Navy Transport

ansport Stranded on Fire Island Beach

By Harry B. Kidd

Researching topics of personal interest at the National Archives is often rewarded in finding
unknown details. Especially exciting is uncovering photographs and documents of events that
have faded from memory. While this story is in basic detail on the internet, what is not know
fully are the heroic actions of the US Coast Guard Life Saving Service. The Station Keepers of
Coast Guard life saving stations filed daily reports, microfilm copies of which are preserved
in The National Archives, located in "US
US Coast Guard Records Assistance to Individuals and
Vessels, T720-Roll
Roll #15, November 16, 1918 April 1, 1919. Additional information was found
in articles appearing in the New York Times of January 2 20, 1919.
.

January 1, 1919. In the early morning of January 1st 1919 Surfman Roger Smith on the 2 am
to 4:30 am patrol discovered a steamship ashore 2.5 miles east .25 miles south of this station
(Fire Island, Coast Guard Station #83).. He signaled to the ship and ran back to the post at tower
to report to the station telling the No 1. Surfman in charge at the time. No 1. Surfman notified
the Navy radio station at Fire Island and stations #84 and #82 of the fact and mustered crew
and asked
ked the Radio for help. Radio station sent 11 men to help pull the beach apparatus to
the stranded ship. Left station a 4:00 am with beach apparatus arrived opposite ship 5:20
am, fired the first shot at 8:30 am #7 shot line and 6 oz. of powder shot fell short. 1

So begins the 18 day saga of the grounding of the U.S.S. Northern Pacific on the Fire Island sand
bar. Surfman Smith reported sighting the ship at about 3:00 am, approximately 45 minutes after
the ship had grounded on the sand bar. The weather that morning was 45F and raining with a
strong wind out of the southwest. Waves of six to ten feet were reported breaking on shore.

The U.S.S. Northern Pacific a troop

transport, leased by the U.S. Navy from the Great
Northern Pacific Steamship Company, was almost
home on the westbound portion of its 11th transAtlantic run. Carrying over 2500 troops returning
from France the ship was in route to the
disembarkation port of Hoboken, New Jersey.
With a crew of 450 and over 2500 returning
troops, of whom more than fifteen hundred
recovering wounded, including 300 were bedridden, plus a contingent of Navy Nurses, the
Northern Pacific was fully loaded and the
potential for disaster was imminent.
[The] No 1. Surfman notified the Navy radio station at Fire Island, and stations #84 [Oak
Island] and #82 [Point of Woods] of the fact and mustered crew and asked the Radio [i.e.
Radio Station] for help. Radio station sent 11 men to help pull the beach apparatus to the
stranded ship. [They] Left station a 4:00 am with beach apparatus arrived opposite ship 5:20
am, fired the first shot at 8:30 am #7 shot line and 6 oz. of powder shot fell short. Tried again
with #4 shot line and 5 oz. of powder(,) line parted. Left wreck at 9:30 am came back to station
after Beebe-McLellen surfboat pulled boat across beach assisted by station #84 and #83 and
Radio men arrived at wreck at 11:00 am launched the boat got clear of the breakers but were
unable to pull against strong easterly set and had to land, shipped a large sea and partly filled
the boat, as the ship was working in shore tried again with #7 line with 7 oz of powder across
the steamer wireless apparatus, bent on #9 line and the crew of the ship started to haul it off,
when they had the #9 within about 15 fathoms of the ship the #7 line parted on account of the
strong set. A shot was fired ashore from the ship, a #7 line, again bent on a #9 line and in
hauling it off the #7 line parted when near the ship. Again launched the boat at 1 pm and
succeeding in reaching the ship after a long hard pull brought ashore an eighty thread line.
Keeper Tuttle in charge of the boat sent of whip line followed by hawser succeeded in setting
up the apparatus in working order. 4 pm signaled ship to see if anyone wanted to come ashore
as no one wanted to land part of crew keeping watch and others resting up. 1

