New-York tribune., 1920-02-07
Attempts by Coast Guard
and Many Tugs to Reach
Princess Anne ON Rock.
away Shoals, Are Futile
No Heat Or Light
For Passengers
Wireless Ceases; Engine,
Boiler Rooms Flooded:
Try Rescue at Daybreak

Inc Old DOMINION liner Princess
Anne, Norfolk for New York.
pounded last night, as she had
throughout the day, on the inner
bar off Rockaway Point. Within
800 yards of the beach, with the
clty's glow showing dimly through
the driving sleet and snow, thirty
two passengers watched the waves
tumble about a lighthouse tender
and tugs that were standing by.
Waves running from twentv to
thirty feet high were pounding the
vessel. Its dynamos were silenced.
Only an occasional oil lantern
threw swaying circle of yellow
on her decks. Hold No. was
aWash. Decks, masts and rails were
sheathed in ice. The wireless, which
for hours had constituted tenuous
connection with the shore that was
so near, was dumb for lack of
power.
Ihlrty-two passengers and crew of
sevcnty-tWo were wrecked on the water
front of New York and unable to get
ashore! They had been there since
Wireless Calls Cease
1t was D. H. when the wireless
ceased to function. For some time be-
lore that 1T had been running on current
obtained from batteries. The after
hold of the vessel, including the engine
and boiler rooms. was flooded, cutting
off the passengers from the light and
heat. Even hot coffee had to be served
sparlngly because of the shortage of
drinking water.
Although their plight was most un-
comfortable, the passengers were said
to be in small danger, except from
exposure. The outer bar acted as a
sort Of breakwater, diminishing the
force of the giant rollers which swept
in from the sea. There was no danger
either of the ships sliding off into
deep water, as it might have done on
the outer bar
Captain Joseph Meade, of the Ar
verne coast guard station, who took
command at the Rockaway Point sta
ton after reaching it with his crew.
said 1T was the worst storm he had
seen in fifteen years. experience on
that coast. Repeated efforts to launch
liteboats were frustrated by the high
seas and the ice foes that Uttered the
beach Last night the waves swept
clear across the peninsula, cutting off
the coast guardsmen at the beach from
relief by the men in the station.
Will Try to Pass Line
Captain Meade will go out in
powerful motorboat at 5 a. m. TODAY
and seek to pass Il line from the
Princess Anne to one of the vessels
standing by. With the aid of such
llne the passengers and crew could be
taken off the wrecked boat The
an angle Of about 45 degrees. Her cap
tain is disabled with fractured knee.
All efforts to reach her during the day
proved futile
1t was too rough to attempt to trans
ship the passengers. The distance from
shore was SO great that a breeches
buoy probably could not have been
used even could a mortar have shot
line across the vessel. All day the
passengers, many of them suffering
from exposure and all Of them on short
allowance of drinking water, because
OF the protracted trip, strained their
eyes to see the low shore line where
lights were visible when the sleet and
snow lifed for moment.
Within the very city limits they were
suffering the hardships Of shipwreck
in the Shetlands or che Orkneys. AL
though Captain Frank Seay sent urgent
messages for help during the afternoon,
the sea was still running too high to
get the passengers off. Observers de-
cided the risk to those on board was
In bo pr;n tLo j
be if the effect was made to trans
ship them.
Calls for Tugs
"Ship is filing" Captain Seay called.
"Send tugs Immediately. 1t will be
necessary to get passengers and crew
off before night. Vessel IN exposed po-
sition. Seas very high"
1t was 2:25 Il. IN. when the first mes
sage of distress from the Princess
Anne was received at naval stations
and at Police Headquarters. Battling
his way northward through the storm,
Captain Seay apparently had failed to
recognize his exact position, and the
first message, which stated thst the
Princess Anne was ashore on Romer
Shoals. sent relief vessels racing to the
entrance of the harbor instead of to
Rockaway Point. 1t was some time be-
fore they could be advised by wireless
of the true position Of the Princess
Anne.
Second Message at 2:40 D. m.
10 Twelve hours after the recent of the
first message the wireless of the Prin-
cess Anne came faint and stammerine
through the storm.
"Ship's dynamo will not last much
longer" ran message received at 2:40
p. m. After part of aerial down.
Mast broken. Wires covered with ice.
Half of bank of batteries down and
Continued on page three