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Tuesday, January 1, 2019

Transport Ship Carrying Soldiers Grounded Off Fire Island, N.Y., 1919

From the Hickory Daily Record, January 1 through 7, 1919

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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