CAUSE OF BREAKDOWN.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20646, 19 August 1930, Page 12

CAUSE OF BREAKDOWN.

SPECULATION IN SYDNEY. DOCK OFFICIALS PUZZLED. UNIQUE TYPE OF ACCIDENT. (Received August 18, 8.15 p.m.) SYDNEY. August 18. Tho officials at-Morts Dock,, where tho Tahiti was last overhauled, cannot offer any theory as to tho cause of tho liner's breakdown with the limited information available. They are mystified by tho overwhelming inrush of water when tho water-tight door should havo chocked it and saved tho engine-room. Tho officials say thoy can only surmise that the break must have been of an unusual character to havo dono such sudden and extensive damage as to render tho enginoerß powerless to copo with it. No accidont producing a similar result is on record. LOST SHIP'S CAREER. OUTSTANDING EVENTS. SOME NARROW ESCAPES, Following is a list of notable events in tho Tahiti's career since sho was commissioned 26 years ago:— ( 1904.—Launched as the Port Kingston-at Glasgow by A. Stephen and Sons, Limited, for West India mail service. ' 1911.—Sold by Elder, Dempster and Company to the Union Steam Ship Company for £IOO,OOO, Renamed Tahiti and entered the San Francisco mail service. 1914.—Commandeered by the New Zealand Government as a troopship. Formed one of the convoy that took tho main body of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force to Egypt. 1917.—Lent by tho New Zealand Government to the United States to carry American troops to France. 1918. —Transferred back to tho New Zealand Government. 1919. —Arrived back at Auckland on July 4 with over 1200 soldiers after narrowly escaping collision in Atlantic. 1920.—Converted to an oil-burner and entered the Sydney-Wellington-San Francisco mail service. 1922.—Caught fire a day after leaving Wellington for San Francisco and put back to Wellington, where the fire was suppressed. 1923. —Lowered the mail steamer speed record between Wellington and San Francisco, covering tho distance in 16£ days. Logged 389 knots on March 24, which at that time was a record in tho Pacific. 1927.—Collided with tho ferry steamer Greycliffe in Sydney Harbour on November 3, 43 people on the ferry steamer being drowned. 1929.—Grazed coral reef on Juno 22 when entering the harbour at Papeete and developed a slight leak. The water was kept down by tho ship's pumps until she reached Wellington. 1930.—Disabled and damaged by fracture of propeller shaft on August 15, 460 miles from Rarotonga. Foundered August 17. All on board transferred to Ventura.