CREW LEFT BEHIND.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19218, 6 January 1926, Page 10

CREW LEFT BEHIND.

TAHITI'S RUN FROM SYDNEY, j ■ PASSENGERS GfVE A HAND. COMPLEMENT AT WELLINGTON. DEPARTURE FOR SAN FRANCISCO [llY TELEGRAPH. —OWN CORRESPONDENT. ] WELLINGTON. Tuesday. The Tahiti, which arrived at Wellington on Monday morning from Sydney direct, accomplished the unprecedented feat of making the trip without any sailors or greasers. The vessel is an oilburner, and, consequently does not require trimmers and firemen. Trouble occurred at Sydney through the crew complaining about the quality of tho Christmas dinner. The crew contended that the victualling had not been up to standard. The Christmas dinner in particular was not in keeping with tho occasion. It was pointed out to them that they had little or nothing to complain about on that score. However, they were promised a specially fine dinner for New Year's Day. Tho Tahiti was to sail at noon on Thursday, but beforo that hour tho crew had demanded that tho chief steward be replaced. As this wa3 considered unreasonable in view of the fact that tho men had no good grounds for complaint against him, their demand was refused. Just as tho Tahiti was about to leave the wharf tho crew let a rope ladder down over the side of the vessel and 31 sailors and greasers climbed down to the wharf, leaving the vessel completely unmanned except by deck officers and engineers. Tho ship's officers cast off the lines and the engineers. standing to their posts -the ship was taken to an anchorage in Watson's Bay. The afternoon was spent in fruitless negotiations with tho men, and eventually, as a settlement appeared impossible, it was decided that the ship would proceed to sea without her crew; There happened to be on board as passengers a former captain in the Union Company's service and two officers who were coming across to Wellington. These agreed to assist the captain and officers in working the vessel. A former doctor of one of the company's San Francisco mail steamers consented to assist the engineers by acting as a greaser. At 10.45 on Thursday night the Tahiti left her anchorage and headed for Wellington. A strong southerly breezo and confused sea were encountered throughout tho run across the Tasraan, but the ship made a smart passage of three days nine hours. Further trouble was experienced at Wellington, as no men were offering to take the places of the 31 left behind in Sydney. Negotiations wero opened up with representatives of the men, and eventually after certain concessions had been made on both sides a full complement was obtained and the vessel sailed at 8.15 this evening for San Francisco, via ports.