Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1919-01-02
TAKEN OFF, AS
BOAT BURIES
SELF IN Sand
Removal Of All Aboard
Begun as Attempt to
Float Craft Fails.
BULLETIN.


Fire Island, y. h. Jan. q
4 lifebOat loaded with troops
from the transport Northern
Pacific was capsized by tho
heavy surf. throwing IL SOL
diers and life-saTeTs in.O Thc +
water. All were saved. One
soldier and three Of the life
savers were caught under the
boat. Lie guards on shore
rushed into the surf, and after
reScuing the others, dragged
the boat to the beach. Where
the four who were unconscious
were revived.
New York, Jan. 2.-After an
unsuccessful attempt had been
made today TO drag the AmeTi-
can transport NOrInern Pacific,
from the sand-bar on which she
grounded near Fire island
early Wednesday morning.
navy officials here announced
plans for removing the 2,fsB
troops TO vessels Standing by
at = o'clock this afternoon il
weather conditions were favor
able.
Announcement that both the
wounded and the well soldier
aboard the stranded transport
Northern Pacific, were being trans
fered both to pescuing vessels and
the shore in smaller boats, was
made at 1890 o'clock by Brigadier
General McManus OF the port OF
embarkation al Hoboken
Men Are Landed.
Three officers and one 50, lier,
oil wounded, were landed just be
fore noon today from the transport
Northern Pacific. stranded OFF Fire
island They came ashore in q
coast guard boat The landing o.
additional troops was expected tu
follow.
The first Of the four ashore wa
G, Goth infantry. from Buffalo.
wounded in the Argonne on Oct 9
He was followed by Lieutenant
Robert H. Wilson, of Brooklyn,
wounded July 30 at Chateau Thier~
ry, Robert W. Thorp, 18Th infau-
try of Washington. indiana, wound
ed in the ArgOnne, and Joseph La-
gan Wilton, whose home Is in Penn
sylvania,
Four more life boats filled with
soldiers arrived from the Northern
Pacific soon after. while four other
boats. all belonging to the transport
filled with members of the crew
left the ship for the outlying rescu
vessels.
All OF by Night.
Removal before nightfall OF the
,4S0 Homecoming American troops
from the transport Northern Pa
cific, stranded of Fire island, was
expected by the officials at the office
of Vice Admiral Gleaves OF the
cruiser and transport service In Ho-
boken. who stated this afternoon
that the transferal of the men 10
army and navy craft was proceed
ing rapidly in a modorating sea.
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 OF
shore. The receiving ships, II was
stated, would start tor New NOrS
as soon as they were loaded The
naval authorities reported that the
Northern Pacific was resting cas-
lily" this afternoon in is feet OF Wa
ter, with her hull iinbedded 10 the
depth of six feet in the sand.
The constant pounding OF the
seas against the American trans
port Northern Pacific, stranded On
Fire Island since $3.50 q, m Wed
nesday, has driven the ship higher
onto the beach this forenoon,
swinging her bow so that she was
only $50 yards from the shore.
Ship Wedged In Sand.
Waves heavier than those wedg-
ed her tightly into the sandbar yes
terday, breaking over the trans
port, and the wind was still blow
ing unfavorably from the south
west
Twelve cruisers and destroyers
and other rescue ships maintained
vigil throughout the night in a
semicircle a mile outside the bar,
their "blinker" Lights flashing in
cessantly At dawn they prepared
for a day of manauvering about the
stranded vessel. Fresh coast guard
crews replaced the ones which
spent the night near the hrceches
buoy. which could not be used, end
are in constant semiphore com
municatiou with the transport
Twenty Red Cross nurses with
food and supplies landed on Fire
Island ready 20 care for any troop
which might be brought ashore
The nurses were accompanied b.
Camp Upton soldiers who Will be
used 10 aid the coast guard men