THE TAINUI COLLISION.

Auckland Star, Volume XLIV, Issue 155, 1 July 1913, Page 6

THE TAINUI COLLISION.

HEW ZEALAITOERS IN PERIL. RESCUE IN A FOG. A LANE OF LIFEBOATS. (From Our Special Correspondent.) LONDON, May 31. There arrived at Plymouth last Tuesday night some 200 travellers from New Zealand. They had set out on their long voyage full of hope at the prospect ot landini; in the Old Country at the beginning of the summer. A successful journey seemed assured them, but before its end a serious mishap occurred to the line steamship which had Deen their home for many da;,*. The Tainui. of the Shaw, Savili ami Albion Line, carrying 205 passengers, and with a full cargo, started from Wellington on the passage to Plymouth and London. On her way she called at South American ports and at Teneriffe.

As the liner's long voyage drew to a close she had the misfortune to encounter a dense fog. When only two or three days from Plymouth a disastrous collision occurred. The Tainui was badly damaged, and the crippled liner had to hasten on a new cotrrse. headlong for the nearest port—Corunna—an insignificant Spanish port immortalised in British minds by the death of Sir John Moore in the hour of victory during England's operations against Napoleon in Spain during 1809.

Wireless telegraphy once again proved its worth in moments of anxiety and danger upon the high seas. The Union Castle liner Garth Castle, speeding from the Cape- to Southampton, picked up urgent calls for help from the Tainui, and journeyed as fast as she was able to tbe scene. With the necessity of the Tainui speeding to Corunna. all p.issengers were transferred to the Garth Castle, and the latter vessel reached Plymouth on Tuesday night. The passengers from the stricken vessel reached Plymouth almost as soon as they would have had the Tainui's voyage ended as successfully as it was begun. It was indeed a relief to the 200 to find their voyage had ended safely after the experience through which they had passed. "COOL AS CUCUMBERS." As the Garth Castle anchored in Cawsand Bay her rails were crowded with passengers, and to awaiting friends on the tender these gladly exchanged news. One gentleman remarked that his sole baggage consisted of a comb, while others waved small parcels which contained all they had been able to bring away with them.

The passengers, one and all. 6poke strongly on the entire absence of panic or even excitement at the time of the collision and during the many hours they spent on the Tainui afterwards. The 205 passengers, the Tainui s doctor, and four stewards were landed at the Millbay Docks, and a special train was placed at the disposal of those desirous of reaching London. Before the tender left hearty cheers were raised for the captain and officers of the Garth Castle, and also for her passengers.

It appears that the Tainui first ran into the fog on Saturday afternoon. The fog was so dense that it was impossible to see more than a few yards. About seven o'clock on Sunday morning the Inca suddenly loomed up out of the mist, and the bows of the two ships came into collusion, as they were on a crossing course. The bows of the Tainui were smashed in, and she began to dip by the head, until, several hours afterwards, the propellor became visible out of the water, and. as one of the passengers put it. "walking aft was like going up a hill." When the collision occurred some of tbe passengers were dressing, and a few were on deck, but the majority were in their bunks. The effect of the impact was only a slight vibration, which did not even wake some of the sounder slumberers on tbe Tainui. and there was no panic. Boats were lowered from the promenade deck and prepared for launching. Meals, however, went on as usual. Wireless calls were made for assistance, and the Garth Castle, which was about forty miles away, responded immediately. PASSENGERS GO TO BED. It was, however, ten o'clock on Sunday evening before she reached the Tainui, tbe fog still being exceedingly dense. For some reason it was decided not to transfer the passengers at once, and the majority- went to sleep, some even undressing. At three o clock on Monday morning they were all roused and told to put on lifebelts, as they were to be transferred to tbe Garth" Castle. The transhipment was made in the Tainui's own boats, and as she was not a full ship there was plenty of room for all. Several of the Garth Castle's own boats put out and piloted the Tainui's boats. The Union Castle liner's first cabins were full, and she had generally a heavy passenger list, bat room was found for the newcomers by using the saloons and other public rooms for steerage purposes. One or two of the passengers who saw the Inca described her as looking like a cargo steamer. Her bows were said to have been smashed right in, and the anchors driven into the hole that was made. In answer to a signal askine if she wanted assistance, she merely swered that she was going astern. She then disappeared from view, and nothin" more was seen of her. though there wa° an impression among the Tainui's passengers that half-naked men had run from below and were endeavourin" to launch the boats. c

