ENSIGN HOISTED.

Auckland Star, Volume LXI, Issue 198, 22 August 1930, Page 7

ENSIGN HOISTED.

SINKING OF TAHITI.

Passengers Danced and Sang

Facing Danger.

WONDEBrUL WORK OF PUMPS.

(United P.A.—Electric Telegraph—Copyright)

HONOLULU, August 21. While the Tahiti passengers were awaiting the arrival of the Ventura they rigged up radio receiving sets and heard a description of their own plight being broadcast from Sydney, also the scores in the Test match Australia v. England. The British ensign was hoisted before the vessel took her final plunge. Captain Toten boarded the Ventura in the last boat, taking with him the American ensign, which he unfurled just before reaching the rescue ship, amid cheers from the British and American passengers. All the passengers stood in _ silence with their heads bare as the Tahiti sank. The crew had been very well drilled in "abandon ship' 1 practice and each time the call came it was marked by the precision and calmness with which the passengers took part, as if it were an everyday occurrence. The male passengers passed jocular remarks among the women and children. The mail was removed by Mr. J. C. Greig, New Zealand Government agent, from compartments in which the watertight bulkheads were bulging from the pressure on the other side. About 24 bags were wet from the wash and spray in the boats, which took off 230 bags of first-class and registered mail. The balance, second-class matter, was abandoned. An Unnamed Hero. When Mr. Knudson, chief engineer of the Ventura, was described as a hero, he said: "Do not call me the hero. The hero is the man who made the Tahiti's pumps." The pumps in question worked wonderfully, without the slightest hitch, and to them was due the fact that the ship was able to remain afloat till the Ventura arrived. Sufficient steam to work the pumps U-as kept in the boilers. After the last .passengers and the mail had left the vessel the chief engineer, Mr. McPherson, and his assistant, Mr. Thompson, Shut Off the oil fires, leaving the pumps to operate on the remainder of the steam iu the boilers while they left the vessel. On the arrival of the Ventura* the stewards took charge of the bailing apparatus rigged over Nos. 3 and 4 holds, with large 80-gallon receptacles attached by wires to the winches, and continued "hoisting and emptying them without pause. From the time of the accident until the ship was abandoned the passengers were not permitted to sleep, but remained in the social hall and lounges. Mattresses were placed on deck, also rugs and blankets. The passengers were continually in the mood for dancing to the strains of jazz music, which came in ovfr the radio from Sydney and Wellington.

FATE OF MAILS.

Official Details of Lost and

Saved Shipment.

15 BAGS GO DOWN,

(By Telegraph.—Press Association.)

WELLINGTON, Thursday. The secretary to the General Post Office, Mr. G. McNamara, announces that he has received advice from the New Zealand mail agent, -who was on the ill-fated Tahiti, that all the letter and registered mails for North. America and. Great Britain were transhipped from the Tahiti to the Ventura, with the exception of ,15 letter bags, as follows:— Wellington to Toronto, one bag; Wellington to Winnipeg, one bag; Auckland to Boston, one bag; Auckland to Hamilton, Canada, one bag; New Zealand post offices (forwarding offices not stated) to Marine Post Office, four bags; Marine Post Office to London, E.C., four bags; Marine Post Office to London, W.C., one bag. These five bags for London would contain the final day's postings at the various post offices throughout New Zealand. Also lost were one bag of registered articles from Dunedin and one bag of registered mail from Oamaru. A total of 208 bags, containing newspapers and packets for Great Britain, Canada, the United States, Earotonga and Papeete, and 43 bags containing parcels for the United States, Rarotonga and Papeete were abandoned. The letter mails for Rarotonga and Papeete are being returned to Auckland by the Tofua, which leaves Pago Pago oil Sunday. The route via San Francisco is not used for the dispatch of parcels to Great Britain and Europe, but is used for the dispatch of newspapers not over Soz in weight. Heavier newspapers are only sent via San Francisco when they are specially superscribed and prepaid.

FETES AT 'FRISCO.

VENTURA RESCUE ACCLAIMED.

SAN FRANCISCO, August 21

City, county, State and commercial officials are preparing an immense reception in honour of Captain Meyer and Mr. Knudsen when the Ventura arrives on September 1. A royal welcome has been planned to demonstrate the appreciation of the officers' conduct in the Tahiti rescue, which is widely applauded. Especial attention is accorded to Mr. Knudsen, who in point of service is the oldest chief engineer in the Matsou South Sea-Australia service. "