The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1934-02-20
HURRY TO AID Of
80 MEN ON BOARD
STRICKEN VESSEL
Wireless Reports Steamer Be.
inQ Battered on Rocks
Near Boston Harbor
NORTHEAST GALE BLOWING
Commercial Vessel Also Joins in
Attempt to Snatch Victims
From Waves
NORTHEAST GALE BLOWING

Boston, Feb. 20-(R-The coast
guard patrol boat Dix and CONNER
cial tug fought their way through =
rip snortin' northeast blizzard Tues.
day to save the crew Of the steamship
Northern Sword, pounding to pieces
on the rocks Of winthrop Head. just
off Boston harbor.
The Northern Sword sent out her
first sos call about q. m. 1t was
picked up BY tho Anyways Radio sta
ton at the East Boston Airport and
relayed by telephone to coast guard
headquarters at Boston.
The message said: Helpless and
drifting ashore off Winthrop Head"
A tremendous sea was running and
visibility was extremely poor. A
northeast blizzard reared down the
Massachusetts, coast and across Cape
Cod and apparently drew the North
ern Sword onto the rocks OF Win
throp Head, for within q half hour,
about $50 O. m. another SOS from
the steamer said: Vessel grounded
and pounding heavily. Crew aboard.
send help. Northeast snow storm"
The coast guard patrol boat Dix was
ordered out Of Boston to the steamers
aid and the Boston Tow Boat company
sent its tug Venus.
Takes Terrific Battering
The Northern Sword lay In three
feet Of water and was taking terrific
beating. She had 80 men aboard.
She is q collier Of $500 tons and
was bound from Boston to Norfolk.
Va, In ballast. Coast guard said she
anchored Monday night In President
Roads at the entrance to Boston har-
Dor and during the early morning
dragged her anchors.
She is owned by the Sword Steam
ship company Of New York.
Coast guard surfmen set up APP
paratus on Winthrop Beach to at
tempt rescue Of the crew by breeches
buoy.
The master Of the Northern Sword
wirelessed coast guard headquarters
that he was not in immediate danger
but had swung out life boats In the
belief they might soon have to aban-
don ship.
Coast guards advised the boats be
used only in the greatest emergency
as 1t would be extremely hazardous to
attemut q landing In the shoal water
and pounding surf.
The blizzard was blowing at q 60.
mile velocity and, although the ship
was only q scant 100 yards offshore.
1t was feared they would be unable
to get line aboard.
Fishermen Are Rescued
Two other coast guard patrol boats,
battling heaving seas, floating Ice and
gales, reached the leaking. rudderless
fishing schooner Hope Leslie, took her
in tow, and started with her for
Woods Hole.
The patrol boat 235. for whose safe
ty fears were felt after being unre-
ported for hours, reached the help
less drifting 60-foot schooner about
midforenoon and was joined later by
the CO lat.
Then the two boats, with the dis
abled fisherman In tow, began . grim
race against time for the coast guard
base. The schooner was taking water
fast and her crew OF 10 labored ct
the pumps. trying to keep the craft
alfoat during the 13-mile run to port.
Help came to the storm-stricken
schooner AZ surfman Of the Guilty.
Hunk coast guard station had their
beach apparatus on the sands, pre-.
pared to take the 10 men of with .
breeches buoy. The schooner had lain
helpless 500 feet from shore while her
crew chung to the rigging to keep
from being washed overheard.
Virtually al Of the New England
was buried under swirling drifts Of
snow and temperatures tobogganned.
In the entire area the snowfall was
CONTINUED on Paee y