Kalgoorlie Miner, Tuesday 28 March, 1911.
THE MISSING YONGALA
DIRTY WEATHER REPORTED.
GRAVE FEARS ENTERTAINED.
Townsville - March 27.
Captain Shaland of the steamer
Aramac, reported that shortly
after leaving Flat-Top on Friday night,
the weather conditions were so thick
that he anchored for two hours. He
saw no traces of the Yongala but is
now fearful of any serious calamity.
He may have passed within 200 yards
of the Yongala and not seen her. The
chief officer of the Cooma entertains
fears for the safety of the Yongala.
Captain Dawson of the Tainguan,
reports that he anchored at 10 a.m.
on Thursday south of Repulse Island,
and remained there for 12 hours. It
was the worst night the captain had
spent on the Australian coast. He kept
a lookout on the run to Townsville, but
saw nothing of the Yongala.
It is interesting that Captain Dawson anchored for 12 hours taking the timeline to 10 pm, 23 March. This was shortly before the worst of the cyclone struck the Grantala's anchorage, Bowling Green Bay. It's as though Captain Dawson waited for the worst of the cyclone and then proceeded towards Townsville and the heart of the cyclone??
On closer inspection of the images below Repulse Island is about 100 n miles south of the Yongala wreck position. The fact that Captain Dawson waited until 10 pm for the worst of the storm to clear suggests that the system came from the south, heading in a relatively northward direction, passing over his vessel towards the north, allowing him to proceed in a northward direction behind the front.
This suggests a frontal system; late summer phenomenon starting in southeast Queensland (associated with thunderstorms) forced by the Great Divide into a north moving south-east change along the Queensland coast.
Captain Sim reported the wind initially originating from the south east, shifting to southwest and then finally from the northwest, which could also be the description of a severe frontal system passing through.
This might explain why Captain Knight continued on his voyage with the southeaster behind him. He could theoretically have outrun the storm, but from Captain Sim's description, it was not to be. But at least he was not as unhinged as previously suggested by steaming into the heart of a cyclone.
If it was genuinely a cyclone with a diameter of 30 n miles why was it's influence severest for Captain Dawson some 100 n miles south of Cape Bowling Green when cyclones generally come from the northeast ???
Given these factors it is hard to believe there was a cyclone at all, but rather a severe frontal system moving up the Queensland coast.
A frontal system moving up the coast in a northward direction would also more completely explain the distribution of wreckage discovered.
Why then was it referred to as a cyclone? Perhaps this was done to justify the loss of a presumably seaworthy vessel - perils of the sea.
There is the possibility that there were both, frontal system and cyclone.
On closer inspection of the images below Repulse Island is about 100 n miles south of the Yongala wreck position. The fact that Captain Dawson waited until 10 pm for the worst of the storm to clear suggests that the system came from the south, heading in a relatively northward direction, passing over his vessel towards the north, allowing him to proceed in a northward direction behind the front.
This suggests a frontal system; late summer phenomenon starting in southeast Queensland (associated with thunderstorms) forced by the Great Divide into a north moving south-east change along the Queensland coast.
Captain Sim reported the wind initially originating from the south east, shifting to southwest and then finally from the northwest, which could also be the description of a severe frontal system passing through.
This might explain why Captain Knight continued on his voyage with the southeaster behind him. He could theoretically have outrun the storm, but from Captain Sim's description, it was not to be. But at least he was not as unhinged as previously suggested by steaming into the heart of a cyclone.
If it was genuinely a cyclone with a diameter of 30 n miles why was it's influence severest for Captain Dawson some 100 n miles south of Cape Bowling Green when cyclones generally come from the northeast ???
Given these factors it is hard to believe there was a cyclone at all, but rather a severe frontal system moving up the Queensland coast.
A frontal system moving up the coast in a northward direction would also more completely explain the distribution of wreckage discovered.
Why then was it referred to as a cyclone? Perhaps this was done to justify the loss of a presumably seaworthy vessel - perils of the sea.
There is the possibility that there were both, frontal system and cyclone.
 |
I think you are right - terminological inexactitude! Cyclone actually a severe frontal system and the word used to explain away loss of vessel.
ReplyDeleteI could not have put it better Mole!
ReplyDelete