DEATH NARROWLY CHEATED

Hawera Star, Volume L, 21 August 1930, Page 9

DEATH NARROWLY CHEATED

The most serious and emotional upset of the Tahiti’s rescue seems to have been the fainting of two women during the course: of the rescue operations. Sir Hugh Allen, one of the passengers, praised the conduct of the illfated liner’s crew. “None of the passengers,” ho said, “knew of the danger until hours after the propellor shaft broke.”. He added that the fight to keep the Tahiti afloat and the rescue operations were carried out as if they were dnllBisliop Bennett said that the passengers became s.lightly nervous when a commotion was heard among the crew, but came on deck only to meet smiling officers and stewards, who requested that they don life preservers When the lights went out on Saturday night, flashlights and a few lanterns, served the sleepless company. Bishop Bennett added that there was no nncertaintv among the passengers and crew of the Tahiti, All. hands were admirable in handling the situation, and it was done so well that it seemed to lack direction. Chief Officer Trask, of the Ventura, said that all the boats, of the Tahiti were scuttled and the air tanks smashed. When the ship did not sink as rapidly as e,xpected Captain Toten and the ship’s carpenter went aboard her and opened two watertight doors and ran, for it. They had time to laugh, however, when the carpenter slipped on the wet, sloping deck in his scramble back to safety. The Tahiti sank in five minutes. Captain Toten and his crew of lIP and 1.7 of the Tahiti's passengers left the Ventura here. Bands and residents greeted the Ventura, upon her arrival. Chief Engineer Ivnudsen, of the Ventura, came in for a large share of praise for his performance on the long run to the Tahiti in shutting down on tlie ice plant and other auxiliary plants in order to save all steam for the dash. The passengers and crew of the Tahiti were apparently little the worse for their strenuous experience, and all were loud in their appreciation of the manner in which the rescue was effected. To those who continued to press Captin Meyer for further det/iils, the •skipper reiterated his earlier praise of the Tahiti’s j>ersonnel. “Several times,” he, said, “Captain Toten decided to put the passengers in small boats, hut his excellent judgment, his knowledge of the sea and of liis own vessel, together with the calm, sympathetic, Hut firm control of the .situation kept the passengers and

Dramatic Story of the Sea VENTURA’S REMARKABLE EXPLOIT Race to Stricken Liner Across 750 Miles of Uncharted Sea (.United Press Association —By Electric Telegraph—Copyright.) Received 1 p.m., to-dav. PAGO PAGO, Aug. 20. Stories of the Ventura’s remarkable exploit echoed through Pago Pago to-day as she sailed away to San Francisco after making a seven-hour stop to facilitate the landing of the Tahiti’s survivors. The air lanes were swamped with messages of thanks and congratulations for Captain Meyer and his crew, and a banquet was given to the rescuers and rescued. The first assistant engineer of the Tahiti (Air. Thompson) was also hailed as a hero. Every signal station in the harbour spelled out “well done” in international code flags as the Ventura approached.

Captain Meyer discounted his. oiui part of the thrilling race across 750 miles of uncharted sea to the Tahiti, and praised the excellent seamanship of the British sailors, who, he said, had prevented a tragedy, hut ot the details of the wreck lie spoke freely. “The port shaft of the TalntL was carried away, and with it the shaft ot the propeller at 4.30 ,p.m. on Friday, tearing a hole in the ship, and rupturing the tunnel. This allowed water to rush into Nos. 3 and 4 holds and the engine-room. “The second assistant engineer on watch was washed away from the tunnel door by the rush of water, hut by an heroic effort closed the door. The engine-room was flooded, putting the ship in toiai darkness, with only flashlights, to work with and, with water over 11 feet deep in the engineroom. They immediately rigged extra pumps and pumped water from Nos. 3 an<s 4 holds. Stewards assisted with the pumps and buckets, and by main effort the ships was held afloat. “The Venting, first heard of the plight of the Tahiti at 3 a.m. on Friday, when a, general call from Suva asked all ships within range to report. We immediately offered to proceed to the assistance of the ship if wanted, and) shortly afterwards received a request from the manager of tlie Union Steam Ship Line. We immediately directed our course towards tlie Tahiti at our maximum speed. Strong westerly winds and a heavy swell retarded our progress, but we drove the ship through and sighted the Tahiti at 9.15 on Sunday morning. The passengers were then trying to put on lifejackets as. we arrived alongside. The Penybryn was standing by to render assistance if necessary, and she assisted with her lifeboats in the transfer of passengers. We. immediately started picking up passengers and crew and at 1.30 p.m. all hands were safely on board the Ventura.” The passengers speak in glowing terms of the coolness and fortitude of Captain Toten and the heroic efforts of the engineers, and all the crew in keeping the ship afloat. The fact that all hands were saved by placing them in the boats without the slightest mishap, with the ship, rolling in a. long swell, indicates that splendid seamanship was used. The Tahiti was foundering rapidly when Capt. Toten and the last of the crew left her at 1.40 p.m., and at 4.42 p.m. her stern dipped beneath the water and she went down lifting her bow, with one-third of the whole ship, showing perpendicularly above the water,- as she sank. The position of the Tahiti when she foundered, was 24,44 south, 166.14 west.