During the day efforts to refloat the Northern Pacific proved unsuccessful and the ship was
forced further on shore by the winds, current and tides. The ship finally comes to rest about 200
yards off shore, stuck to a depth of 11 feet of sand on the Fire Island sand bar.
January 2 4, 1919. With the situation stabilized and resources arriving at the scene the task of
transferring the men and women from the ship began on morning of January 2nd. Using the
Beebe-McLellen surfboats the Coast Guard began transferring soldiers, ten at time from the ship
to shore and to other nearby ships. The breeches buoy apparatus is used to transfer individuals
directly to the beach. The weather conditions made the launching and recovery of the boats
through the very hazardous, but despite several mishaps, no major injuries occurred. The most
seriously wounded where transferred directly to the Navy hospital ship USS Solace.
About 7:30 am launched surfboat went on board stranded ship to make arrangements to the
[land] troops. Keeper Tuttle in charge of boat taking off 8 -10 soldiers at a trip assisted by
other crews that were at the scene of wreck. During the day there were 264 men and women
landed on the shore by boat and apparatus. Keeper Tuttle needed a rest and asked retired
keeper Baker to take the boat out and make some trips while he rested up, boat arrived along
side ship and took onboard 10 soldiers and started for the shore on a line, the line caught
under the boat and capsized it throwing all in the water. Crew on shore rushed in the water
and pulled soldiers and crew out. Surfman Roy Carter was caught under the boat and partly
filled with water and hit on the head when boat capsized. Two soldiers also caught under boat
performed the resuscitation on all 3 and they were brought around OK. Soldiers names not
known. At 5 pm work stopped as was getting dark some of the crews resting up others keeping
watch on beach opposite the stranded boat. 1

January 5, 1919. . L.J. Nelson No1 Surfman in charge with crew left
station at 4:00 pm Jan 5th, left No. 2 Surfman in charge of station, we arrived at stranded
vessel at 5:00 pm we stood 24 hour watches with Station #84 on the beach fro Jan 5 to 18th to
be at hand in case assistance was required on stranded vessel No.1 Surfman was in charge
returned to station every other night. On Jan 6th assisted one of the U.S.S. Columbias life
boats after (it was) swamped in the surf, also took 30 of U.S.S. Columbias sailors, who had
been stranded on the beach, out to the steamer Northern Pacific were a power boat was
waiting for them. We left stranded vessel on Jan 18th at 5 pm, returned to station at 7 pm.
Northern Pacific was floated off the bar at 9 pm Jan 18th. 1

The New York Times, January 20, 1919: Northern Pacific Reaches Harbor. The transport
Northern Pacific, which was floated on Saturday night after being grounded eighteen days on
a sand bar off Fire Island, arrived off Stapleton yesterday afternoon in charge of three rescue
tugs, and anchored. It is expected that she will go to the Brooklyn Navy Yard today. The
crew did not come ashore.2
AFTERMATH:
USS Northern Pacific: After completing repairs due to the grounding the Northern Pacific
made two more transatlantic trips in June and August 1919. The ship was decommissioned in
late August and turned over to the War Department for use as an Army Transport. In late 1921
she was returned to the U.S. Shipping Board and sold for further commercial employment.
However, while under tow to a Chester, Pennsylvania, shipyard on February 2, 1922 the
Northern Pacific caught fire and was destroyed.
Captain Louis J. Connelly. The captain of Navy ship is always held liable
for accidents. Captain Connelly the commanding officer of the U.S.S.
Northern Pacific was tried by a general courts-marital on three charges
related to the grounding on Fire Island. He was found guilty on two of the
charges and was placed of the bottom of the seniority lists for temporary
Captains and permanent Commanders as was to remain there until he had lost
forty positions.3 The court did recommend clemency to the review authority.
Captain Connelly continued to serve in the Navy until he retired as a
Commander in 1922. The records show that he was later promoted to
Captain, on the retired list, some time after 1930. Captain Connelly died in
1949. (Photo from U.S. Passport Application, 1922 4)

Glossary of Terms.
Surfman The mainstay of the U
U.S. Life Saving Service was the surfmen men who crewed lifeboats
and performed daring and often amazing rescues. The USLSS passed on its legacy of lifesaving - and its
surfmen - to the United States Coast Guard in 1915. Today, the title of surfman is reserved for the
services
vices most highly trained boat handlers. Surfmen are the only coxswains qualified to operate rescue
boats in breaking surf conditions. Surf is both unpredictable and treacherous, and requires the utmost boat
driving skill and mastery. Of the 188 boat stations
stat
currently in the Coast Guard, 20 stations are located in
areas with surf conditions that require surfmen. Surfman qualification is the pinnacle of professionalism
at these units. (from the U.S. Coast Guard website - http://www.uscg.mil )
Beebe-MeLellen Surfboat Designed by Lieutenant
McLellan,, USRM, and Frederick Beebe as the standard,
beach-launched
launched surfboat model to replace most if not
all of the previous designs. This design was a
modification of the earlier Beebe pulling surfboat. SelfSelf
bailing, but not self-righting.
righting. Dimensions: 25ft. 4in.
overall length, 7ft. 0in. greatest breadth, 2ft. 7in. depth
amidships; weight approx. 1300lbs.; 3 or 4 thwarts for
up to 6 or 8 oars rowed in double-banked
double
configuration;
sprit sailing rig of single spruce mast with jib and
spritsail; double-ended clinker built hull of white cedar
planks over white oak frames with galvanized iron
fasteners. (USCG Lifeboat History webpage.)
Apparatus - The breeches buoy was referred to in the
reports is a buoy system of transferring individuals to
land one person at a time. The buoy, a life ring with a
canvas breeches attached is attached to a cable and
pulley system that is runs from ship to ship or ship to
shore. Although low tech and historic device it is still
used today because it is proven reliable and effective.
effect
[The George W. Elkins Collection, 1924, Philadelphia
Museum of Art]

