SUMMARY ARTICLE - 1931

Bowen Independent, Thursday 5 May, 1931.

LOSS OF THE S. S.

“YONGALA”

IN 1911 CYCLONE.

DISAPPEARS WITH 217 PERSONS

ON BOARD.

By GEORGE TURNER.

On Thursday 23rd March, 1911, a

special forecast was posted at Bowen

Post Office at 5 p.m. notifying the public 

that a cyclone was imminent and

was travelling in the direction of Bowen. 

Although no official cyclone warning was issued at any time by the Commonwealth, centralised Meteorological Bureau in Melbourne, a local warning was issued, which in turn was communicated to Brisbane and thence back to Flat Top. None of these warnings were received in time for Yongala or Grantala.

At. 7 p.m. the wind increased to gale force 

and continued throughout the night but 

abated towards morning and veered 

from S.E. to W. It was found that no 

very serious damage had occurred 

but several outhouses were unroofed 

or collapsed and all telegraph lines were 

interrupted with one exception and 

communication by wire or mail was 

seriously delayed. The rain fell for 

24 hours was 400 locally and Proserpine 

reported 770 points. Floods occurred on 

the railway and Bolmwaha train could not 

get beyond Salisbury and had to return to 

town. The citrus crop, which was then well 

forward, suffered serious damage, most of 

the fruit being shaken off and many trees up

rooted from floods and wind. The A.U.S.N. 

Coy’s office, then on the beach at the foot 

of Herbert Street, was.badly knocked about 

and all books and stationery injured from 

driving rain and spray. The steamer “Grantala” 

which left Townsville at 4 p.m. on Thursday ran 

into a cyclone and took shelter, under Cape 

Bowling Green and did not reach Bowen until 

3 p.m. on Friday.

Passengers describing their experience,

stated that they had a very bad time

and considered themselves lucky that

the ship had come through the storm.

They had seen nothing of the Yongala,

the sister ship belonging to the same

service, which had left the anchorage

at Flat Top before the storm warning

reached her. She was making for 

Townsville and Cairns and carried 136

passengers and 81 of a crew. On Saturday 

when it was ascertained the Yongala had 

not reached Townsville or been sighted on 

the way serious fears for her safety began 

to be expressed and steps were taken to 

ascertain her fate. Dent Island Lighthouse 

reported her as passing there at 6 p.m. on 

Thursday .and residents at Cannon Valley

Beach saw her pass there just as darkness 

was setting in and the night promising to be 

a very stormy one. The local police were 

instructed to search the beaches in the 

neighbourhood and did so but found no 

wreckage. The steamer Ouraka arrived at 

Bowen at 3 p.m. on Friday after searching 

from Townsville without  success. She proceeded 

as far as Mackay and returned North searching 

the outer reef. The Tarcoola passed Bowen at 

5 p.m. on Thursday searching from Mackay to

Holborn Island and returned later to

the pilot station and signalled that she

had found no trace of the missing

steamer. It was then reported that

the tug Alert from Townsville had

picked up wreckage one mile south of

Cape Bowling Green. Mr. Lyons, the

local Harbour Master was instructed to

send the Tarcoola and Belief to that

locality. They left at daylight next

morning, also Mr. Blee’s motor launch

with the owner, Mr. Barton and pilot,

crew on board. Mr. Switzer, Pilot, reported 

from Cape Bowling Green their arrival there 

but that no wreckage had been picked up. 

The Alert on her return  to Townsville reported 

definitely that she had found fresh wreckage 

belonging to the Yongala Including a cabin trunk, 

a lifebuoy marked s.s."Yongala'’ and the message 

stated that all hope of the safety of the ship 

had been abandoned. Further search about

17 miles N.E. of Cape Cleveland revealed a 

half door belonging to the music door, 4 hatch 

gratings, feather pillow, and a small walnut 

cabinet with two drawers badly battered. A

mail hamper was also picked up containing 

a parcel identified as having been sent by a 

Brisbane firm by the Yongala’s mail. A quantity

of other wreckage was also sighted but the 

rough sea prevented its recovery. A search along

the beach about one mile from Cape Bowling 

Green revealed 2 bags of chaff, 2 bags of pollard, 

1 bag of pumpkins, 1 bag bran; 2 cases kerosene, 

a lifebuoy, without marks, 2 bath room gratings, 

2 pillows marked A.S. Cos., part of a cabin trunk, 

a long board evidently part of a cabin fitting, 

10 feet oar, upper half of glass door, hamper 

of mails and a case of oil marked IT.M.S. over

Cairns. It was„at first reported that the vessel 

had struck Nares Bock near Holborn Island and 

some evidence was given in support of this surmise 

when a brass ring was found embedded in

the rock but on examination at Brisbane it was 

declared to be a gas ring from a big gunshell 

probably fired at the rock by some war vessel 

having target practice. Many residents of

Bowen and other North Queensland towns 

had relatives on the ill-fated vessel and the 

search was continued privately and by the 

Government for months afterward but the 

actual cause of the disaster has never been 

definitely settled. No bodies were ever recovered

and the position, time and cause of her loss

remains a mystery.