The Garth Castle herself narrowly escaped disaster on Tucsdav morninShe was going very slowly "in the fo°«when a tramp steamer crossed her bows and it was only by the liner goin"- fullspeed astern that a collision was avoided the tog continued dense all the wiv to Plymouth. y ° A PASSEXCfER'S NARRATIA-E. -Mr. Charles Fair, an Irishman, who has not been , n the Old Country for 50 years said he embarked at Wellington. "They ran into the fog on Saturday afternoon and it became so dense that he could -hardly see his hand before his face" The ship was moving at a very slow rate A-t 7 o'clock on Saturday morning the Inca and the Taimii eoHided, the "hows of the two vessels meeting at an an<de the impact was so slight that some of the passengers were una ware that anything untoward had occurred. He was dressing at the time. and. feelincr a eliirht jar, rau up on deck. Despite his haste, he was too late to sec anything of the Inca. which had already disappeared into itbe fog. He heard the whistles of several steamers, but -ight?d no vessel. They were in no difficulty or danger, and there was no excitement or panic on hoard. The only matter which mijht have Hven any alarm was the fact that, as the day wore on. it could be seen that the Tainui was dipping at the bows, which ware [store ia buHy. Thtj.-wv*, however, «..

sured by the oflicers that there was not sufficient water in the ship to keep the pumps going. Everything, said the officers, was in their favour, and if the" ! Tainui was in any danger, and the capjtain and officers knew it, they concealed it admirably from the passengers. It was quite apparent to all that the bows of the liner were lower in the water as the da}- wore on, but even in the afternoon there was no suspicion of danger. At, nightfall, the passengers, who understood that the Tainui was making for Corunna. were advised that they might go to bed in perfect safety. Many retired for the night about 10 o'clock, but others made themselves as comfortable as they could in tbe smoke-room and other public apartments.

Fortunately, the sea was quite smooth. When thej- were aroused at 3 a.m., they were told to put on their lifebelts. For a moment Mr. Fair thought that the ship must be going down, but he, with the others, was soon reassured. Within an hour all the passengers had been received on the Union-Castle liner, and about 4 aan. ou Monday morning she left the scene of the disaster, and headed for Plymouth, where they bad arrived only five hours late. READY FOR EMERGENCIES. Immediately the wireless calls were received the captain of the Garth Castle had all the liner's lifeboats made ready for launching. Everything was made ready for the reception of the Tainui's passengers. The Garth Castle brought up about three-quarters of a mile away from the crippled liner, and both ships were comparatively hidden from each other in the fog. Eventually the Garth Castle sent away six lifeboats, manned mostly by stewards. They had hardly left the Garth Castle before she was swallowed up in the fog, and they had to locate the Tainui practically by guesswork. Tbe accommodation on the Union-Castle liner was limited, as the first cabin was already full, but the male passengers acted splendidly. All willingly gave up their berths, and many slept in the saloon and other public rooms in oTder to make room for tbe ladies from the Tainui. HOW THE NEWS CAME TO LONDON. The first news of the accident was received hy the P. and 0. Company, in a wireless message from Vigo, stating that their liner Nyanza had been advised that the Tainui had been in collision with the Inca. and that the Nyanza bad lieen asked to stand by. The captain of the Nyanza stated that he was going at full speed to the assistance of the Tainui. which reported that she was making for Corunna. The management of the Shaw, Savill Company afterwards expressed its thanks to the P. and 0. Company for this prompt action. Then came the news from tbe Tainui herself through the Vigo wireless station, to the effect that at 6 a.m. on Sunday, during a fog, 50 miles north of Finistere. the Inca struck the Tainui's port bow. forward of the collision bulkhead, and that No. 1 hold, containing meat, was full of water, and that water was beginning to enter No. 2 hold. The next news published was received by the Pacific Steam Navigation Com-j pany, and showed that their liner Galicia was standing by the Tainui. andj that the passengers had heen transferred to the Garth Castle. Dense fog prevailed. A further wireless message from the captain of the Galicia added that he, would escort the Tainui to Corunna. I •Another message was received from the Tainui via Garth Castle via Rochefort. stating that she had then 34 miles to go to reach Corunna, and that she had a| danserous list. On this news a rate of: 20 per cent was quoted among underwriters for re-insurance, which afterwards declined to 15 per cent.

Then the Union Castle Company received a wireless message via Ushant, from the commander of their steamship Garth Castle, homeward bound from South Africa, to the effect that she was proceeding to Plymouth with all the passengers of the Tainui. Finally, the "Times" correspondent at Corunna* telegraphed that the Tainui had arrived at the port in a damaged condition. A Lloyd's message added that the port bow was stove in.