Navy Transport 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 Coast Guard Records Assistance to Individuals and Vessels, T720-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 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.
Northern Pacific as she lay 200 yards off Fire Island beach in approximately 11 feet of sand, showing position of beach and vessel.

[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 

1The Coast Guard taking the first consignment of wire litters to the Northern Pacific in a surf boat.

Surf boat to take troops off transport.

Signaling the transport.

Beaching one of the Coast Guard surf boats.

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

Breeches buoy in operation

An arrival over the breeches buoy route.

A soldier arriving from the transport via the breeches buoy 

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 18 th 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. Columbia’s life boats after (it was) swamped in the surf, also took 30 of U.S.S. Columbia’s 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

Red Cross serving coffee.

Interior of the tent put up on the beach by the Red Cross where coffee and sandwiches are available day and night.

Lieutenant Collins and enlisted men from the hospital transfer ship Shnnnecock who were ordered to Fire Island and who aided in the relief work.

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. 

Unloading supplies at the Fire Island dock.

The submarine chaser 291 leaving the transport with wounded men

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.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 service’s 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 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 surfboat model to replace most if not all of the previous designs. This design was a modification of the earlier Beebe pulling surfboat. Selfbailing, but not self-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 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. [The George W. Elkins Collection, 1924, Philadelphia Museum of Art]

Apparatus - The Lyle Gun - Line-throwing guns are most often referred to as Lyle Guns, after their inventor David A. Lyle. They were used from the late 19th century to 1952. A line-throwing gun is a shortbarreled cannon designed to fire a projectile attached to a rope to a boat or victim in 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, 1906–March 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

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