And so it was - Yongala entered the annals of great maritime mysteries. The wreck was discovered and is now a popular diving site. Yongala is largely (and beautifully) intact which suggests that the gale and seas of that stormy night overwhelmed the tender steamer, taking her quickly to the bottom roughly 11 n miles off Cape Bowling Green. 

Yongala did not strike rock or reef.

Although there have been suggestions that Captain Knight took risks (eg. Glanworth disaster) I believe that circumstances were against him 23 March, 1911. He passed through the inshore, inside passage, Whitsunday Islands, at a time when visibility was adequate and a gale starting to mount from the south (8 knots). He believed that a storm system was coming up from behind and attempted to outrun it, not realising that he was steaming into the heart of a hybrid cyclone.

The Adelaide Steamship Company were in the business of providing relatively top heavy steamers to service coastal ports, many of which had limited draught access. There was a demand for luxurious accommodation - elevated - and substantial cargo transportation. Such cargo, particularly refrigerated, was dependent on seasonal factors and there were times when their steamers operated without full component of dead weight. This was a fact of business and not a reflection on risk-taking.

The 164 tons of pig iron will remain an issue of sensitive controversy. It served a purpose but created an uncomfortable passage for wealthy commuters. The company was between a rock and a hard place in this regard and elected to restore Yongala to her inherently tender condition which created a far more favourable rolling pattern. But it took exceptional storm conditions to reveal the harsh reality that relative tenderness did have fatal limitations.

Cargo was transported on deck which probably in large part was due to the limited loading and off-loading facilities at various ports, including Flat-top. I do not believe it was reckless 'laziness' but a necessity to maintain strict tide-controlled schedules and ease of access. It was an issue which should have received more attention at the Inquiry, which I have come believe, was biased in favour of the coastal service. The Court was fully aware of limitations and accepted that great expense would he required to upgrade service ports along both the Queensland and Northwest coasts. These changes would come in time but would require great investment of resources.

The need for further lighthouses was aired and communication between these facilities and passing steamers improved with the increased deployment of morse-lamp signalling apparatuses. Wireless communication on board steamers was to be incrementally introduced and complimented by development of land-based stations. I do not believe a wireless on board Yongala would have been of any help at all, March 1911 due to the limitations of land-based stations and fellow steamers carrying sets.

I believe there were errors in the timeline and Yongala could not have been sighted off Dent Island at 6.30 pm, 23 March, for the simple reason that in order for her to cover the roughly 100 n miles to her final position, which was confirmed at 11.45 pm by the chronometer discovered at the wreck site, she would have to have maintained a ridiculous 19 knots - very difficult to maintain even with a favourable 2 knot current. 

I believe Yongala was sighted by the residents of Cannon Valley at about 6.00 pm passing through the inner, inside passage. The storm had not yet struck (use of the word 'promise') and visibility was reasonable - it was a fair judgment call on the part of Captain Knight. I believe all of the above was an attempt on the part of the Court to suggest that Captain Knight had used the outside passage for fear of repercussions. 

I'm sure many of the families of those lost felt short-changed by the Inquiry, but as in the case of the Waratah, there was not one shred of physical evidence confirming what had caused Yongala to founder and where. The Court were severely limited in this regard and used it to its advantage.

Fix this te

WRECK LOCATED, 1911?

The Sydney Morning Herald, Wednesday 18 October, 1911.

WHERE IS THE YONGALA?

THE NORNA'S SEARCH

PROBABLE SPOT LOCATED

On Monday afternoon the schooner-yacht

Norna, the property of Mr Sarsfield Cassidy,

returned from a five-week's search for the

steamer Yongala which disappeared in a gale

early in the year, and the wreck of which

has not been located since. The captain and

crew of the Norna believe that they have

dlscovered the spot where the wreck now

lies but in want of conclusive evidence have

not applied for the reward that has been

offered by the Queensland Government.