Apparatus - The Lyle Gun - Line-throwing

Line
guns are
most often referred to as Lyle Guns
Guns, after their
inventor David A. Lyle. They were used from the late
19th century to 1952. A line-throwing
throwing gun is a shortshort
barreled cannon designed to fire a projectile attached to
a rope to a boat or victim in distress.
distress

Reference and Sources:

1.
U.S. Coast Guard Reports of Assistance to Individuals and Vessels, 1916-1940. Microfilm
collection T720-Roll #15, Nov. 16, 1918 Apr. 1, 1919. National Archives, Washington, D.C. Reports
from Coast Guard Staions: Blue Point, L.I., NY, Station #80; Point of Woods, L.I., NY, Station #82; Fire
Island, L.I., NY, Station #83; Oak Island, L.I. NY, Station #84
2
New York Times Articles: January 2, 1919 - TRASPORT ASHORE OFF FIRE ISLAND 3,000
ABOARD SAFE; January 3, 1919 - 254 TAKEN FROM TRANSPORT BEFORE NIGHT ENDS
WORK; January 4, 1919 NAVY BOATS LAND 2100 MORE FROM NORTHERN PACIFIC; January
5, 1919 - SOLDIERS ALL OFF NORTHERN PACIFIC; January 6, 1919 BEGIN EFFORTS TO
FLOAT TRANSPORT; January 20, 1919 Northern Pacific Reaches Harbor
3.
Navy Department, Compilation of Courts-Martial Orders. Records Group 237 Publications of
the Federal Government Navy Department, 1828-1947, Beginning No. 1.14; 914-915, Ending No.
1.14;919, Box #87. Textual Records Collection, National Archives, College Park, MD.
4.
Passport Applications, January 2, 1906March 31, 1925. NARA Microfilm Publication M1490,
2740 rolls. General Records of the Department of State, Record Group 59. National Archives,
Washington, D.C.
5.
Nautical Chart 119b. RG 23 Records of the Coast and Geodetic Survey, 1806-1981, Chart
118b, (ARC #577347) National Archives, College Park, MD
7.
Photographs of the Army Signal Corps, from the Still Picture Collection of the National Archives,
College Park, Md. Photographer: Lt. George H. Lyon, Signal Corps. Date: Janaury, 1919. Nara
Reference #s: RG-111-SC-34272, 34301, 34304, 34303, 34300, 34283, 34305, 34302, 34285,
3477,34297,34296,34230,34293 . The complete album of photographs of the stranding of the USS
Northern Pacific is available at.
https://picasaweb.google.com/hbkidd1025/USSNorthernPacificStrandedOnFireIsland?authuser=0&feat=d
irectlink

Captions for photos

34272 Northern Pacific as she lay 200 yards off Fire Island beach in approximately 11 feet of
sand, showing position of beach and vessel.
34301 The Coast Guard taking the first consignment of wire litters to the Northern Pacific in a
surf boat.
34304 Surf boat to take troops off transport.
34303 Signaling the transport.
34300 Beaching one of the Coast Guard surf boats.
34283 Breeches buoy in operation
34305 A soldier arriving from the transport via the breeches buoy.
34302 An arrival over the breeches buoy route.
34285 Red Cross serving coffee.

34277 Interior of the tent put up on the beach by the Red Cross where coffee and sandwiches
are available day and night.
34297 Wounded soldier who has been brought ashore, being taken into the emergency hospital
establish in a Fire Island cottage. Four nurses of the relief from Camp Upton are present.
34296 Unloading supplies at the Fire Island dock.
34280 Lieutenant Collins and enlisted men from the hospital transfer ship Shnnnecock who
were ordered to Fire Island and who aided in the relief work.
34293 The submarine chaser291 leaving the transport with wounded men.