Evening star., 1923-12-21
.lEWATHAN RUNS
AGROUND ON REEF
Tugs Unable to Float Her in
New York Harb0r as Low
Water NearS.
By the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
NEW YORK. December 21.-The
Leviathan. queen ship of the Amer
lean merchant marine, inbound from
Cherbourg today, grounded on Robins
reef in New York harbor. A call was
sent for all available tugs
The reef is located just north OF
Tompkinsville, Staten Island The
ship grounded after she had passed
In quarantine on the way to her dock.
The tide was ebbing when the Le-
viathan grounded. 1t will be 8 pm.
before the high-water mark again
Will be reached. The reef was con-
snip channel. The operators Of the
Leviathan were without advices at
ll:15 as to how the vessel came to
be so far off her course.
shortly after the Leviathan ground
ed quarantine reported that the
s.sighter sssnsn ;r Boden; outbound. was
the Narrows. A heavy haze hung
over the harbor this morning.
The Leviathan was completing a
voyage during which she made an at
TEMPT to set new record on the
Westbound trip from Cherbourg to
New York. Heavy fog, however, was
reported to have slowed her during
the last hours of the voyage.
The Leviathan is booked to go to
gers are landed to undergo the usual
repairs while the period of slack
transatlantic trade Is on.
Half a dozen tugs had reached the
Leviathan by 1880 o'clock and had
made fast. They tugged away vigor-
ously, but apparently were unable to
bulge her, with the low-water mark
about an hour ahead.
The dense fog that hid the sea
giant from shore observers when she
struck lifted an hour later. ana the
Staten Island beaches were crowded
by crowds who assembled to watch
the operations of eight tugs that
chugged mighty in apparently futile
efforts to foat her.
The offices of the United States
lines, which received first word Of the
grounding from the Associated Press
later reported the liner was in no
danger.
Difficult to Handle.
Because of her great bulk and
draught the Leviathan is one of the
most difficult vessels in the world to
maneuver. More than 900 feet long
and 100 feet broad. she draws 40 feet
1t was necessary to dredge the en-
trance to the harbor at Newport News
before she could enter that port for
reconditioning.
the vessel grounded. Five were push
ing on the bow, two more on the sides
and two others had two lines on the
stern. Apparently the giant ship
struck first on her port bow.
The liner. seeking to clip several
minutes from her westbound record
was checked by a fog that lessen ed
as the morning wore on. At quaran-
tine another delay, vexatious to Capt
Herbert L. Hartley, was experienced
when she unloaded her heavy Christ
mas mail.
Meanwhile the tide was getting
| lower and lower, but the ship moved
out of quarantine still hoping to dock
by noon.
The Leviathan carries a heavy pas
senger list. Her operators were dis
cussing means of landing her passen-
gers by tugs. Otherwise it appeared
| they would not dock till nearly mid
night, if the tugs were able to fioat
| the liner at high water.
John j. McGraw. manager and par
| owner of the Giants, and Prince
Machabelli, whose wife is scheduled
| to alternate with Lady Diana Duff
Cooper as the Madonna in THE Mir
acle," are among the passengers.
! Others whose names appeared or
| the first cabin list were w. f. Doyle
! of Boston, Countess Tolstoi. Madame
| Bareto of the Chicago Opera Company
and Mr.. and Mrs. ]. Dawson Chamber!
of Chicago.