ALL TRANSFERRED THIS MORNING

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 1053, 18 August 1930, Page 1

ALL TRANSFERRED THIS MORNING

Stricken Liner Ceases Pumping

ENGINE-ROOM FILLED WITH WATER

Ship Listing Badly—Cannot Last Long

FE passengers of the disabled Tahiti are now safe on board the Matson liner Ventura, having' been transferred to the rescue ship as soon as she arrived. At 10.50 o’clock this morning the news, which has been so anxiously awaited since Saturday, arrived to say that all had been transferred to the rescue ship. The position in regard to the officers and crew is still uncertain, and it is possible that they are still on board the Tahiti. It is believed that the mails are safe on board the Ventura. A Press Association message from Wellington says that, although steps were taken on Saturday and Sunday to get the Marama ready for sea, the Union Steam Ship Company later decided that she would not be recommissioned. The company advises that the Tahiti’s passengers for America and as much of their luggage and light mails as can be transhipped to the Ventura, will be taken by the latter to San Francisco. It depends on the condition of the Tahiti what course will be followed in respect of the crew. A wireless message received by H.M.S. Philomel at 1 p.m. stated that the Ventura was tinder way again and expects to reach Papeete, on the Island of Tahiti, at 10 a.m. tomorrow.

ii T 9 o’clock this morning a wireless message sent out from the Tahiti "We are launching the starboard boats. Have stopped pumping.” This seemed to suggest that the Tahiti’s last hours were rapidly approaching, hut by noon she must have been still afloat. Vague wireless messages were sent but from the Tahiti on Saturday morning (Friday on the Tahiti), that the vessel had broken down 460 miles irom Rarotonga, and that the engineroom was filling with water. She had lost her starboard propeller and yas drifting helplessly in the Pacific. VALUE OF WIRELESS Two Pacific steamers, the Ventura and the Tofua, both more than a day’s run away from the disabled vessel, immediately went io her assistance with all possible speed. Schedules were abandoned; the only thought was to reach the helpless Tahiti, which had a total of 251 passengers and crew on board. That these vessels have been able to find a mall steamer in mid-ocean is another tribute to the value of wireless communication. But for the fact that those radio messages sent their calls for help through space, the Tahiti would still have been drifting aimlessly through the Pacific Ocean, unknown to the rest of the world. The Norwegian steamer, Penybryn, bound from Cuba to Auckland, was the first to reach the Tahiti. She came on the stranded mail steamer at dusk last evening, guided by rockets which were fired high in the air by the oncers of the Tahiti. All night she stood by in case of emerge”-y. presence must have given the passengers on the Tahiti a sense of security, and buoyed them with hope until the arrival of the Ventura at dayhreak this morning. JOY OF PASSENGERS Until eye-witnesses return to Auckland it is impossible to tell the full story of that eerie scene—the vivid hursts of light in the tropic dusk reflected on the dark waters of the Pacific; the joy of the passengers in • heir knowledge that help had arrived. Apparently the Tahiti was sinking lower and lower into the water; slowly, it is true, but sufficient to give those on board a horrible sense of Insecurity, and the thought that they wight have to spend a night at sea, huddled in small boats. However, it seems that the inrush of the water uas checked sufficiently to enable “e Passengers to stay on board all Wght. At 5 o’clock this morning (New Zeajand time) Captain Toteu wirelessed We master of the Penybryn: “Will appreciate your standing “/• Propose to transfer passenfleri and mails to Ventura on her JiTival at daybreak. Engine room ’“U of water.” RELIEF AT DAWN Tain* messa ge suggests that the Issa k ® o , s iii° n was then rather hopetako s may still be possible to lj oUr aer in tow to the nearest harass Can , 1,6 snrm ised that the weather oti ‘aim °r comparatively calm, asr„ Wls ® the transfer of the passenq U j C kj° u °t have been effected so reHcf*, 11 ! uust have brought intense We P assen gers and crew of Waste* rT’ a ? d Particularly to the ot ’ Captain Toten. The transfer lrao*rfi,f n *’ ers mus t have been an exotocear,ary -~_s isllt — t!le vast expanse st «ame* W , l fi ree , and possibly four, swell sin{? an d falling on the ** e sn th lifeboats passing beHI U the passengers, with the gangway.- c * am^erin E U P and down ''w'wori'r !? e Slad news has reached "bie. an I* o’clock Rarotonga bboard Passengers were safely 0 “e Ventura.”

Captain Toten was born in London 45 years ago. lie served in sailing ships in his early days. Fifteen years ago he joined the Union Steam Ship Company’s Coastal fleet, but early this year he was transferred to the passenger steamers. Following is a list of the officers of the Tahiti: Captain A. T. Toten; chief officer, Mr. M. J. Siepen. second, Mr. L>. J. McKenzie; third, Mr. J. D. Chrighton; chief engineer, Mr. C. J. McPherson; second, Mr. A. Thomson; third, Mr. E. M. Denby; fourth, Mr. O. J. Clegg; fifth, Mr. D. A. Gibb; sixth, Mr. PI. Wareing; seventh, Mr. C. E. Sunbye; eighth, Mr. D. J. McKenzie; ninth, Mr. E. S. Fraser; electrician, Mr. W. Browne; surgeon, Er. G. S. Samuelson; purser, Mr. F. H. Ferguson; chief steward, Mr. M. McFadyen; wireless operators, first, Mr. F. X. Eavidson; second, Mr. It. A. Patchett; Government mail agent, Mr. J. C. Greig. Four of the officers have their homes in Auckland. They are: Mr. McPherson, who resides at Raumati Street, Remuera; Mr. Ferguson, who lives in Wynyard Street; Mr. Patchett whose parents reside at Old Mill Road, Grey Lynn; and Mr. Denby, whose home is at Northcote.