"We undertook the search in no spirit of

rash adventure" said Dr Cassidy last evening 

"but before the Norna sailed we held a

series of exhaustive inquiries in my rooms.

We got charge of the length of coast, and

compared notes with all that we could find

who had been through the storm in which the

Yongala disappeared. We worked out every

theory that had been advanced with regard to

the probable cause of her loss and as the

results of our deliberations the Norna 

determined to search very thoroughly the sea

off Cape Bowling Green.

How very intuitive.

Tho Norna went first to Seal Rocks to try

to locate the wreck of the Satara, the steamer

that sank on Edith Breakers two or

three years ago. We are able to report 

definitely that we have found her. The Norna

then proceeded to Bowen and gleaned all

the very scanty local information that could

be got concerning the finding of wreckage

from the Yongala and as a horse and some

bags of chaff were found near Cape Bowling

Green the search was very thorough in that

locality. What the Norna subsequently found

there goes to confirm the opinion held by

many that the Yongala foundered there in

deep water. The skipper of the Norna first

noticed an oily appearance on the surface of

a patch of water near Cape Bowling Green

and at once began to make investigations.

An oil slick emanating from a sunken steamer's engine room invariably gave the location of the wreck site.

A diver was in readiness to descend but the

strong current then prevailing made it 

impossible to do so. Bubbles were then 

observed rising continually from the midst 

of the oily patch, and there was a strange

smoothness of the water there as if some

large object was impeding the flow of the 

current. As the diver could not go down 

grappling irons and trawls were lowered 

and soundings taken all round the spot. 

The results in each case were negative, 

but that does not discourage us. It was a 

long and perilous search for the Norna 

struck bad weather and lost her foresail 

and a couple of jibs, and once when she 

got in too close to the reefs, lost an anchor. 

As soon as we can fit her out, and get 

another crew together, we intend making 

a more definite search of the spot where 

we think the Yongala Iies, and we are 

confident of success "

GRASSY ISLAND WARNING??

The Brisbane Courier, Saturday 20 May, 1911.

"In this connection," continued Mr.

Denham, "I may say that some few weeks

ago I asked the Portmaster (Captain

Mackay) to make a report, which might

form the basis of a communication to the

Federal Government with .respect to the

lighting along the Queensland coast. I

received that leport this morning, and it

is a lengthy and valuable one. I propose

remitting it to the Federal authorities, as

I think they will find it of considerable

assistance, coming from an officer who enjoys

the fullest confidence of this Government,

and, I think, of all sea going men. I note

a few things in the report which I feel at

liberty at this juncture to disclose. Captain 

Mackay remarks that following on the

loss of the Yongala an impression seems

to have gained currency that navigation

along the coast of Queensland is less safe

than elsewhere, but this is probably due

to a lack of evidence with respect to the

true cause of the disaster. Captain Mackay 

states that in respect to coastal lights

the Queensland coast is ahead of other

States, whilst from Pt. Danger to Cape

York it is the best surveyed portion of

the Australian coast. He reminds me that

in 1803 after obtaining the opinions of

coasting masters, Torres Straits pilots, and

others the following were submitted to the

Federal Government as localities where the

establishment of lights was considered most

deserving of attention : Pt. Lookout, India Head. 

Steep Island, Brook Island, and Cape Direction, 

on the inner route. In 1907 Captain Mackay 

was informed by Dr. Wollaston that these spots 

had been approved of, and a sum of £50,000 

placed on the Federal Estimates for the purpose 

of providing the lights recommended. The

amount was not passed and no further action 

was taken. At that time Steep Island was 

considered the best site, without any dissent, 

but the Yongala catastrophe, so fruitful of 

suggestions, has raised a consensus of 

opinion in favour of other sites, namely 

Cheviot Island, St. Bees, Keswick, Bailey 

Island, the Clara Group, and Dome Island. 

Although each of these has possibly its 

own special advantages, Captain Mackay 

thinks the question might remain in abeyance 

until inspected by the recently appointed 

Commonwealth expert. Captain Mackay 

considers the greatest danger on the coast is

at Breaksea Spit, and although the powerful 

light on Sandy Cape alleviates this to some 

extent, yet the risk of obscuration in squally 

weather, and the distance of the light from 

the extremity of the danger makes some 

improvement necessary. He therefore urges 

this for first attention. Capt. Mackay has 

submitted to me a chart showing the coast

from Keppel Bay to Townsville, on which he 

makes very interesting comments. He says: 

"Whilst the course impinges on several islands 

not one of them presents any outlying danger, 

and they can be approached closer up, and 

on the darkest night they stand out sentinel like, 

well defined and distinct. Capt. Mackav 

recommends that the following Iights should

have first attention:- Breaksea Spit, which he 

denominates as very important, Steep Island, 

or some other point in the vicinity, Keswick Island, 

Brook Island, and Cape Direction. He recommends 

further, the necessity for a light on Gloucester Head, 

or in that locality, and that the question of a light at 

Point Lookout remain in abeyance until the visit of the

Federal expert.

