Foundering Of

“Tiafau”

Amazing Rescue of Survivors

From Our Own Correspondent

Apia, Feb. 4.

THE motor-launch Tiafau, which foun dered in the strait between Upolu and Tutuila on January 17, when carrying passengers and mails from Apia to Pago Pago, was 41 feet long, of 16 tons gross register, and was owned by Messrs.

Burns Philp and Co. Ltd.

The vessel met a heavy sea in the strait and suddenly rolled right over and became waterlogged. Then she rolled back again, and Captain Hicks, his crew of three, and 17 passengers (all except Mrs.

Croudace being Samoans) scrambled onto the hull, which remained about three feet under water.

The captain sought volunteers to go with him in the 10-feet dinghy to the land, 14 miles away. There were none; so he took with him two of his crew— his son and a Fijian sailor —and Mrs.

Croudace, and he left about 5 p.m. The rowlocks of the dinghy had been lost, so the oars were made fast with ropes, which, as no knife was available, had to be chewed apart.

Baling all the time, faint and exhausted from the exertion, the cold and the con tinuous wetting, the four people in the dinghy reached Aleipata after 13 hours, in a high sea, at 5 a.m. on January 18.

Here they found the motor boat Magia, also belonging to Messrs. Burns, Philp, and Captain Hicks, with others, left at once in the Magia to look for the Tiafau.

They cruised in the strait for eight hours, looking for survivors. Then they returned to Aleipata, picked up Mrs.

Croudace and two sailors, and went on to Apia, arriving there at 11 p.m. on January 18. The steamer Hauraki had also been searching; but on receiving the Magia report by radio from Apia, all hope of survivors was given up, and the Hauraki turned away northwards on her voyage to Vancouver. Captain Hicks’ feat of en durance was not the least of the many remarkable features of this accident.

Meanwhile, the 17 persons who had been left clinging to the wreck on Friday afternoon, and who included women, chil dren and old people, had a terrible ex perience. After some hours, fighting the wild sea in the darkness, they began to get exhausted, and one by one they lost their hold and slipped away.

The stronger men were heroes—especi ally Faae’e, the engineer of the Tiafau, and lolu, a native medical practitioner.

All through that night, and during the pitiless heat of the following day, they watched over the little party; and as in dividuals became exhausted and sank, they would dive after them, and bring them back to the wreck, and revive them.

One* can scarcely imagine the horror of those endless hours. All Friday night, all Saturday, and far into Saturday night, those 17 people clung to the derelict ves sel. They drifted rapidly northwards through the strait, and so the searching ships missed them. Their rescue was a miracle.

The Hauraki had abandoned the search, and was two hours on her way to Van couver, when at 1 a.m. the lookout man heard shouting close to the Hauraki, and sighted the wreck of the Tiafau about 20 yards away. It was a difficult task to

take the exhausted people, battered and stiff after clinging for 34 hours to the half-submerged wreck, on board the steamer. One woman was thrown by the waves against the Hauraki’ s side and injured. At 3 a.m., all the shipwrecked people wer<? on board and under care, and the Hauraki turned back to Apia, which she reached at 6.30 on Sunday morning, January 19. All the rescued people—not one was lost —recovered quickly.

Inquiry—And An “Incident”

A court of inquiry was set up to in vestigate the accident. It consisted of Mr. R. V. Kay, as commissioner, with Captain J. W. Jones, an experienced mas ter mariner: Hon. I. H. Carruthers, M.L.C., a shipowner of long experience, and Mr. C. Winterstein, a former captain of island vessels, sitting with him as as sessors. Mr. G. T. Jackson conducted the enquiry for the Administration, and Mr.

G. Klinkmueller represented the owners, Messrs. Burns Philp (S.S. Co.) Ltd., and Captain Hicks.

Much evidence was brought to show the weather conditions when the vessel sailed, and the condition of the vessel herself. There was discussion concern ing ballast carried, and the amount of sail hoisted.

There was a lively “incident” when evi dence was being given by Mr. R. H.

Brown, manager of Burns Philp (S.S.)

Co. Ltd. He was questioned by Captain Jones, one of the assessors, who expressed the opinion that there had been a certain amount of negligence and lack of sea manlike husbandry on the Tiafau.

Mr. Klinkmueller accused the assessor

of being biassed and hostile, and of hav ing prejudged the case. He formally ob jected to Captain Jones continuing as assessor.

The Commissioner adjourned the sit ting, and the matter finally was sub mitted to the Acting Administrator, Mr.

A. C. Turnbull. The latter found there was no reason why Captain Jones should not continue as assessor, but that the in terests of Messrs. Burns, Philp should be fully protected. Assessors’ questions in future should be transmitted through the Chairman. Captain Jones had assured the Chairman that he had not prejudged the case.

The inquiry is still proceeding.