Big Steamer Pounds
Sands
By the Associated
Press
New York, Jan. 1—The American transport Northern Pacific
which left Brest, France on Christmas day with 2,080 wounded and well American
soldiers, sailors and nurses went aground at Fire Island, one of the most dangerous
points on the Atlantic coast, in rain and fog early today. Several hours later
with rain falling intermittently and wind blowing the vessel harder into the
sand, navy officials saw no chance of releasing the vessel until tomorrow and
the coast guard crew began casting lines from the shore.
The vessel was rolling heavily in a sea which appeared to be
getting rougher and while no apprehension was expressed by navy officials as to
the safety of those on board, it was regarded as advisable to remove the
passengers.
A message received at Hoboken at 11 a.m. from the captain of
the Northern Pacific reported “everybody on board safe.”
At noon no one had been taken off the transport. By that
time four destroyers had reached the scene and also were standing by. The sea
was growing rougher.
Plans for caring for soldiers aboard the Northern Pacific,
especially the wounded, have been put into operation.
Update for Jan. 2
Three officers and one soldier, all wounded, were landed
just before noon today from the transport Northern Pacific stranded off Fire
Island, New York. They came ashore in a coast guard boat.
Four more life boats filled with soldiers arrived from the
Northern Pacific soon after, while four other boats followed with members of
the crew, which left the ship for the rescuing outlying vessels. Several
additional boats are in service.
Meantime the life boats and the coast guard boats returned for
more troops. The rescued men declared the stranded troops were in the best of
spirits and making merry over their predicament.
Jan. 3—Work of
Removing Soldiers Continues
The navy lent itself today to the task of bringing ashore
the soldiers who have been held prisoners since Wednesday morning on the
Northern Pacific.
Submarine chasers, power launches and whale boats in a
tumbling surf came alongside the helpless liner and transported the soldiers at
the rate of 300 or 400 an hour from the vessel to the shore.
At noon 900 men had been transported and one destroyer had
started for New York with a load of rescued.
The four submarine chasers took turns at the side of the big
vessel and relieved 150 men at a load, while the two motor launches carried 10
to 20. The Northern Pacific remained fast in the sands with a slight list to
seaboard, which held the rope ladders snugly against her camouflaged sides and
made comparatively easy descent into the boats.
Continuous rain, fog and heavy pounding by the waves have
failed to lower the spirits of those aboard the transport, which is now listing
hard to port. The ship’s band played lively airs while the work of rescue was
being carried on. As one soldier expressed it, “It takes more than a few sad
sea waves to shake the nerve of those who saw the real show in France.”
Jan. 4
Removal of 200 wounded the last of the army transport North
Pacific’s passengers list aboard the stranded liner, was begun today under fair
skies and a calm sea. Slubmarine chasers and launches carrying the wounded to
the hospital ship Solace were expected to complete the operation by noon.
Powerful wrecking tugs made an effort at high tide this
morning to drag the transport out to deep water.
Four naval launches drew alongside the ship, which developed
a heavier seaward list during the night, and the hospital ship Solace took a
position closer to shore in preparation for the rescue of the wounded veterans
of the European battlefields.
Many of those remaining on board were litter cases, thus
adding to the task of the rescuers.
At dawn Red Cross army workers were on the beach with
supplies of steaming coffee, ready for any emergency.
Rescuers sought relief from the biting weather around great
bonfires built on the beach.
Jan. 5
No mention of the stranded ship—the news of Theodore
Roosevelt’s death took much space in the newspaper.
Jan. 7--Hickory
Boy on Big Stranded Transport
Mrs. C.M. Bolick has received the following letter dated New
York, January 7, from her son Mr. John Bolick.
I know that you will be surprised to learn that I am at last
back in the good old U.S.A. Left Brest, France, Christmas day and would have
arrived in New York January 1st but our ship, the ‘Northern Pacific’
ran aground 50 miles out of New York City and we were stranded there within 200
yards off shore of Fire Island and could not be taken off until January 3rd
when I, with about 300 others were carried from the transport in small boats to
a torpedo boat destroyer, then into New York city. There were no lives lost
although there were about 2,500 soldiers sick and wounded on board, but it was
very fortunate that there were none lost. I for one am surely glad to get my
feet again on solid ground.
I sure am anxious to get home but do not know just when I
will be discharged but expect that it will be some little time yet, although I
am not worrying for am being taken fine care of and getting plenty of
everything to eat and a fine place to stay on Ellis Island, N.Y., which is a
big hospital.
Have privilege to go to New York city every afternoon from 1
to 8 p.m. Am going up this afternoon. It takes only about 30 minutes to from
here to up town.
I have never heard from any of my friends since I left Camp
Mills for over seas. I do not know what became of my mail but it takes a long
time to reach one in France. You need not write until you hear from me again
for I presume I will leave here Monday afternoon for Camp Merritt, N.J., or
some other camp near New York city, any way I had rather wait until I get home
to hear all the news.
This leaves me all O.K. and getting along fine in every
respect. Hope that all are well at home.
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