Tahiti’s Plunge

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 1056, 21 August 1930, Page 9

Tahiti’s Plunge

STORY OF GALLANT RESCUE Survivors Reach Pago Pago PRAISE FOR VENTURA’S PERSONNEL THE Ventura arrived at Pago Pago at 1 p.in. yesterday with the passengers and crew of the lost ship Tahiti. She was g’reeted in the harbour with whistles and the sounding of the siren at the naval station. Captain Meyer of the Ventura gives a graphic account of the sinking of the Tahiti and praises the manner in which a difficult and dangerous situation was handled by the officers and crew of the sinking vessel. Passengers from the Tahiti give equal praise to the rescue work performed hy the Ventura and its captain.

United I*. A.—By Telegraph—Copyright Reed. 9.5 a.m. PAGO PAGO, Wednesday. j Harbour whistles, sirens, the naval station bands and residents greeted the Ventura upon her arrival. The chief engineer of the Ventura. Mr. Knudsen, came in for a large share of praise for his performance on the long run to the Tahiti in shutting down on the Ice plant and other auxiliary 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 experience, and all were loud in their appreciation of the manner in which the rescue was effected. To those who continued to press i Captain Meyer for further details, the I skipper of the Ventura reiterated his j earlier jiraise of the Tahiti’s person- I nel. ‘‘Several times Captain Toten de-1 cided to put the passengers in small i boats, but his excellent judgment and his knowledge of the sea and of his own vessel, together with his calm and sympathetic but firm control of the situation, kept the passengers and crew from this exposure,” he said Captain Meyer discounted his own part in the thrilling rai;e across 750 miles of ocean to the Tahiti, and praised the excellent seamanship of the British sailors, who, he said, prevented a tragedy. “We immediately started picking up the passengers and crew, and at 1.30 p.m. all hands were safely aboard the Ventura,” he said. This was the extent of Captain Meyer’s reference to his own work, but of the details of the wreck he spoke freely. HOLE TORN IN SHIP ‘The port propeller shaft of the Tahiti was carried away at 4.30 p.m. on Friday, and with it went the propeller, tearing a hole in the ship and rupturing the tunnel,” he continued. “This allowed the water to rush into numbers three and four holds and the engine room. “The second assistant engineer, who was on watch, was washed away from the tunnel door by the rush of water, but by a heroic effort he closed the watertight door. The engine r"om was flooded, putting the ship into total darkness, with only flashlights to work with and with the water more than 11 feet deep in the engino room. “They immediately rigged extra pumps and pumped the water from numbers three and four holds. The stewards assisted with the pumps and with buckets, and by a great effort the ship was held afloat. “The Ventura first heard of the plight of the Tahiti at three o’clock on Friday morning. A geperal call from Suva asked all ships within range to report. We immediately offered to proceed to the assistance of the ship if we were wanted, and shortly afterward we received a request from the manager of the Union Steam Ship Lines. “We immediately directed our course toward the Tahiti at maximum speed. A strong westerly wind and a heavy swell retarded our progress, but we drove the ship through and sighted the Tahiti at 9.15 a.m. on Sunday. DONNING LIFE-JACKETS “The passengers were then trying to put on the life-jackets, but we arrived alongside and the Penybryn was standing by to render assistance if necessary. She assisted with her life-boats in the transfer of passengers. “We immediately started picking up the passengers and crew, and at 1.30 p.m. all hands were safely aboard the Ventura. “The passengers speak in glowing terms of the coolness and fortitude of Captain Toten and of the heroic efforts of the engineers and all of the crew In keeping the ship afloat. “The fact that all hands were saved by placing them in the boats without the slightest mishap, with the ship rolling in a long swell, indicates that splendid seamanship was used. “The radio officers, with only the auxiliary apparatus working owing to the dynamos being below water, and 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 crew left her at 1.40 p.m., and at 4.42 p.m. her stern dipped beneath the water and she went down, lifting her bow. One-third of the whole ship was perpendicularly above the water as she went down. “The position of the Tahiti when she foundered was 24.44 degrees south and 166.15 degrees west.” RESCUE SHIPS DEPART The most serious emotional upset in connection with the Tahiti rescue seems to have been the fainting of two women during the course of the rescue operations. Stories of the Ventura’s remarkable exploit echoed through Pago Pago today as she sailed away to San Francisco after making a seven hours’ stop to facilitate the handling of the survivors. Messages of thanks and congratulations for Captain Meyer and the crew flooded in, and a banquet was given to the rescuers and the rescued. The first assistant engineer of the Tahiti, Mr. Thompson, is also hailed as a hero. Every signal station in the harbour spelled out “Well done” In the inter-

national code Hags as the Ventura approached. The Tofua Is to call here on Sunday to take on board the crew and passengers le£t at Pago Pago. These passengers and seamen sent to the Ventura on her departure for Honolulu their best wishes and kindly thanks for the consideration shown them after their rescue.