The New York herald., 1920-01-19
RESCUE SHIPS
BY TRANSPORT
800 MILES OUT
Many Vessels at Hand in An
swer to Call of Dis
treSS.
WILL TRY TO TOW
LINER TO HALIFAX
Cedric Will Take Over Passen-
gers as Soon as Heavy
Seas Allow.
LIQUOR SHIP IN PLIGHT
Coast Guard Cutter Bringing the Var.
mouth Here After She Re-
ported Herself Sinking.
LIQUOR SHIP IN PLIGHT

With five hundred persons aboard, and
her boiler room flooded. the army trans
port Powhatan was reported in distress
last night about five hundred miles
east of New York. She carries 27 civil
ian and army passengers and a crew of
more than two hundred.
Late last night Captain Randall reported
the transport was in no immediate danger
and probably will be floated into Halifax,
the nearest port.
The United States Shipping Board
steamship Western Comet, which is
among the vessels standing by, will at
tempt to tow the distressed vessel to
Halifax, the message stated. The passen-
gers will be transferred to the White Star
liner Cedric as soon as the weather per-
mts.
A later message from Captain Randall
said that many vessels were standing by
the transport and no further assistance
was needed
The Coast Guard cutters Ossippee. from
Portsmouth, n. H.; Acushnet, from Woods
Hole; Gresham from Boston. two de-
stroyers from Newport, and the army
transports Northern Pacific and the
Martha Washington were ordered to
proceed to the distressed ship with all
possible haste. The Martha Washington
and the Northern Pacific are homeward
bound from Europe with the last con-
tingents of the American Expeditionary
Forces from Brest.
Fire Room ys Flooded.
The first message from the Powhatan
came by radio to Boston and was signed
by Captain Randall. lie gave the position
of tho Powhatan as latitude 41.05 north
and longitude 62.0l west. 1t gave the brief
information that tho transports fire room
was flooded; tho pipes choked and the
water gaining.
Later a second message from Captain
Randall said -
I'VE have five hundred persons on board.
Boiler room flooded. Desire ships stand
by until results of attempt to raise steam
to start pumps is known"
Request was made that tugs with heavy
towing gear be despatched as soon as
possible"
The steamship Yarmouth. OF the Black
Star Corporation, owned and manned by
negroes and carrying a cargo of $1,000
00C worth Of liquor for Havana. sent out
radio calls for assistance early last night.
reporting she was in a sinking condition
and asking for help. She reported a po-
stion about forty miles east OF Cape May.
The Coast Guard cutter Itasca was hur-
ried to the scene and late last night sent
a wireless report that she had taken the
Yarmouth in tow and was proceeding with
her to New York.
The Shipping Board steamer Independ-
ence, which left Newport News Thursday
for Rotterdam. reported by wireless yes
terday that she was stuck in the mud off
Cape Henry. She asked for the assistance
of n tug and said her need was urgent" ="
The independence is a vessel OF 7.ooe tons
gross.
The Shipping Board TINKER wilhelm
Jebsen reported that she was disabled
and was drifting on reef in latitude
1856 north and longitude 1856 west The
Coast Guard steamer Yamacraw was noti-
fled CT her difficulty. The Wilhelm
Jebsen, which has n gross tonnage Of
72o4, left New York Tuesday for Palo
Blanco. Mexico
The steamship Lakeville. which went on
the beach at Jones Inlet on Friday, is still
hard and fast aground. II was said last
night that several days will probably be
required to get the vessel into deep water
as she Is far UP on tho beach.