LOSS OF TAHITI

Hokitika Guardian, 21 August 1930, Page 5

LOSS OF TAHITI

VARIOUS ACCOUNTS. (United Pr£sa Association—By Electric Telegraph—OopyrigLtg (Received this day at 9.40 a.in.) PAGO PAGO, Aug. 20. The most serious and emotional upset of the Tahiti rescue seems to have been the fainting of two women during the course of rescue operations.

Stories of the Ventura’s remarkable exploit echoed through Pago Pago to-dav as she sailed away to San Francisco after making a seven hours stop, to facilitate the handling of the survivors. The air lines were swamped with messages of thanks and congratulations for Captain Meyer and his .crew. A 'banquet was given to the rescuers and rescued. The first assistant engineer, Thompson, of the Tahiti, is also hailed as a hero.

Every signal station in the harbour spelled out “well done” in international code flags as the Ventura approached, Sir Hugh Allen praised the conduct of the ill-fated liner’s crew. None of the passengers lie said knew of the danger until hours after the propeller shaft broke. He added the fight to keep the Tahiti afloat and rescue operations were carried out us if they were drills, Bishop Bennett said the passengers became slightly nervous when a commotion was heard among the crew, but came on deck only to meet smiling officers and stewards, who lequested they don life preservers. When lights went out on Saturday night, flashlights and a few lanterns served the sleepless company. Bishop Bennett said:—“There was no uncertainty among the passengers and the crew of the Tahiti that it seemed to lack direction.” Chief Officer Trask of the Ventura said all the boats of the Tahiti were scuttled and the air tanks smashed when the ship did not sink as rapidly as expected. Captain Toten and the ship’s carpenter went, aboard her and opened two watertight doors and ran for it. They had time to laugh, however, when the carpenter slipped on the wet sloping deck in his srainble back to safety. The Tahiti sank in five minutes.

Captain To ten a no] his crew of 149 and seventeen of the Tahiti's passengers left the Ventura here, VENTURA’S CAPTAIN’S STORY. NEW YORK, Aug. 20. A message from Pago Pago states bands and residents greeted the Ventura upoil her arrival. Chief Engineer Knudsen of the Ventura came iil for a large share of the praise for his performance on the long run to the Tahiti in shutting down on the ice plant and other auxilary plants in order to save all steam for the dash. The passengers and crew of the Tahiti were apparently little the worse for their strenuous exr>erience.

All were loud in their appreciation of the manner in which the iescue was effected. To those who continued ot press Captain Meyer for further details the skipper reiterated his earlier praise of the Tahiti’s personnel. “Several times Captain Toten decided to put the passengers in small boats, but- his excellent judgment, his knowledge of sea and of his own vessel, together with his calm sympathetic, 'hut firm control of the situation, kept the passengers and the crew from this exposure.” Captain Meyer discontinued his own part of the thrilling race across 700 miles of uncharted sea to the Tahiti and praised the excellent seamanship of the British sailors, who lie said prevented a tragedy. But of the details of the wreck he spoke freely. “The port shaft of the Tahiti was carried away and with it the shaft of the propeller at 4.30 p.m. on Friday tearing a hole in the ship and rupturing the tunnel. T|his allowed the water to rush into number three and four holds and the engine room. The second assistant- engineer on watch was washed away from the tunnel door by the rush of the waters, but by an heroic effort closed the door. The engine room was flooded putting the ship in total darkness with only flashlights to work with and the water was over eleven feet in the engine room. They immediately rigged extra pumps and pumped water from Nos. three and four holds. Stewards assisted with the pumps and by a main effort the ship was held afloat.

f ‘Tlie Ventura first heard of the plight of the Tahiti at three in the morning on Friday and a general call from Suva asked all ships within range to report. We immediately offered to proceed to the assistance of the ship if wanted and shortly afterwards received the request from the manager of the Union Steam Ship lines. We immediately directed our course towards the Tahiti at a maximum speed. Strong westerly winds and a heavy swell retarded our progress, but wo drove the ship through and sighted the Tahiti at 0.10 o’clock On Sunday morning,. The passengers were then trying to put on the lifejackets when wo arrived alongside and the Penbryn was standing by to Tender assistance if necessary, and we assisted with her lifeboats in the transfer of the passengers. We immediately started picking up the passengers and the crew aud sit 1.30 p.m. all hands wore safely aboard.’’ The Ventura’s passengers speak in glowing terms of the coolness aud fortitude of Captain Toton and the

heroic efforts of ilie engineers and all of tlie crew in keeping the snip afloat. The fact that all hands were saved 'bv placing them in tlie boats without the slightest mishap with the ship rolling and the long swell, indicates that splendid seamanship was used. The radio officers, with only the auxiliary apparatus working, owing to the dynamos being below water with the engine room flooded, added new laurels to their already splendid record. The 'Tahiti was foundering rapidly when Captain Toten and the last of the crow left her at 2.40 p.tn. and at 4.42 p.m. her starn dipped beneath the water and she went down lifting her bow. One-third of tho whole ship was perpendicularly above the water as she went down. The position of the 'Tahiti when she foundered., was 24.14 south, 166.14 east.