ORDEAL AT SEA

Evening Star, Issue 20572, 26 August 1930, Page 9

ORDEAL AT SEA

* ; ->■ ", THE SINKING OF THE TAHITI BISHOP BENNETT’S NARRATIVE “ BEHAVIOUR SPLENDID AIL THROUGH " PreM A»«ociation—By Tclegt aph—Coprrijht. APIA, August 24. There was little indication on the departure ot the. Tahiti from Wellington that there , was anything wrong with the engine room, except, for the excessive vibration of the ship. This was so excessive that it was difficult to read and liquids were spilt at the tables. The passengers were informed that.it was due to the light cargo. There. , was a total of 107 passengers and 158 of a crew. The ship was averaging 360 miles, with the best day at, 378. A LOUD REPORT. Ail was going well when a loud report was heard ’oh Friday morning at 4.30. : The vessel was shaken from stem 1 to stern, and the engines suddenly'- stopped. The passengers were quietly informed that something serious had happened and were told to dress By the time the passengers were ; on deck all the lifeboats were ready' to he lowered, 1 and each passenger was informed of the number of his lifeboat. Lifebelts were served out and ‘ were never taken off till the passengers boarded the Ventura. The second-class passengers had to vacate their position on account of water coming through the deck, and all the passengers assembled in the first-class lounge. For the whole period the staff provided meals as usual without intermission. There was no panic and ho excitement. The officers never met the passengers to explain the position, and the passengers never worried the officers. They felt that they were doing their best. The. time was spent in games and cheering each other with music. The behaviour was splendid all through. HEROIC ENGINEERS. It was learnt that the cause of the trouble was that. the shaft on the starboard side had broken, penetrated the tunnel, and ripped holes under the causing a big inrush of water. The exact location and details of the trouble will .never be known, as it was under water level. So great was the water .pressure that it was impossible to close immediately the bulkhead. By the great heroism of the engineers, who worked constantly in deep water, the bulkheads were closed, but were in constant danger of , giving way at any time. Several times the engine room was in danger of being swamped, and water poured on both dynamos. To keep tho ship afloat .itwas, necessary to keep the water level down in holds Nos. 3 and 4, where there was over 20ft of water, so two buckets holding fifty gallons each, manipulated by man power and winches, were kept bailing water out from each well without intermission, night and day. Great praise is duo to the officers and the crow for their, hard work. They never rested, until the passengers were safely on the Ventura. Undoubtedly this kept the ship afloat, for if. the water had gone over the. top of tho bulkhead the .ship would have been swamped. Fortunately, there was always enough steam to work tho w|nches. The wireless was a great consolation to the, passengers. After the accident a message was got through to Wellington, and a reply was received within twenty minutes. Then tho dynamo got wet, so no further messages were sent or received until it was repaired. An auxiliary broadcast set on No. 1 lifeboat, with a range of 150 miles only, was then used, and the Tahiti got in touch.with the Norwegian cargo boat Penybryn, 120 miles away. There was great joy when she informed us that she was returning. CALL TO THE LIFEBOATS. On Saturday, between 1 and 2 o’clock in the morning, all were called 1 out to their respective lifeboats, as there was bad news from the engine room. All the boats were properly equipped with food and water and blankets. It was a pathetic sight, and the children were crying, not knowing what was happening. With tho exception of a few kerosene lamps the ship was in darkness. The sea was fairly calm, but there wore big rollers from the south, about eight feet high, and a stiff breeze. Everything looked very dark arid sad for us. The engineers and crew were still working at top in the engine room, and tb©' crew never ceased bailing out water. Then came a message that the outlook was better, and that wo could retire again into tho lounge and await daylight By daylight the difficulties had been adjusted, and our main hope now centred upon the Penybryn. We expected to see her early on Saturday afternoon, and all eyes were glued upon the horizon. As night foil our captain sent up rockets periodically and fired off bombs, which made a very loud explosion. THE PENYBRYN APPEARS.