"I observe," continued Mr. Denham,

"that at a conference held recently at

Adelaide, some comment was made about 

providing communication between the light-

houses and Brisbane. At my request,

Capt. Mackay went into this matter, and

furnishes some interesting information.

He shows that the following lighthouses

are in direct telegraphic communication

with Brisbane, or they are able to

communicate by telephone, to telegraph 

stations giving connection with Brisbane:

Cape Moreton, Caloundra, Double Island

Point, Woody Island, Sandy Cape, Burnett 

Islands, Bustard Heads, Cape Capricorn, 

Flat-top, Cape Bowling Green, Cape

Cleveland, Archer Point, Grassy Island,

and Goode Island. So that in the absence

of any wireless installation Capt. Mackay

fails to see how the present communication 

can be improved. I understand that the 

installation of wireless is now largely in 

course of adoption by the shipping companies 

trading on the coast, and this will be an undoubted

element of safety in case of breakdown or minor 

disaster; but its efficiency under the conditions 

which overtook the Yongala must be largely a 

matter of conjecture."

From the tragedy emerged efforts to improve safety along the Queensland coast. 

If the report is accurate and Grassy Island had direct telegraphic communication with Brisbane, it begs the question why attempts were not made to signal Yongala a cyclone warning as she passed very close to the island at roughly 7 pm, 23 March? Surely if there was indeed communication with Brisbane, the same warning that reached Flat-Top must have reached this lighthouse as well???

Captain Stanley Robinson, an expert and good authority, assures me there was no light nor means of communication from Grassy Island.

However, there was means of communication from Cape Bowling Green Lighthouse and one assumes that the first reports of an approaching storm system / cyclone was issued to Brisbane from this site. And Brisbane allegedly sent a warning to Flat Top after Yongala had sailed.

courtesy Google Earth

HORSE-TRAINER'S ILL LUCK.

HORSE-TRAINER'S ILL-LUCK

BRISBANE, Wednesday. - Miss Mona

Shannon, who was amongst the passengers,

was only 13 years of age. She was a daughter 

of Mrs. P. Shannon, of Townsville, and a 

sister of Mrs. C Staines, of Florence St.

Pengriffe

Another addition has being made to the

list of passengers who travelled by the

Yongala and whose name has hitherto 

not been published. This is Mr. John 

Campbell of Townsville, a well known 

horse trainer. He was travelling on a 

return ticket, and did not reserve a 

berth in advance so that his name 

would not appear on the books of the 

company. He had come down to Brisbane 

for a client to select a racehorse and at 

11 o'clock on the day on which the Yongala

sailed he decided to buy Moonshine, which 

won seven races at Brisbane recently. The 

horse had to be on board at 1 o'clock. A 

friend in Brisbane advised him to travel 

with the horse by the Cooma but he preferred 

the Yongala and left by that vessel.

It is said that delays caused by loading Moonshine contributed to Yongala being in the wrong place at the wrong time. It is heart-breaking to read of accounts where a person chose the wrong ship and perished. 

Champion racehorse, 1912

WHITEWASH.

The Brisbane Courier, Saturday 20 May, 1911.

LOSS OF THE YONGALA

QUESTION OF AN INQUIRY.

COASTAL LIGHTING.

THE PORTMASTER'S REPORT.

IMPORTANT PROPOSALS.

SEARCH FOR THE VESSEL.

The attention of the Hon. D: F. Denham

(State Premier) was yesterday drawn to

the statement of the Adelaide Marine

Board, published in our columns of that

date, in reference to the proposed inquiry

into the loss of the Yongala. Mr. Denham

said : "Until we receive an answer from

the South Australian Government our

hands are tied. The proper authority to

institute an inquiry into the loss of the

Yongala is the Marine Board at the port

of registration, which in the case of the

Yongala was Adelaide, and courtesy 

demands that we should inquire through

their Government what action is being

taken there. If the matter published in

the 'Courier' proves to be the answer

that we are to get from the South Australian 

Government, then the Queensland

Government can act by appointing a

Royal Commission of Inquiry, and such a

course I certainly propose to adopt should

such be the answer we receive. I think

it quite desirable that we should have all

the information that can be gleaned, and

in the public interests I shall not hesitate 

to take action if it is left to us to do so."

