New-York tribune., 1922-02-09
Fastest Ship in
Troop Service
Burns at Sea
Northern Pacific, Former
Transport, Destroyed OH
Her Way From New York
to Chester, Pa, Drydock
Grew Of 7OBclieved Saved
Revenue Cutter Which Saw
Craft Go Down Reports
All Aboard Were Rescued

The former transport Northern Pacl.
flc, which made history for herself
after the armisticc as tho fastest vcs-
sci to bring anxious warriors home
from tn, battle fields Of franco burned
to the waters edge yesterday on tho
Delaware Capea.
Sho carried comp paratively small
crew, mostly mon who had signed on
tor The short run from New York to
Chester, Pa. to which she had sailed to
Undergo an oveTlauling before enter
ing the merchant service OF the Ad-
mimi Line which tool, her over from
the government.
tp to ietc hour last nlght only
fragmeNtary and conflicting rcporto
had been received from vecst,s which
went to her nssistaNcc sorno thirty
miles northeast Of Cape May where she
stopped 70 fight tho flames, which
attacked her early in the morninr.
Captain Huston of the Coast Guard
cutter Kickapoo. who put into Cape
May last night said that the Northern
Pacliic sank at p. m. while the cutie =
lay q quarter Of mile to windward.
The heat from the blazing vessel, he
said' was 80 intense that he was un-
ahio to approach closer. re had been
advised that All OF board had been
picked UP in lfeboats by the steam
ship transportation and the tanker
Herbert G.. Wylic Nevertheless. he
crused to The southwark in the hope
Of picking up any lifeboats that ight
have been carried before the sixty
mile gale from the north
Some o. tie early reports from the
rescuing vessels accounted for the en-
tire crew with Che exception Of four
men from the Sun Shipbuilding Com
pa7y. Of Chester, 2-ho went aboard at
New York 70 observe her performance
before entering drydock for repairs.
Believe Oil Pipes Started Fire
THO Northern Pacific is sn oil burner
and II is believed that trouble with her
fuel iced pipes similar TO that which
started fire on two occasions aboard
the steamship Panhandle State Of the
y. $. Lines was responsible for thn
IRE that destroyed her yesterday.
The Northern Pacific left New York
on Tuesday in command OF Captain
William Lustie and carried e skeleton
crew Of seventy men. She " ! moving
along at moderately slow speed OF. the
coast OF New Jersey when she I've
started.
Il Is rot known exactly when the 4 ro
started, but the first call for assistance
vas picked up in 4 broadcast message
sent out at 1904 p. II. saying the vessel
Was on fire and in need Of immediate
assistance. This radio was received by
the operator OF the tanker Wy!ie. She
crowded on al her Epeed and stood By
the fia1nming transport
1t wss said yatse', sy at the Ioca,
Offices of the Admiral Line that ad-
vices received from The Sun Shipbuild-
ing Company. ct Chester, said that the
four employees Of chat company had
not been accounted for: The men arc
II. kruger and Frank Hall, OF thc Oh
g;nccriHg department. ana ". G. NAL
lett and c. I. Beckmar. of the draft
ing de2artm ent.
The pig Standard Oil tanker John A.
Archbold, nortnbound from Mexico,
sighted the burning vessel AZ $3.50 a.
n. and worked in close to her prepared
10 take aboard any Of the crew that
might be sill aboard or in lifeboats
The skipper sent radio to the main
Office Of the Standard Oil Company in
This city saying that he had stood by
ready to offer assistance, but that there
was 10 eign Of life aboard. He de-
sclbed the Northern Pacific as being
eblGze from sten. to stern and with 4
list Of about As degrees to starboard.
He further advised that he learned that
ali on board the burning vessel had
been transferred 10 the Nylic and the
Transportation.
The Northern Pacific, which was
bull. in 1915 Tor the Great Northern
Steamship Company at the Cramps
yards IN Philadelphia, came 20 public
notice through her speed as croop
ship used III bringing back men cf the
A. 7. T.. from France. She went
ashore in January. 1919, OF Fire 1s.and
with some 1900 troops on board. buV
was subsequently lioated and resumed
hey trips as transport. When she
7vas relieved from transport service
she made 3 trip 60 the Caribbean and
went asho-e otf San Juan, Porto Rico.
She was Of $3.50 tons with 4 length
Of 6C9 feet and beam of SO feet
She was TO have been overhauled at q
cost of 100000 before rcsuming serv-
ice II June.
Is<s