LIFEBOATS DESTROYED?

In 1946, a gentleman by the name of George Butler, resident of Townsville, spoke of his search for Yongala. He recalled that some lifeboats, 'broken in two', were found on Hinchinbrook Island. None were intact. Clearly they had been subjected to extraordinary forces and were not a viable means of escape for souls trapped on the sinking Yongala.

There were other reports of the same:


The Argus, Melbourne, 18 April, 1911

PART OF BOAT FOUND

Cairns, Monday ---- part of a clinker built
boat, evidently portion of a working boat
of the lost steamer Yongala, has been 
found. The section of the boat, with the
word Adelaide in metal on the port side,
was yesterday washed up at Green Island.
Portion of a ship's box was also found on
the island.


The Capricornian, Rockhampton, 15 April, 1911.

LOSS OF THE YONGALA

(By Telegraph)

BRISBANE, April 7.

A telegram received from Cairns states

that news has been received from Cook

town that the steamer John Douglas,

which arrived there from the south,

found a quantity of wreckage, including

portion of a horse box, which is thought

to be that occupied by Moonshine on the

steamer Yongala.

Mr. E. Wareham, manager of the Adelaide

Steamship Company, has received a 

telegram from the Harbour Master at

Townsville, saying that there is a strong

southeasterly wind, with a rising sea

outside Cape Cleveland, and he considers

it inadvisable to send out the Pelican. Mr.

Wareham has agreed that the departure

of the Pelican is to be delayed until the

weather moderates. 

Further information from Townsville states

that a quantity of wreckage has been 

picked up in Ramsay Bay, on the eastern

side of Hitchinbrook Island, including

Ramsay Bay, 100 nautical miles from the site of the disaster - courtesy Google Earth.

7 ft. of the port side of No 1 lifeboat, 

five broken oars, a cushion, a lot of 

louvred window shutters, three life boat

station frames, a polished panelling, saloon

chairs, and a small teak wood table.

Here we have detailed confirmation of portion of lifeboat number 1, port side. In addition to this the report confirms three station frames (see image below). For the station frames to have come adrift suggests catastrophically destructive forces (gale and sea). It is highly unlikely that under such circumstances any lifeboats got away from the sinking ship, intact, with survivors on board.

A close up of Yongala's boat deck (courtesy SS Yongala, Mystery of a Generation).

At Lucinda Point, the police discovered two

grating hatches from No 3 hold, several

pieces of panelling, a lifebuoy, a piece of

fancy scroll work from the interior saloon

windows, and miscellaneous scraps.

TOWNSVILLE, April 7.

A gentleman who has been on a holiday

at Palm Island returned to-day. He stated

that Mr. Harry Butler, a resident of the island

had been making a search of the islands 

for wreckage of the Yongala and found large

quantities including a seaman's chest, a leg

of which had been broken off. There was

no name on the chest. He also discovered

a quantity of clothing in the vicinity of the

chest, some of which had been made in

London and some in Wellington (New

Zealand). Some of the goods were marked

with the Initials R.G.H.. He further picked 

up a cabin cushion of red plush, but the

smell from it was terrible. There was nothing

in the cushion to account for the smell. The 

chest was found beside Eclipse Island. Mr. 

Butler also picked up a number of pieces of

broken timber, evidently cabin fixings, all of

which were marked Z.3.B., in blue pencil on

the back, which was evidently the builders'

mark.

TOWNSVILLE, April 10.

Included in the mail bags found on Cassidy's 

Beach there were also a lady's gold

trinket of horse-shoe pattern, three postal

notes for £1, £3, and £.1 respectively

issued at Mackay, and six registered

letters. A lot of wreckage was found on

the beach, consisting of oars, a bag of

bran, a horse's feed-box, a cask containing 

oil, six boxes of butter and a number

of broken cases.

CAIRNS. April 10.

Captain Campbell, master of the steamer

Muriel, has arrived from Townsville. He 

reports that at Lucinda Point more traces 

were discovered of the Yongala. A good deal 

of wreckage was seen round Hitchinbrook 

Island, and to the southward of Lucinda Point.