"The decision of the South Australian

Marine Board not to hold an inquiry

concerning the loss of the Yongala was

brought under the notice of Captain

Mackay (chairman of the Queensland

Marine Board) yesterday afternoon.

Captain Mackav replied, "With all due 

respect to the Marine Board of South 

Australia, and admitting that it devolves

upon the Marine Board of Queensland to

hold an inquiry into any disasters taking

place on the coast of Queensland; never-

theless, in the absence of any evidence,

tha total disappearance of the ship, and

the rumour that the stability had been

impaired by the removal of sundry iron

ballast, I am still of the opinion that the

inquiry should have been held at Adelaide,

her home port, where evidence respecting

such allegations would be more likely to

be obtained than at Brisbane. -

"Referring to the president's (Mr. Searcy) 

concluding remarks that the request by 

the Premier of Queensland for an inquiry 

was altogether superfluous, I would 

respectfully remind him that the Waratah 

disappeared, under similar circumstances 

to the Yongala, on the South African coast, 

but no inquiry followed until after many 

months spent in collecting evidence in the 

Australian and South African ports. The inquiry 

was then held in London, the port of registration."

"The remarkable statement that while

there was no limit to the power of any

Marine Board to hold an inquiry, there

was a restriction in regard to enforcing

any finding has no revelancy to this matter."

The loss of the Yongala was a hot potato and Adelaide, Port of registration 'did not wish to assume the responsibility' of dealing with the potential evidence of instability. The Inquiry into the loss of the Waratah convened more than a year and a half after the incident. If one compares the two Inquiry transcripts it becomes painfully obvious that the Marine Board of Queensland kept matters as brief as possible:

The specifications presented at the Inquiry were limited with no specific reference to Yongala's maximum draught relative to the draught figures, departure Flat Top, 23 March.

No attempt was made to document the exact GM figures and righting angles of Yongala under various conditions of lading, more importantly the figures relating to the final voyage.

Witness statements were omitted, only appearing in the Press, which reports were prone to error. 

The history of the ship, including losing deck cargo in a gale, was omitted. No cross examination was carried out regarding the safety of carrying significant tonnage on deck and the legal ramifications thereof. 

Captain Knight's past track record, including the Glanworth disaster and his habit of using the inshore passage through the Whitsundays in all weathers, was not explored in detail. 

GM figures for Yongala with or without the pig iron ballast did not receive attention and no reference was made to the fact that periodically Yongala was used on the Western Australia run after the pig iron was removed. If Yongala was not inherently top heavy why was the pig iron needed at all in the first place? 

No attempt was made to explain why Captain Dawson anchored off Repulse Island due to the same weather conditions some 100 n miles south of the so-called limited cyclone, 30 miles in diameter. Such exploration could have revealed more information about the hybrid nature of the system.

Steamers like Yongala were designed to accommodate first class passengers in elevated comfort, increasing the top heaviness factor. But for this to be safe sufficient dead weight cargo was required to ensure stability. But enough heavy cargo was not always available on the coastal routes. 

All things said the Inquiry into the loss of the Yongala was largely a whitewash affair. This could not have brought much comfort to the loved ones of those lost with the steamer. At least the issue of lighting along the Queensland Coast received attention and the point was made that in cases of severe storm conditions shipping companies should encourage their masters to seek anchorage shelter.

SECURING THE BEST ANCHORAGE AVAILABLE.

Inquiry:

From the evidence given by some experienced shipmasters, the Board are confirmed in the opinion that the risk of navigating the Queensland coast is considerably enhanced during the hurricane months, or from December to April; and, although with plenty of sea room and a well-found ship (steam or sail), the observant master can, by heaving to on the right tack, or keeping out of the path of the storm, invariably avert disaster, indeed, at times make it a fair wind to his destined port; but when caught inside the Barrier Reef, with the number of islands and reefs intervening, the Board think it will be generally conceded that the only element of safety is to be found in securing the best anchorage available and several harbours of refuge exist along this part of the coast.


Although the Board came to the conclusion that Captain Knight was unimpeachable and the Yongala thoroughly seaworthy, the message was resoundingly clear:

Board think it will be generally conceded that the only element of safety is to be found in securing the best anchorage available and several harbours of refuge exist along this part of the coast.

When all is said and done Captain Knight should have run the risk of losing deck cargo and sought anchorage off one of the islands within the Whitsunday passage.