The New York herald., 1920-01-09
TOSSES
SHIP IS HOURS,
SCORES INJURED
The Mercury Reaches Port
Four Days Overdue-Three
Soldiers Die.


There came slowly into port yesterday
the army transport Mercury. four days
overdue from Antwerp, with her super
structure bearing the scars of struggle
against laundering in the Atlantic on New
Years Day In the severest Of storms ex-
perienced in many years. More than
score of the more than four hundred pas
sengers also bore evidence Of their ter
rifying experience as they limped down
the gangplank. Not a few gave fervent
thanks ON their safe arrival. They
Murry for the consummate seamanship
he displayed when 1t appeared certain
that all would be lost.
Lashed by hurricane blowing one HIM
dred miles an hour and swept by noun
famous seas which ripped away the an
tennae Of the wireless, leaving the vessel
without means of communication; i'm
perilled by heavy furniture and dining
tables torn from their iron fastenings and
which smashed down men and women, the
Mercury for nineteen hours withstood the
fury Of the storm, which did not abate in
all that time.
NAt one time the vessel keeled over un-
til Its roH was a maximum of forty-eight
degrees. Passengers and crew had lost
their footing and sprawled about, clinging
desperately to anything within reach. More
than thirty officers wives, soldiers brides
and other women shrieked with terror add
Ing their voices to those of scores in
Jured by the derelict furniture and tables.
Ever so slowly the ship was released from
the grip Of tons of water pouring over
its sides. and then finally righted.
Abandons Herself to Storm.
AS the storm beat down with unmiti-
gated fury upon the vessel, Captain Nc
Murray ordered the engineering crew to
let her heave to, and the giant engines
were stopped. For nineteen hours they
never once during that time essaying the
use OF her own motive power.
In the dining room, where about two
hundred passengers, mostly soldiers, were
ga thered to celebrate the New Year with
the customary feast, approximately one
hundred and fifty suffered injuries more
Ior less serious from the flying tables.
Though himself hurt, Captain NJ. Kennel,
the ships surgeon, forgot his own in
ljuries to attend and dress nearly one
hundred cases requiring medical treat
Iment.
The Misses Elizabeth Delaney, of
Worcester. Mass, and Helen Austin, of
Boston. Mass, nurses. were among those
injured by the tables and thus were pre-
his ministrations. Miss Austin's injuries
proved more serious than her companion's S
and she was compelled to remain in bed
for the remainder of the voyage.
Gets SIX Calls for Aid.
Afterward her wireless apparatus was
cwept away and for two days she was
without the means of summoning aid
Waves dashed over the ship and bridge,
endangering those of the officers who re-
manned at their post. William II. Fitzger-
aid, second officer, was in command OF the
bridge at the time when the storm was
most severe. While the Mercury was
fighting her own battle for survival, and
before her radio was destroyed, the wire-
less operator received six S. o. s. calls
from vessels in distress and an equal num-
ber from others which were being towed.
Special arrangements were made to
care for fifty-six wounded and Ill
soldiers returning from the Expedi-
tionary Forces, in addition to those
who met with mishap by coming in
contact with the tables.
Captain Walter Bernard, Marine
superintendent of the Army Transport
Service at Hoboken, who was return
ing from Antwerp where he had made
an inspection Of the docking facilities,
said the storm was the toughest he had
ever experienced.
lnTec SOIuleIb Dic AhcunVhio-
The spectre of death which 1urked
about the vessel did not depart until
three soldiers had succumbed to pneu-
monia. They were Privates Fay Ben
nett, OF Shawnee. Okla. who died Janu-
ary 2; Earl A. Neeley, of No. 14S High
street, Bradford, Pa, who died Decem-
Der 81. and Bernard L. Black. of Tyaffe.
Ala, who died January 4.
The Mercury when docking at Ant
werp, Second Officer Fitzgerald said.
tore away fifty feet of the wharf. being
carried along by the wind and tide until
she crashed into the pilings.
Aboard the Mercury were sixteen of the
crew OF the American Shipping Board yes
sci Liberty Clio, which was sunk in the
North Sea, off the Dutch coast, after
striking a mine on December last. They
told a graphic story of being marooned in
open boats for twenty hours. with the tenn
perature almost at zero, snow falling and
storm swept seas Four of the entire crew
Of forty-three were frozen to death and
their lifeless bodies recovered by the res
cue craft which had put out from Rotter-
dam after receiving the distress signals.
III. Edwardson, of the rescued party. de-
scribed the scenes following the explosion
of the mine. The Liberty Clio was split
in twain at the bridge and only held to-
gether by her keel. She succeeded In re-
naming afloat and proceeded within seven
miles of the Armuland lighthouse. when
the forward part OF the vessel sank. The
crew took TO the lifeboats, leaving behind
on the stern Captain J. Stansland and
Michael 7. Taggert, of Long Island.