About 9 p.m. rockets were seen from the south, and at 10 o’clock the Penybryn’s lights appeared. At 11 o’clock she circled round us. She missed us earlier because the fresh breeze , that was blowing drifted us over two knots an hour. We were over 100 miles away from the spot where the accident had happened, which was 1,340 miles from New Zealand and 460 from Rarotonga. The depth of the ocean was 18,000 ft A wonderful feeling of relief came to all when we realised that the Penybryn. was standing by all night in case of accident. We were specially grateful when we knew she was doing this at the risk of running short of coal. '

There was great joy when wo were informed that the Ventura was rushing

to bur aid, and would arrive next morning, and for the first time tho passengers had a little sleep in their chairs and on the floor of tho lounge. A certain amount of tension had been relaxed by the presence of one steamer and the, expectation of another. VENTURA ’ COMES UP. At 10 o’clock on Sunday the Ventura met us, having come 700 miles out of her way, ploughing through a head sea at over 16 knots an hour. When the Ventura received the call from tho Union Company 'she was only three hours away from her destination at Pago Pago. As smoko appeared on the horizon; all . the passengers were ordered into the boats. Although the sea was not breaking much,- big rollers from the south made things unpleasant in the boats. 'lt was nearly an hour before tho Ventura arrived. As each boat arrived alongside cheers were given by tho Ventura’s passengers. Each passenger had to climb up rope steps, and it was a difficult task with tho swell. Some had to have a rope tied around tho body to assist them in the ascent, but all reached the deck without accident Only one officer fell into the water when a steering oar broke. He was immediately helped into tho boat again. PASSENGERS’ LOSSES.

After the passengers came the luggage boats with the mails and baggage. Only the mails were taken out of the holds, and most of tho luggage in the cabins. Many passengers lost heavily, as most of their luggage was in the hold. No one knew how much he or she had lost until arrival on the Ventura, but one heard no complaints. All were thankful to escape with their lives. Tho last to leave tho Tahiti were the captain and the crew. Three cheers were given as they arrived, and they deserved it, as tho discipline arid organisation were worthy of tho best British traditions. LAST SCENES.

The Tahiti was getting lower at the stern. Tho Ventura gave a farewell blast and tho Penybryn continued nor voyage after accompanying us for fifteen hours. The Ventura drew close up to her sister ship, as if she were going to rub, noses, then she drew back and watched the dying struggles of tho Tahiti, with the Union Jack at the stern, and flag signals meaning “ Abandoned,” at the masthead. All watched her with intense interest till the end. At last nothing of tho Union Jack could bo seen. Her bow rose higher into the air, until it was almost perpendicular, then she dived stern first in the midst of a seething ocean. Just as the funnels disappeared what appeared to be a tremendous explosion took place, sending up a black cloud, followed by steam, then tho vessel vanished, the sea’boiling like a cauldron where she wont down. The sight was awe-inspiring and pathetic, and the emotions of many of the crew, as well as tho passengers, wore deeply touched.

One elderly engineer, who had worked ten years on the Tahiti, had to, turn his face away, tho tears streaming down liis cheeks. Another engineer, who had saved his pet green parrot, was carrying tho bird on his shoulder, and, addressing tho parrot, he said: “ Come on, Peter. There goes our homo. Lot us turn our heads away.” He didn’t seo tho end; ho couldn’t. All were well treated on the Ventura. Many of tho lady passengers went straight into bed On Monday morning at 11 o’clock I conducted a thanksgiving service on tho Ventura, which was attended by most of the passengers and crow, Sir Hugh Allen accompanying tho hymns. The service was bright and hearty, and was much appreciated. On account of a shortage of fresh water tho Ventura was unable to call at Rarotonga, and made direct for Pago Pago, where she arrived on Tues day at 1 p.m. She left for Honolulu at 8 p.m. All tho passengers for the South Sea Islands and the officers and crew for New Zealand are accommodated at Pago Pago; awaiting the arrival of the Tpfua to take them back to New . Zealand. All are well, and there is no sickness. - [The above ■is a_ special message to the Press Association by Bishop Bennett, who was a passenger on tho illfated Tahiti.] PASSENGERS' GRATITUDE APIA, August 2-1. Tho following statement has been issued by the Tahiti’s passengers:— “ Wo desire to express our gratitude to the ship’s company for tho expeditious launching of tho lifeboats and the salving of small baggage while the ship was sinking, and to express gratitude to the Norwegian freighter Penybryn, which gave an assurance of safety by standing by for hours before the arrival of the Ventura. We are also grateful to the Ventura, which picked us up from the Tahiti’s lifeboats, and finally to the naval authorities at Pago Pago.”