FOUNDERED TAHITI

Evening Star, Issue 20586, 11 September 1930, Page 10

FOUNDERED TAHITI

NAUTICAL INQUIRY OPENS EVIDENCE OF MASTER [Per United Press Association.] WELLINGTON, September 11. The nautical inquiry concerning tho loss of the Tahiti opened to-day. The court consisted of Mr Page, S.M.,with Captain Worm!l (nautical assessor), Mr Parker (engineer assessor), and Mr Huntley (naval architect). Mr J. Prendevillo appeared for the Marine Department, Mr E; K. Kirkcaldy (with; him Mr E. Parry) for the master and ' deck officers, Mr E. P- Hay for the engineers, and Mr C. G. White for the ; Union Company. Mr Prenderville said ho did not think : it necessary to say anything in opening, and he at once called Robert Livingston Gillies,. assistant superintendent engineer to the Marine Department, who produced for . the court certain plans in connection with the lost vesCaptain Totcn, master of the Tahiti, produced the official log -book of the ship. The ship left Auckland for ’Frisco on August 12, with a crew of 149, and, he thought, 103 passengers. On leaving she experienced moderate to fresh southerly winds. Up to August 15, western time, everything was all right. That morning he was asleep in his cabin under the bridge. He. woke up on hearing a loud noise and a violent shaking of the ship. The _ second officer came down, from the bridge at the same time and informed him that the starboard engine had stopped. At the same time a messenger arrived from the engine room, telling them that the starboard shaft had apparently broken, the tunnel was full of water,, and the engine room flooded. From the tin)®' he was awakened by the vibration, to then was not more than two or three minutes. Witness at once ordered all hands to be called, and- proceeded to the engine room himself to ascertain tho extent of the damage. He saw that the engine room bulkhead door was-shut, but that water was spurting out all round the flank of the door. Tlio ship was rolling a little, and the water was washing up to the men’s waists. The engineers and the carpenter were busy at work at the door trying to stop the water. Ho returned to the deck and gave instructions to send all material and whatever men the engineers required to help them in shoring up the bulkhead. He then, sent wireless messages to the company, and later returned to the bridge and sent tho second and third officers to prepare tho boats. When the engines stopped, tho ship lost her steerage, way, and as , she bad no steam or steering gear, the ship got into the trough of the sea and rolled about considerably. The position was serious, and ho sent further wireless messages. At 5.37 a wireless message was sent reporting that No. 4 hold and the engine rom were filling, and the position was getting bad. At 6.16 a message was sent that the port engines had stopped. The dynamos wore flooded and useless, and the water was rapidly gaining in the engine room and in numbers 3 and 4 holds. Tho passengers were all called at that stage and ordered to assemble in the lounge with lifebelts. The boats were then being prepared and the stewards were ordered to equip them with extra provisions. Meantime, the wireless officers were told to try to raise any station on the emergency set. , . Mr Page; The main wireless was then out of commission ? Captain Toten: Yes. Asked if they knew of any vessel in the close vicinity, witness said they knew an unknown steamer had passed between midnight and 1 a.m. on the 15th, but knew of nothing nearer. It was soon found that tho holds were filling, and they got ready to bad them. The pumps were all concentrated on the engine room, and the boat pumps had been working since 6 a.m. Pumping and hailing were kept going continuously. Tho passengers were assembled on deck and allotted to the boats. There was a crisis every now and again, and it was necessary to assemble the passengers by the boats at different times. A successful message was got away by use of the dynamo. This was that it might bo necessary to abandon tho ship. ...... Witness spoke of the possibility or receiving assistance from _ tlio Penybryn, and of messages being sent _to attract her. attention. The position remained thesame in the evening. There .was a crisis about I a.m., and the passengers were again made ready. At 4.30 on the 10th the water came into'the freezer platform on the lower; deck. The. lower hold was full, and the water was up between the lower deck and the main deck. The water was right up in No. 3 hold, and therefore above the men working at the bulkhead door. Just before 7 p.m. rockets were sent, up for the Penybryn. She arrived at 10.10 p.m., and came within a mile. The Ventura was expected at 10 the following morning, and the Tofua was due the following night. Steam had somehow been raised on tho steering gear, and the vessel was making two-sevenths of a mile per hour This enabled her to be kept steady. On tho morning of the 17th at 7.15 the position was again serious, and at 9.30 the engineer reported that ho hoped to control the water for about one hour. On that report witness decided to abandon the ship, and tho , Penybryn was to windward and came nearer upon receiving the abandonment signal. The Ventura was in sight. After the passengers had gone bailing was stopped and the mails and luggage were collected. The Ventura arrived at about 10.15. There were then about six boats in the water. Witness abandoned the Tahiti at 1.35, but went .back on the Ventura boat for a final inspection to ascertain how long the Tahiti would float, as the Ventura was anxious to continue her voyage, . lie thought the ship might go do»n immediately, and called off those oil board. Aboutfif-teen-minutes later she.,sank,, at. 2.34 p.m. No lives were lost. In reply to a question, if, he had any theory as to tho cause of the Joss of: the ship, ho said ho knew that something very unusual had happened to make the ship shako as she did. If the tail end of the shaft broke it was possible that the loose end would fly round and cause a rent. Witness gave details of his surmises to support his belief that there were fractures in Nos. 3 and 4 holds. Besides the danger of fouling the port propeller by, lines in looking for the damage over the stern, witness said the engineers and crew were too busy keeping the vessel afloat to investigate over the stern. In reply to a, question,' witness said the chief engineers and staff acted beyond reproach. ’ They did everything in their power. To Mr White (wanting his reply on record) he said the Penybryn on arrival was fully prepared to take tho Tahiti’s passengers. She asked if they Wanted to abandon tho ship that night. The Penybryn d>d not actually launch her boats, but was fully prepared for any action. Witness, to a further; question, said ho was definitely . not of

opinion that the Tahiti struck a submerged object. . _ Duncan 'M'Kenzic,. second officer, wno was on watcli when ' the accident occurred, said there was a rather rough sea with a long, heavy . swell. • ■ At about 4.30 a.m. he felt a violent vibration and a dull .rumbling sound. The engine room rang stop in about a minute, indicating that_ they had stopped. He knew something very unusual had happened in _ the engine room. Witness immediately went down and notified the captain. Tup captain was out of , bed. ,\yiiile he was speaking to the captain a messenger arrived from the engine room with a verbal message that, apparently,' the starboard tail shaft had brokeni The tunnel water-tight, door was closed, but the engine room was filling rapidly. Witness went back to the bridge. The Tahiti was still steering her course, the other engine; going slowly. At approximately 6 o’clock he. was sent by the captain to see that all the boats were in order for a hurried -abandon-; ment of the ship* -Ho saw.,that all the boats had extra provisions and that everything was ready for any emergency. It was, 6.15' when the port en-; gine stopped. Witness was on board the Tahiti till thp last boat kft, and returned with the master for a final look round. All the boats and the lifesaving appliances were in perfect_order. After lunch the court is going to inspect the steamer Maramii, Mr rage wisning to see the ship himself in'order to got an idea of her. internal construction.