Omaha daily bee., 1919-01-03
WOUNDED
SOLDIERS
ARE BEING
~RESCU UED
Work Of Removing Troops
from Transport Begun;
Lifeboats Capsized
by Heavy Surf.

NeW OTk, Jan. IL ne trans
Fort Northern Pacific stranded OF
sandbar near Fire Island Light i.
resting easily tonight and is in nc
danger, according to a wireless mes
sage received tonight by the Asso.
ciated Press from Captain Connolly
commanding. Another attempt tc
float the vessel will be made at high
water tomorrow.
When darkness halted until 10.
morrow morning the removal OF
home e-bound soldiers from the
transport, naval officials at the port
of embarkation headquarters at
Hoboken estimated that between
600 and 700 men, many OF them
wounded. had been transferred tc
warshiDs or taken ashore in life
boats or the breeches buoy.
Thrown Into Surf.
A lfeboat loaded with troop.
from the transport was capsized BY
the heavy surf, throwing IS soldiers
and life savers into the.>water. All
were saved.
One soldier and three of the life
savers were caught under the boat
Life guards 'on shore rushed inN
the surf and after rescuing tfeN
others, dragged the boat to the
beach, where the four who were
unconscious were revived.
= Resort to Breeches Buoy.
After the mishap the life savers
abandoned for a while the method
of bringing soldiers ashore in the
small boats. Instead, the breeches
buoy was rugged and soon the troops
began reaching land two at time.
Later. preparations were made to
launch lifeboats again.
A power boat from the cruiser
Columbia, engaged in bringing
ashore troops from the transport
Northern Pacific, capsized this aft
ernoon, when its engine went dead
as it approached the beach. throw
ing all hands, nine men. into the
sea. All were rescued by life guards,
who dashed into the breakers and"
While some of the soldiers were
being brought ashore in surf craft,
the majority, naval officers said,
were ferried in light draft vessels
operating between the grounded
liner and warships standing off
shore. The receiving ships, it was
stated, would start for New York
as soon as they were loaded.
The naval authorities reported
that the Northern Pacific was rest
ing easily" this afternoon in l8 feet
of water, with her hull imbedded
to the depth of six feet in the sand.
Sixty men from the Northern
Pacific had reached the Y. NJ. c. A.
hut at the naval air station at Bay
Shore by 2 o'clock this afternoon.
They were mostly from the Eighth
trench mortar battery.
A coast guard crew later succeed
ed in getting line to the trans
port, on which they rugged their
surf boat somewhat like trolley.
The surf boat then began ferrying
soldiers to the beach.
Because of the rough seas it was
impossible for the men to come
over the side of the ship on ladders.
A ships lifeboat was slung out from
the davits and lowered to the surf
boat into which the men were trans
ferred. ..
The first trip from the ship to
the shore waas hard one. Several
times it looked as if the boat had
been swatnped. Only the clever
work of the coast guards saved it.
However, the doughboys, aside from
getting wet, were none the worse
for the trip.
Red Cross On Job.
The three wounded officers de-
clared that the stranded troops were
iii the best of spirits and were, in
fact, making merry over their pre-
dicament.
A Red Cross contingent of nine
nurses arrived az the shore today
Will CHOuSH SdHUWlCIleS ana COffee
to feed the entire personnel of the
transport. Colonel Pierce has re.
ceived orders to commander al
houses on Fire Island if the trooa
were landed.
A coast guard crew. under COM
nand of Captain Tuttle, of the Oak
Island station, took a boat out to
the transport at 9 a. m. through a
heavy surf. The troops lined the
rails and cheered as the small boat
came alongside. After remaining on
board for while, Captain Tuttle re-
entered his boat, which headed out
10 sea in the direction of the cruiser
Des Moines.
Sea Pounds Transport.
Washington, Jan. 2.-The con-
stant pounding of the seas against
the American transport Northern
Pacific, stranded on Fire island
since $50 a. M. Wednesday, had
driven the ship higher onto the
beach this forenoon, swinging its
bow so that, it was only $50 yssde
from the shore.