SUNKEN FERRY

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 19992, 8 November 1927, Page 7

SUNKEN FERRY

TAHITI ARRIVES A Gloom Cast on the Whole Ship GRAPHIC DESCRIPTION WANGANUI MAN'S HEROISM (Per Press Association.) WELLINGTON, Nov. 7. The wharf was crowded as the Tahiti was being berthed. Beyond ar scar in the. paint a few feet from the* waterline and a few dents in the plate* which were not noticeable until the vessel was very close there was nuthmg to show that the tragedy had taken place. It was apparent that everyone on board had been under an intense mental strain resulting from the shock at the suddenness of the catastrophe and the helpless plight of the Greycliffe’s living freight, many of whom were djrowned in full sight of those on the Tahiti’s decks before anything couln be done to save them. Thirty seconds was all the Greycliffe was above water after the collision.

The tradegy had a numbing effect on all who saw it. The disaster was too big to grasp and its full realisation only came later. Nothing could convey a stronger indication of the magnitude of the horrors than the reluctance with which men could be brought to speak of it. “Too Ghastly For Words” “No one who did not see the actual occurrence could possibly visualise the full horror of it,” declared one of the passengers, a well-known Wellington resident. “Aly wife and I were standing on the starboard side when we noticed the Greycliffe right in front of the Tahiti. In ,a few minutes everything was over. The mail steamer seemed simply to overwhelm the little ferry boat and cut her to pieces. A woman in a white dress came up just opposite to us in tho midst of wreckage. We both called to her: ‘Throw your arms back,’ for there was a big piece of timber behind her, but she just threw up her arms and went idjown. A yard or two away a youth was hang* ing on to another piece of wreckage. A big bit of wood surged up against him and he was forced to release his hold. We never saw him again. Every second we saw a similar scene. It wa« too ghastly for words. The strange part of the whole thing was that just before we left the wharf one of the gangways accidentally fell, missing a man by inches, while a girl who was seeing some friends off fell into the water between the ship and the wharf. She was rescued by one of the bystanders. It seemed as if the Tahiti was ill-fatea from the start.’' Two Short Blasts “I heard two short blasts on the ship’s whistle and felt a slight shock,’* said another of the passengers. ‘ * But I was inside and by the time I got out on to the .deck we were past th© Greycliffe. There was very little noisb that I noticed, and the ferry sank with the steam from her boilers escaping easily. There was no explosion as far as I could see. Of course there was debris in all directions, but it was all over so soon that we could not realise what it was all about until we were well past the scene of the accident.” A graphic description of Air Fred Corby’s heroism is given by another passenger.

“This man,” he said, “appeared to be one of the first to dive overboard and start his heroic work. He was a powerful swimmereand within a quarter of an hour had assisted numerous passengers of the ill-fated ferry boat who were struggling in the water. He, himself, became exhausted by his effort and was dragged aboard one of the mail steamer’s boats which were by then helping, but after a short sped he returned to his task and was seen ta dive repeatedly in the neighbourhood of the sunken ferry boat. This man wag a hero, but everything possible was done by the officers and the crew of the Tahiti to rescue the unfortunate passengers. It was some minutes, of course, before the boats could be lowered and got away and the Tahiti was well past the scene of the tragedy before she could be hove-to, remaikable expedition was shown. Lifebelts which were thrown overboard by anyone who couhi see one undoubtedly assisted many who were struggling in the water to keep afloat. “It was a tragedy, the like of which I hope I shall never again experience,” said the passenger. “It cast a gloom on the whole ship and was our sole topic | of conversation. The Tahiti did not re- . sumo her voyage until long after she had done all she could.” A Splendid Action. In recognition of the great presence of mind and courage shown by Air Fred jCorby, one of the Tahiti’s crew, who dived overboard and was instrumental in rescuing three people when the Greycliffe sank, a presentation was made to him yesterday by Mr J. R. Findlay, of the Shaw, Savill Co., on behalf of the passengers on board. Corby is a native of Wanganui and a relation of Captain Corby, master of the oil-tanker Otokia. Speaking of Air Corby’s action, a well-known Wellington business man said that it was splendid. Mr Corby was lightly clothed. He leaped to the rail, without hesitation, and dived at once. The wreckage was then already astern, and the suddenness of the whole thing was brought home by the fact that Mr Corby’s attempt at rescue was

tne first thing it was possible to do. [Mr Corby is a son of Air W S. Corby, of Wanganui.]