AWAITING NEWS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXI, Issue 194, 18 August 1930, Page 9

AWAITING NEWS.

ANXIOUS WEEK-END.

♦CONFLICTING REPORTS.

Mature of ship's trouble

/NOT ASCERTAINED

TRAMP STEAMER'S SUDDEN FAME,

; Ji\jyas.: : not until-late- on Saturday afternoon.; that it became, generally known that the Tahiti's trouble war so serious "that' it' might fce , necessary to consider abandoning the ship to-night." The captain that water was' gaining in the »fter-end of the vessel, but if it could be controlled the ship would be able to ise her port propeller and "continue her y6yage.s'- : ' , .'

,:.The v - anxiety grew as the evening advanced, and anxious, relatives of passengers andicrew began to'make feverish inquiries as to the exact condition of the Jahiti, the state of the weather' and the Barnes of the vessels closest to her. The fact that wireless messages- were not coming through at regular intervals and that those that were received were vague did not help to allay the growing feeling lif'anxiety. The reason given h'y the pnion Company for the intermittent bformation was the difficulty of working the wireless during daylight.

On Saturday evening it was ascertained that the nearest vessels to the rTahiti were tho mail steamers Ventura M Tofua, and that both were making speed to the rescue. The Ventura Upected to reach the Tahiti this mornh and the Tofua some hours later. •:, Ether Full of "Information." I: : The and Telegraph Department to the occasion and arranged, in Hdj.tion-.tb the usual continuous attendee at the Auckland, Wellington and Awarua radio stations, for continuous Ittendance at tlie Chathams and Raro-tonga-stations. The Auckland and Wellington 'telegraph stations have been PPt open continuously.

Wireless enthusiasts all over New. g* *ere keen "on the air" all night and many messages were pwepted;. The ether was full of in/i mation ' of a kind > but nothing very nite seems to have been received as loirr ! ctuall y happened to the Tahiti, *hen ■-f S^e was makin S water, or CoJji. at *&, she was to be abandoned. uu ■ 8 reports soon got around j. ** naturally caused added anxiety f mose personally interested, ' '

Enter the Penybryn.

The first news of a reassuring nature was - transmitted* from . the. wireless station at Rarotonga on Saturday night. It was to the effect that the Norwegian tramp steamer Penybryn, 4251 "tons, en route from Cuba to Auckland -with a cargo of sugar, had passed the Tahiti at one o'clock that morning. The agents of the tramp, Spedding, Ltd., sent instructions to the Penybryn's master to proceed; at once to the Tahiti's assistance, the distance separating the two vessels being given as 180 miles. This was at 8 o'clock, but it was ascertained subsequently' that the Penybryn had heard' the Tahiti's call for assistance through tho, Chatham Islands wireless station and had gone to the rescue on her own initiative. At the. Jime. Of the breakdown, the" position of the Tahiti was given as 25.27 degrees south,, 16(5.05 Avest, It was calculated that the Penybryn would be alongside by 2 p.m. yesterday. . Decision to Abandon Ship. ; "On Saturday, at midnight, the Secretary of the Post and Telegraph Department announced that the following radio message had been broadcasted by the Tahiti to allstations. . "11.51 p.m. Saturday (New Zealand time): ,5,0.5.. No. 3 .engine room bulkhead, given way. Standing by to abandon ship. ... "11.53 p.m. (New Zealand time): S.O.S. Standing by to abandon ship. Engine room bulkhead given way. Position ait 4 p.m., latitude 2(1.27 degrees south, longtitude 166.05 west. ;.' "1.55 a.m*., Sunday (New'. Zealand time): Abandoning ship at 10 a.m. "Subsequent information indicated that the vessel had not been abandoned and that the position was more reassuring. "The Norwegian steamer Penybryn, at g a.m. yesterday was 90 miles from (ho Tahiti and expected to reach her at 2 p.m." "Ancklana Star's" Bulletin. An "Auckland Star's" bulletin was published yesterday morning, and posted throughout the city and suburbs, giving a complete summary of all the news then available. This included information received from Wellington that the engine room bulkhead had not carried away, but had buckled, and was still intact. The pumps and wireless were working, and the passengers of the Tahiti were to be transferred to the Penybryn during the afternoon, the crew to remain on° the Tahiti until dark and then be taken aboard. The Penybryn would then stand-by. Reassuring News. A Press Association message received before midday yesterday stated: — "The Union S.S. Company states that the Tahiti's passengers will be transferred when the Penybryn arrives. The crew will be taken off later, but may return to their ship next morning. Everything is ready for the transference. The engine-room contains water, but is under control. The wireless is working well this morning." "Water Getting Beyond Control." Numerous messages were telephoned to the "Star" yesterday by owners of wireless sets, many of whom had sat up all night with a view to intercepting messages from the Tahiti and vessels in the Pacific going to the rescue. At 4.50 a.m. on Sunday morning the following message was picked up:— "Water in engine room getting beyond control. Afraid might have to abandon ship. Drifting several miles north-west of former position." Two hours subsequently the captain of tho Tahiti said:—"lntend transfer passengers to Penybryn, which says will arrive 2 p.m.,' Mail is safe and will also bo' transferred. Crew will leave before dark and Penybryn will stand by." The decision to transfer passengers and crew was • interpreted by nautical men to mean that the Tahiti was not expected to keep afloat. The Ventura wirelessed that she was proceeding with all expedition to the scene and expected to reach the Tahiti to-day at 1 p.m. The Tofua sent out a message to the effect that she. hoped to reach the Tahiti this afternoon. The weather was mentioned in this message, the captain stating that when he altered his course for the Tahiti, the weather was rough but conditions were moderating. She was putting on all speed, her special crew of Islanders using all their energies at the furnaces.

Although little direct news came through yesterday from the Tahiti, the vessel was in constant touch with the Chatham Islands and Suva wireless stations. Her wireless set was not powerful enough to transmit to Auckland during daylight. Arrival of the Penybryn. At 5.30 p.m. the Penybryn reported that she was' in the vicinity of the Tahiti, but owing to the light fading, she was experiencing difficulty in locating the vessel. At this time Rarotonga station heard the Tahiti giving her position to the Penybryn. Later it was ascertained that at 5.15 p.m. yesterday the Penybryn was 15 miles south of the position given her by the Tahiti at 2.30 p.m. on Sunday afternoon. In order to help the Penybryn, the Tahiti commenced to fire rockets a little after six o'clock. The signals were seen by the Penybryn and she advised that she would be up with the Tahiti an hour later. At 10 p.m. the Tahiti advised that the Penybryn was standing by. Later on Captain Toten of the Tahiti was heard suggesting to the master of the Penybryn that the transference of passengers, crew and mails should be delayed until the arrival of -the Ventura and Tofua. This indicated that the position of the Tahiti had not become worse .and that as the Penybryn had no passenger accommodation it would be in the interests of all that the two mail steamers should be waited for if the condition of the Tahiti warranted the delay. "Listing Badly." "Tahiti still afloat but listing badly. Penybryn is in company. Ventura arrives at daybreak and will take passengers. Tahiti cannot last much longer. Penybryn has only 100 tons of coal left." This message was received by Commander Nelson Clover of H.M.s. Philomel at 0.30 p.m. yesterday from H.M.s. Veronica.

Tlie weather being reported calm. the. officials of the Union Steam Ship Company did not anticipate any trouble in transferring the passengers and mail during the night if it became necessary to take that step prior to the Ventura arriving. When it became known that the Penybryn was running short of coal, it was stated that provision would probably be made for her to receive supplies from the Tofua. This could be done without much difficulty provided the weather remained, calm.