SYDNEY HARBOUR DISASTER

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 19152, 8 November 1927, Page 9

SYDNEY HARBOUR DISASTER

SUNKEN febby raised.

w F UBIHEK BODIES FOUND.

, «_P!IfS ASBOCUTIOK COPTBIGHT.) (»r *.*■ cabi#i aotooaho*.) , irr rUUi» *•»

>*° vember 7tb ' 11,40 P ' n> ' )

SYDNEY, November 7.

The sunken ferry Greycliffe has been tiiiti, but eontrary to expectations no farther bodies were discover, jfr Stanley Bruce has announced that commonwealth Government will hold an en<l uir y immediately into the ttvtt of the disaster without any connexion with the State enquiry. ENQUIRIES for missing. OFFICIAL RETURNS. Imf CABLI-TBESS ASSOCIATIOX— CO?TBIOHT.) (jtVinULll* and x.i CABUI ASSOCIATION.) (Halved November 7th, 7.55 p.m.)

SYDNEY, November 7,

The latest official list in connexion *ith the Greycliffe'» disaster makes the somber ot those known still to be missing si sixteen while eight others are being inquired for by relatives or friends aa possible passengers on the ferry boat at the time of the accident. Enquiriea are also being made about Ifri Milson, whose handbag waa found among the wreckage, but who was not frown to have been aboard.

CONFUSION STILL EXISTS.

(jtllTlAliliJr AJCD V.Z- CABLE ASSOCIATION.)

SYDNEY, November 7,

There is still much confusion over the dead and missing in the harbour

tragedy. The latest official list makes the dead 18, and excludes the names of Betty Benson, E. Day, A. Stephens, E. Mitchell, and the son of R. Forbos. Several of those reported missing are new safe.

TAHITI AT WELLINGTON. (PRESS ASSOCIATION TBLBGBAM.) WELLINGTON, November 7. The wharf was crowded as the Tahiti *ai being berthed- Beyond a scar in the paint a few feet from the water line, and a few slight dents in the plates, not observable until the vessel wai very close, there was nothing to •how that a tragedy had taken place. It was apparent that everyone on board had been under intense mental atrain resulting from the shock, the awfnl luddenness of the catastrophe, and the helplessness of the Greycliffe's living freight, many of whom were drowned in full sight of those on the Tahiti's decks before anything could be dose to save them.

Thirty seconds was all the Greycliffe *M above water after the collision, irMtkhad a numbing effect on all who uw it. The disaster was too big to grajp, and the full realisation came only lifer.

Nothing could convey a stronger indication of the magnitude of the liorw« than the reluctance with which ow tonld be brought to speak of it.

A GHASTLY SCENE. (FSISjS ASSOCIATION TELEGRAM.) • WELLINGTON, November 7. "No one who did not see the actual Occurrence could possibly visualise the full horror of it," declared one of the Tahiti's passengers, a well-known Wellington resident. "My wife and I were •landing on the starboard side when we sotieed the Greycliffe right in front of tie Tahiti "In a few minutes everything was over. The mail steamer seemed simply w overwhelm the little ferry boat, and Mt her to pieces." A woman in a white dress came up JMt opposite to us, in the midst of the "Mkage. We both called to her: trow your arms back,' for there was . ? piece of timber behind her; but • jut threw up her arm# and went down a yard or two away. A youth was hanging on to another p» ce or wreckage. A big piece of wood against him and he was «recd to release hia hold. We never "" him again. if»n^ Ve P r secon d we saw a similar «Tt. was *°o ghastly for words, 'trange pa ' of the whole thing (]lg before we left the wharf gangways accidently fell, S a mail by in.hes, whil' - <rirl ink ll** somb friends off fell tit* between th e ship and o#»i. t " e was rescued bv one ganders. (•♦.J ,e '®6d as if the Tahiti was ill«wd from the start."

DEPOSITIONS BY TAHITI'S OFFICERS. (nets aasocutiok ielio&am.) WELLINGTON, November 7. not ®- v< * nc y fe "y catastrophe did occur on the New Zealand coast t 'V™ n0 °® c ' a * ent l u iry in Wellingout the depositions of the Tahiti's iaU®?.*!. 8 * 8 en hy the Marine Super, •fcteetiv! v' tlie Union Company, and 'o taW. boarded the vessel on arrival l^engerg. 6 Bta * ementß °* some of the ZeSSA* 116 De P"tment, of the New hgyg t ° v ®rnment would, of course, 'eqwHrfli l , M here had it been An «« • was no * a ®ked to do so. fydnev a i en l uii y will be held in Tahiti" I 011 the return of the u t0 that port.

BRAVERY rewarded. a ®fiOlC MEMBER OF TAHITI'S CREW. • tttM AASOCXATZOIf TXLBORUf.) • WELLINGTON, November 7. of the great presence CbtW coura £® shown by Mr oße °'Tahiti's greasers, who and was instrumental ttfae people >eheg the Grejr-

cliffe sank, a presentation was made to him yesterday by Mr J. R. Findlay, of the Shaw, Savill, and Albion Company, on behalf of the passengers on board. The action was one of great bravery, and several of the passengers,-when interviewed this morning, spoke of it- Mr Corby is a native of Wanganui and a relation of Captain Corby, .master of the oil tanker Otekia. Speaking of Mr Corby's action, a well-known Wellington business man said that it was splendid that Mr Corby, who was lightly clothed, leaped to the rail without hesitation and dived at once.

. The wreckage was then already astern and the suddenness of the whole thing was brought home by the fact that Mr Corby's attempt at rescue was ,the first thing it was possible to do.

THE WORK OF RESCUE. [THE PBEBS Special Service.] WELLINGTON, November 7. A graphic description of Mr Corby's heroism is given by another of the Tahiti's passengers. This man, he said, appeared to be- one of the first to dive ov°rboard and start his heroic work of rescue. He is a powerful swimmer and within a quarter of an hour had assisted numerous passengers of the illfated ferry boat who were struggling in the water. He himself became exhausted by his efforts and was dragged aboard one of the mail steamer's boats which were by then helping in the work of rescue, but after a short spell he returned to his task and was seen to dive repeatedly in the neighbourhood o* the sunken ferry boat. "This man was a hero," remarked the eye-witness, "but averything possible was done by the officers and crew of the Tahiti to rescue the unfortunate ferry boat passengers. It was some minutes, of course, before the boats could be lowered and got away, and the Tahiti was well past the scene of the tragedy before she could be hove to, but remarkable expedition was shown. Tho lifebelts, which were thrown overboard by; anyone who could see one, undoubtedly assisted many who were struggling in the water to keep afloat. It was a tragedy, the like of which I hope I shall never again experience. It of course cast a gloom on the whole ship and was our sole topic of conversation. The Tahiti did not resume her voyage until long after she had done all that she could.". "I heard the two short blasts on the ship's whistle and felt a slight shock," said another of the passengers this morning, "but I was inside and by the time I got out on to the deck we were past the Greycliffe. There was very little noise that I noticed and the ferry sank with the steam from her boilers escaping easily. There was no explosion as far as I could see. Of course there was debris in all directions, but it was all over so soon that we could no realise what it was all about until we were well past the scene of the accident.''