain Con nelly, commanding, received tonight by the Associated Press.
 Northern Pacific is. in no danger" said Captain Connelly's message. Relatives of soldiers and crew need have no fear for their safety. The soldiers in all probability will be landed tomorrow or whenever winds shift to northward of west"
 Take Every Precaution
 The naval authorities are taking ey- cry precaution, however, to guard the lives of the 24S0 soldiers aboard the transport, nearly 1700 of whom are sick or wounded. A brooches buoy has been rigged from the shore to the vessel, ready for use at any time if it is deemed best to risk further injury to the stretcher cases by removing them from the craft, while 13 destroy CT and naval tugs are standing by to lend assistance in emergency.
 The transport, which struck the sand bar in a heavy fog at 3:30 o'clock this morning, was resting more eaisly tonight and was approaching an even keel, although she had listed heavily earlier in the day, making progress difficult about her slippery decks, over which high seas were washing. She was a considerable distance off shore when she went aground, but now has been driven to within less than 300 yards of the beach.
 Fierce Wind Blowing
 The wind still was blowing from the southwest tonight but had somewhat abated, although the sea continued rough and there was a very heavy fog off shore. Mariners predicted, how ever, that the wind would shift to the northwest before morning, making conditions favorable for transferring the troops to destroyers. If this is done the men will be brought direct to New York
 The Oak Island coast guard crew went alongside in a small boat this afternoon after two attempts to fire a line across the transports bow had proved unsuccessful. From the line which the coast guards carried with l them, the brooches buoy was rigged.
 Unless the danger increases, how ever, the buoy will not be put to use, i but should the soldiers be landed on Fire Island, a fleet Of small craft will {. be utilized to transport them to Bay | Shore, where the naval air station has ! been turned into a huge emergency 1 hospital with medical and food sup | plies rushed from New York by the i Red Cross. A large number of ambu- | lances are assembled there ready to l transfer the sick and wounded from the boats to the hospital.
 Soldiers Line Decks
 When he returned after taking the | life line aboard, the captain of the ! coast guard crew reported that the transport had listed to such an extent i that it was difficult for him to keep his footing on the decks. Notwith- | standing this fact, he said, soldiers ! who were able to be about lined the rails, cheering lustily any attempt to | aid them.
 Breaking through the fog which to- ! night shrouded the Northern Pacific | were the lights of destroyers and tugs, while on the shore burned great fires, lighted by coast guards. These guards stood watch, prepared to put out in small boats, if any immediate danger menaced the transport.
 The thick weather made observa- tion difficult when the transport, which left Brest on Christmas day, went across the sand bar between Point O. Woods and Fire Island. The sea, roughing at dawn, prevented all efforts to remove the troops.
 In Dangerous District
 The coast guards declared tonight that had the vessel struck certain oth- CT bars in the vicinity she would have been smashed to pieces in a relatively short time. The shore is dotted with ! the hulks of other ships which ended | their career in the graveyard of the Atlantic" It was near this point that the United States steamship San Diego was sunk last summer.
 A relief expedition of 150 medical officers. nurses and hospital orderlies left authorization headquarters at Ho- boken this afternoon for Fire Island. The party was commanded by Colonel | Valentine, inspector general. and Col. H. s. Kerrick. superintendent of trans portation.
 On his return tonight Colonel Ker- rick reported to Major General Shanks, head of the embarkation serv- ice that, there appears to be no cause for undue alarm over the safety of the troops and there is absolutely no oc- casion for worry at the present mo- ment on the part of relatives or friends"