New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1919-01-02
Dozen Naval Vessels Stand
By Northern Pacific
Ready TO Lend Aid
Soldiers Rescue
Is Expected To-day
seaplane Ready to Drop
Hawser Aboard If YES
sci Lists Further in Mud


Northern Pacific, carrying 2,451 SOL
ders and crew of more than 400,
drove hard and fast aground before
dawn yesterday about mile off Fire
Island, and is still there, though with
a line aboard, the Coast Guard on
watch on the beach and more than a
dozen naval vessels keeping vigil just
outside the shadows. No attempt was
made last night to take men off, as
the big transport semed the safest and
most comfortable place FOR them under
the weather conditions.
OF the soldiers on boar dthere are
seventy-three officers and 1871 enlist
ed men who are sick and wounded.
Only 2s9 OF these, all Of them enlisted
men, are bedridden. The others are
listed as mot requiring special atten-
ton" There are seventeen officers
and 470 enlisted men comprising the
5th Base Cemetery Sector, most Of
them from Portland, Me-, and IA per
cent from Jsffe-soD Barracks, No.
The Sth Trench Mortar Battery of
FIVE officers and 155 enlisted men, all
the only other complete unit on the
vessel. The rest of those on board are
either sick and wounded casual Off
GERS or other casuals.
Landing Expected To-day
Captain L. j. Connolly, U. S. n, com
mander of the vessel, sent this wire
less message last night:
Northern Pacific in no danger.
Relatives Of soldiers and crew need
have no fear for their safety. The
soldiers in all probability will be
landed tomorrow or whenever wind
shifts to northward of west"
more sociable shipwreck than that
which is holding up nearly 5000 men
almost in sight of their home port at
holiday time probably never befell
mariners since the days of Noah. Sew
eral oCast Guard crews had the beach
ablaze with Coston lights and great
gres soon after the first rocket scared
into the mist from the transport.
In few hours more a fotilla of de-
s'royers and naval tugs with cruiser
Or tHo, a transport and hospital
snip, were blinking messages out Of
the darkness seaward. In the after
noon a naval aviator swooped about
the snip 30 close he could see the faces
of the men on deck. Later boats crew
Of Coast Guard men came aboard to
pass the time Of day.
Light Doused by Fog
= southwestern wind, fog-laden, vas
rounding the ragged south shore of
Long Island with breakers when the
Northern Pacific, homeward bound
from Brest, whence she sailed on
christmas Day, bored in toward the
'rlnge OF islands and bars guarding
treat South Bay from tho Atlantic
which constitutes one of the "crave-
yards' Of the coast. The powerful
fire Island Light. 1ss feet above the
'eaen isvet apparently was doused by
The fog.
with the tide running in and tbe
waves boosting her. the bip shin for-
fnerly railroad vessel in the Pacific
Coast service, hurdled the outer F,ra
lsland bar about two miles east Of rho
light without scraping plate. Then
dazzling CLEAN through a rift in tho
fog or the sound of the breakers a
mile away that drifted back when thu
wind dropped for moment, aroused
the iookouts.
At the moment of their shouts o1
alarm the Northern Pacific slid around
On the inner bar, canted slightly to
a;arboard and then veered broadside
70 the beach with the urge Of the
wares, each Of which pounded her
more securely in her position Rock
efs we're sent up, and within a few
minutes there were answering si0nals
rom the Coast Guard patrol on the
beach
Wireless Appeals Caught
ne vessel lay broadside on with a
mile of shore and between two and
nfss miles from tho Fire Island light.
ore vas almost directly abreast Of the
bssai radio station and within q few
"''es o. where the cr9iser San Diego