It was too rough to secure the debris which

was floating about. Two bags of mails were

found about. Two bags of mails were, found 

five miles to the south of Lucinda Point. It 

would be possible to make out the addresses 

on fully ninety per cent of the contents. The 

wreckage discovered consisted of a broken 

cabin door, broken wooden chocks, and pillows. 

Seven hatches have also been brought to

Lucinda Point.

courtesy Google Earth.

Captain F. Wilson of the steamer

Queensland, who was the first to report

that Nares Rock presented an altered 

appearance, suggesting that the Yongala 

had crashed into it in the storm, writes as

follows under Monday's date :—- Captain

C.C. McKenzie, of the s.s. Innamincka

is of opinion that the Yongala crashed on

Broadhurst Reef and sank. 

courtesy Google Earth

I for one am not of that opinion. During

the southeasterly winds there is always

a set north. In 1875, two days after the

Gothenberg was wrecked, I was in a fore 

and aft schooner, the Annelgester, bound

from Townsville to Heath's Creek in Upstart

Bay, a distance of seventy miles. When

we stood out from Townsville, the wind

being south-east, we put about from the

reef, expecting to fetch well into Bowling

Green Bay. Judge of the current ! At

five o'clock that evening we anchored on

the north-west side of Magnetic Island, a

distance ten miles to the north of where

we started from. We did not get to our

destination until ten days after leaving

Townsville. We had rations for Heath's 

Creek station. They were short of rations 

owing to our long trip. The manager of 

the station threatened to report us as he

thought we were salvaging the Gothenberg.

In 1881 the barquentine Duke of Richmond

left Townsville for Newcastle. Twelve hours

after leaving Townsville she was wrecked on

Mid Reef, in Flinder's Passage, the crew

escaping in the boats. They were picked

up by a steamer and taken on to Townsville. 

Part of her stem, with planks attached, and 

some portion of her name thereon was picked 

up on the south-east side of Hichinbrook Island, 

110 miles north from where she was wrecked. 

This represented drifting at the rate of nearly

a mile and a half per hour. The Yongala was 

last seen on the evening of the 23rd of March 

passing Dent Island. For argument's sake we

shall say she came to grief at 1 p.m. on Friday,

the 24th of March. (pretty close to the mark)

Eighty-six hours after this on Tuesday, the 28th 

of March— the Alert picked up, in the vicinity of 

Wheeler's and Broadhurst reefs, a music-room 

door, two pillows, and some lifebuoys and also

saw a lot of fruit passing by. On the same date 

two bags of pollard, a bag of pumpkins. &c, were 

picked up on Cape Bowling Green beach. Allowing 

for a current of only a mile an hour, the wreckage

could have drifted eight six miles before it was 

picked up. The first part of the wreckage found was 

evidently loose deck cargo. Judging from past 

experience gained in sailing vessels, I maintain

there is never any southerly current during the

cyclone seasons in those latitudes. How does 

Captain McKenzie account for the wreckage

found on Cape Upstart if the ship was wrecked

on Broadhurst Reef.

The same can be said for any lifeboats which might have escaped the sinking steamer supposedly drifting to the south of the wreck site. A 'whistle and explosion', suggesting a distress rocket, was allegedly heard at Ayr, well south of Cape Bowling Green, 9 a.m. the following day. For this to have come from a lifeboat is extremely unlikely given the state of the lifeboat station frames and the prevailing current.

In my opinion, when the captain of the Yongala, 

travelling north that night, found his barometer 

falling very rapidly and knowing that he was 

running into the cyclone, would endeavour to

turn back. What happened remains a mystery."


There is, however, a confounding factor....


Casino and Kyogle Courier, 5 April, 1911.

The Wrecked Yongala

the discovery, of a Muntz metal airtight compartment,

such as were used under the seats of the Yongala's

lifeboats, and which was picked up on the beach ten

miles south of Cape Bowling Green by the steamer

Pelican, which was sent to inspect Nares Rock and

met with very severe weather on the search.

