LOSS OF TAHITI

Hokitika Guardian, 20 August 1930, Page 5

LOSS OF TAHITI

>; STORY OF THE SINKING. v . . * * : ;'r i; ' . , .i . n r a (United Press Association—By Electric I Telegraph—Copyright], - VANCOUVER, August 18. tfPago Pago advices’ states that dra- - lriatic details of the sinking of tne i Ijher Tahiti’have been related by tne - piisjseiigcrs who have been put ashore ‘ there by the “Ventura.” > The passengers’ stories reveal that the Ventura arrived just in time to rescue scores of men, women and I children, who were clinging to the II sloping decks of the Tahiti. * Masterly seamanship by the Captain and Officers of both the ships prevented’a disaster, ifor there was a heavy swell rolling, and this might lime proved fatal for the lifeboats, which were bound,to be scattered if they had been launched overnight. A qurious feature was that of the . water entering the “Tahiti” through the shaft: tunnel. It finally flooded the forward holds, carrying the ship’s hows down, and it was bows foremost that the: liner took her Inst, plunge intpjthe-deep. ; , , “The ' bulkheads were giving way. ; The, water; ' rose to the in-between decks, and was scarcely fifteen feet from the main deck,” said Mr E. L, Watkins,| of San Francisco, who described the bow list of the vessel, in** creased with onch hour, r ; (/‘Great good fortune attended us all through,’for this curious business might easily have been a terrible disaster. It Would be a miracle if any of the passengers would have reached shore'.’ For, three days we underwent this awful scare.” For thirty-six hours, he said, he did not. know what moment they would have to take to the boats. “That is a tough outlook in a vast unchartered sea”*he said. / ’ TWICE ORDERED TO BOATS. “Tvvice before the liner Ventura arrived on the scene, Captain Toten ordered us' away.” Then we got a respite, as the crew found that the water, was; not gaining. It was God’s mercy. The Ventura appeared hours

before we expected her. Even then it was a close" race, for we just managed to cheat death. That’s all. PENYBRYN OF NO* AVAIL.

. “We .were all grateful to the steamer Renybryn for standing by, but she had not the equipment to move us, ani* she , .lacked ; accommodation. Lives would .have been lost if we had started to transfer to her, so therefore our officers just hung on until the Ventura hove to .alongside. LAST BID FOR THE MAILS. “First the women passengers and then -, the men and finally the crew were transferred. . When all had got aboard, *an , attempt was made to save the mails. How the old Tahiti sagged uml staggered in the restless .sens, but she* still ■? just managed to remain •afloat;**"!-All Of the letters .were rescued, but the newspapers and parcels were lost. ! :.'v !THE SrniilNG. * :•• “The boats were I’eturning for more parcels when,* all of a sudden, the Tahiti lurched. • She took another roll. Theppjves swept over her bows, which did hot rise ngnin. Then the old liner straightened up to an even keel. White spray flew up ns her bridge became,engulfed. Her stern rose with the ,lone port propellor hanging idle, and away she went out of sight in a boiling white whirlpool. There was acres of splintered upper works and debris still floating there as the Ventura turned and steamed away.” / ./’ AMERICAN HELP. is WASHINGTON, August 18, ' Mr'Adams has announced that the Navril -'Governor, of American Samoa will take steps to aid the passengers and crew of the Tahiti if the Ventura lands therii *at Pago Pago. He said : -“ln'-'.such an event, the question " of transportation home, in all probability will be solved by the Tahiti’s owners. We 'will natui'ally stand by and do anything we.can in the meantime.” JUST IN TIME. (Received this dnv at 9.40 a.m.) •• MONTREAL, August 19. A message from Pago Pago states the* radio operator, Davidson, of the Tahiti;* telling of the rescue, stated the passengers were just on the Ventura in time, as all bulkheads had started 1 giving way and when the holds were filled to the decks, the forward part of the ship listed heavily',"the nose being much deeper than the stern. i A WELCOME EXTENDED. •*.'* SAN FRAJfbrSCO. Aug. 19. Mayor Rolph announced that a civic 'Welcome will be extended the Besturn, He lias wirelessed to Captain Mever : San Francisco congratulates you on your heroic and successful rescue, of the passengers and crew of the ill-fated Tahiti. DISORGANISATION OF TRAFFIC. WELLINGTON. Aug. 20. The sinking of the Tahiti has disorpa.rtnre of the Parrakoala from ’Frisco and in order to assist these houses, Spedding Ltd. have delayed the departure :of the* Parrakoalo From ’Frisco on Saturday for a further few days. The Parrakoala is a faster vessel than the Tahiti.