10 miles south of Cape Bowling Green - courtesy Google Earth.

This discovery close to where the whistle and explosion were allegedly heard, could substantiate the theory that a lifeboat did in fact get free of the sinking steamer, with survivors on board.

However, air tanks responded differently i.e. prone to varying wind forces rather than the prevailing current. Heavier, waterlogged wreckage was more prone to the forces of the prevailing current(s), illustrated in the case of the Koombana disaster one year later:


https://koombanarevisited.blogspot.com/2020/05/analysis-of-wreckage-distribution.html

Wreckage was first discovered in the form of two copper air tanks (from lifeboat(s)) on North Turtle Island, 25 March, by Mr. Daniels of lugger Gloria Violet. The majority of wreckage was discovered between 2 and 5 April, a fortnight after the disaster. The final discovery during this time frame, also copper air tanks from lifeboat(s), mid April, is outlined in the following report: 

The West Australian, 17 April, 1912.

THE KOOMBANA.

A STATION OWNER'S REPORT.

Mr. W. E. Moxon, manager of the 

Adelaide Steamship Company, received 

information yesterday to the effect that a Mr.

Thompson, a station-owner in the North

West, had reported that some of his natives

had picked up three copper air tanks, which

had evidently come from one of the life

boats of the Koombana. The tanks were

found on the sandy beach connecting 

Solitary Island with the mainland, slightly to

the north of Amphinome Shoals.

Three sets of air tanks, originating from the wrecked Koombana's lifeboats, were discovered close to the coast, comprising 3 widely spaced (100 miles) geographic locations:

13. North Turtle island
14. Solitary Island. 
15. 14 miles south of Port Hedland 

There is no specific pattern apart from the air tanks having been subjected to the "set-in of the tide" -  Captain Clark, formerly Chief Officer of the Koombana:

"the wreckage had been borne landwards 
by the set-in of the tide, which always 
followed on a severe blow in the

Fix this textnorth-west."

One might anticipate such an outcome given the buoyancy factor associated with air tanks and variable surface wind forces.

Alternatively the Solitary Island discovery could point to what drover Olive saw on the night of 20 March.

Daily Commercial News, 14 May, 1912

The company had received a report 

from a magistrate at Broome that a 

statement had been made by a drover 

named Olive, that on the night of March 

20, when he was at Boyer's Camp, 30 

miles north of Condon, at about 8 or 9 p.m. 

he saw two rockets go up in the direction of

N.W. There was a hurricane blowing at 

the time. 

From a position on low cliffs roughly 46 ft. above sea level, he claimed to have seen two rockets in the direction of the northwest. Veracity of this account depends on reasonable visibility and the rockets rising to a significant altitude.

It is possible that at least one lifeboat got away safely from the sinking Koombana and these rockets were fired from it, which might explain why copper air tanks from such a lifeboat ended up at Solitary Island; a direction contrary to the sites of the other two sets of air tanks. 

Could it have been Koombana in the position of the two rockets rather than  a lifeboat ?

The vicinity of the rockets is riddled with shoals, notably the Amphinome Shoals and is relatively shallow. If Koombana grounded or foundered in the vicinity, surely the wreck would then have been readily discovered by fishermen, spear fishermen and pearl divers?

The distribution of the bulk of wreckage does not favour this site, particularly with the set-in of the tide referred to. (see second image and discussion below).

Against the veracity of drover Olive's account is the fact that during the night of 20 March and thereafter, the 'hurricane' was to the south of Port Hedland, not north. 

Let us return to the distribution pattern of the bulk of wreckage discovered. 

1. Stateroom door; painting stage; small pieces of board. SS Gorgon

2. Motor launch starboard bow plank (with insignia). SS Bullarra

3. Small wreckage; (life) boat tanks; lifebelts; panel from saloon / smoke room ceiling. SS Bullarra
(see: https://koombanarevisited.blogspot.com/2019/11/sufficient-warning.html)

4. Bottom board from (life) boat; white painted board. Lugger McLennan. 

5. (life) boat mast and small wreckage (rising from bottom). SS Una

6. Miscellaneous wreckage. SS Una   

7. Miscellaneous wreckage. SS Una. 

(see https://koombanarevisited.blogspot.com/2019/10/captain-rantzau.html)

8. Cabin paneling. Lugger Mina.

9. Smoking room cushion; cabin door. SS Minderoo.

10. Straw envelopes (Leech's fortune). SS Minderoo and SS Gorgon.
(see:  https://koombanarevisited.blogspot.com/2019/11/sufficient-warning.html)

11. Bottom boards (lifeboat); drawer; small teak panel. SS Minderoo.

North of Bedout Island the prevailing current flows in a westward direction.

By deduction, the distinct cluster of wreckage drifted from east to west. It is strongly suggested that the starting point was somewhere in the vicinity of Captain Upjohn's oil patch coordinates - the site of the wreck of RMS Koombana.

In this instance, the heavier, waterlogged items do not appear to have been significantly influenced by prevailing winds and variable surface current forces, as were the light, buoyant air tanks.

note extent of Balla Balla cyclone

Long after the disaster, discoveries were still made:

12. Submerged bilge section 150-200 ft.. SS Bullarra, mid July, 1912.

16. Saloon seat and ladder. Schooner Queenie Alice, July, 1913.

17. Second stateroom door. Pearler, Sholl Island, 1930's.

It is clear from this pattern that over time wreckage drifted inshore, further down the coast (not up the coast).

The Sun, Kalgoorlie, 31 March, 1912.

TELEGRAMS

THE UNSUCCESSFUL 

SEARCH

PERTH, Saturday.

Five steamers have been searching

all the week for signs of the missing

steamer Koombana, have discovered 

no trace. Turtle Islands, Bedout Island 

and Ninety-Mile beach have all been 

carefully examined without success. 

The steamer Minderoo, which left Onslow

for Cossack on Thursday last is now 18

hours overdue. Some optimistic people

regard this as hopeful, thinking she may 

have the missing steamer in tow, but the 

general feeling now is that the Koombana

went down during the recent cyclone. The 

search is being still continued.

The report emphasizes that during the initial two weeks after the disaster, no wreckage was discovered. This suggests that wreckage was released after some delay from the sunken wreck rather than immediately due to battering hurricane-force winds. 

It might also explain why there is a roughly 20 mile wreckage-free zone between Captain Upjohn's oil patch and the corridor north of Bedout Island (time elapse factor). 

The following extract (one of many period experiments conducted) illustrates the significance of prevailing currents' relationship with drifting objects. The distances in this extract are roughly 3,000 and 1,150 miles respectively; the prevailing current in question being the Southern Ocean Circumpolar Current from west to east:

 

Daily Telegraph, 19 January, 1911.

BOTTLES FROM THE PERICLES

HOBART, Wednesday. — Fishermen have

picked up two bottles containing current charts,

which on December 26 and 31, 1908, were thrown

overboard from the steamer Pericles, which was

wrecked off the West Australian coast. A peculiar 

feature about the find is that the bottles were thrown 

overboard with an interval of five days between each 

and they were found within five or six miles of each 

other on the South Tasmanian coast.

https://koombanarevisited.blogspot.com/2019/11/a-grim-reminder.html




Thanks to Annie Boyd for contributing to wreckage data.

The following link gives a graphic overview of the current trend north of Bedout Island:

http://www.bom.gov.au/oceanography/forecasts/idyoc300.shtml?region=NWWA&forecast=SSTCur

courtesy Trove.

http://fishing-app.gpsnauticalcharts.com/i-boating-fishing-web-app/fishing-marine-charts-navigation.html?title=Western+Australia+-+Solitary+Island+to+Bedout+Island+boating+app#9/-19.8374/119.6892

courtesy Trove