EXCITING OCEAN RACE.

The Brisbane Courier, Tuesday 18 June, 1907.

Exciting Ocean Race.

The Adelaide Steamship Company's

steamer Yongala and the Howard

Smith Company's steamer Bombala

arrived yesterday from Southern ports

after a splendid ocean race, which

created a good deal of excitement

amongst the crews and passengers on the

respective ships. The vessels left Sydney

on Saturday evening, the Bombala at 8.20,

and the Yongala at 8.30.

                               Yongala             Bombala

gross tonnage:        3664 tons       3571 tons

length:                    350 ft.                348 ft.

beam:                     45.2 ft.               43 ft. 11 in.

depth of hold:         27.2 ft.               20 ft. 4 in.

draft:                       24 ft.                  21 ft.

depth of hull:           30 ft. 6 in. 

trial speed:              15.8 knots         15.86 knots        evenly matched           

Captain Knight, in his report of the voyage, 

states that the Yongala passed through 

Sydney Heads at 9.10 p.m., and from other 

sources it was learned that she was about 

sixteen minutes behind the Bombala at that point.

The race to Brisbane then started, and

both Captain R. F. Douton (of the

Bombala), and Captain Knight reported

that a fresh southerly wind, with heavy

rain, prevailed until after passing Seal

Hocks, where the rain ceased, and fine

weather with fresh west-south-west winds

and south-east swell were experienced for

the remainder of the trip.

Both vessels showed a fine turn of speed. 

The Bombala passing Smoky Cape at 

11.30 a.m. on Sunday, and the Yongala 

passed the same point eleven minutes 

later (11.41 a.m.). From Sydney Heads 

to Smoky Cape the Yongala averaged a 

speed of 15.3 knots per hour, and at 

8 o'clock on Sunday evening she caught 

up to and gradually forged ahead of the 

Bombala, arriving an Cape Moreton at 

3.37 this morning, or seven minutes to 

the good of her opponent, who had the 

Cape abeam at 3.44 a.m. 

The Yongala accomplished the distance 

from Sydney Heads to Cape Moreton 

against a strong southerly set in

thirty hours twenty one minutes. The

Yongala arrived at the Pile Light at-7.30

a.m., and the Bombala at 7.50 a.m..

The times of passing Cape Moreton, 

Bulwer, and the Pile Light, which were 

forwarded from those places, varied 

from those given in the ships reports. 

Cape Moreton reported that the Yongala 

passed at 3.40 a.m. and Bombala 3.45 a.m.; 

Bulwer reported Yongala passed at 6.10 a.m., 

Bombala at 6.20 a.m.; and the Pile Light reported

Yongala passed 7.33 a.m., Bombala 7.38 a.m.

It becomes apparent from this report that much prestige was attached to the speeds attained by steamers and although the two shipping lines serviced the same routes, complimenting one other, friendly competition was the order of the day.  The outcome of such 'races' probably influenced ticket bookings.

The Sydney Morning Herald, Friday 13 May, 1904.

A NEW INTERSTATE LINER,

THE BOMBALA DUE TO-DAY.

The latest addition to the interstate passenger fleet,

the fine twin screw steamship Bombala, of the Howard

Smith Company's line will arrive on her first visit

to Sydney to-day, en route to Queensland ports. The

Bombala only recently reached Melbourne on her maiden

voyage from England, and has given every satisfaction

to her owners. Originally it was proposed that she

should commence her career in the interstate trade by

making a trip from Melbourne to Fremantle, but

ultimately it was resolved that before engaging in the

Western Australian service she should make a voyage

to Townsville and back.

The Bombala was built by the well known firm of

Sir James Laing and Sons, and she was brought

out to Australia by Captain Little, the marine 

superintendent of the Howard Smith Company. Specially

designed for the important passenger service in which

she will be engaged, this vessel embodies the highest

excellence to be found in steamers of similar type,

and for the 150 first class and 170 second-class 

passengers which she carries she affords a luxury and 

comfort probably hitherto unattained by vessels in the

same trade. Her principal dimensions are:

Length between perpendiculars, 348 ft, 

breadth moulded, 43 ft 11 in; depth moulded to main deck, 

20ft 4 in. She is fitted with triple expansion engines 

on the Yarrow Schlick and Tweddy balanced system, 

which have been so eminently successful in passenger 

steamers by reducing vibration to a minimum, and 

which on the trial fully maintained their reputation in 

this steamer. The vessel is provided with four large 

single-ended boilers, working at a pressure of 190lb, 

and fitted with Howden's system of forced draught.

The vessel has four decks, the boat and bridge decks

forming commodious promenades for the passengers.

The staterooms for the first class passengers, situated

amidships on the spar decks, as well as those for the

second-class, situated in the forecastle and forward end

of main deck, are replete with high class furnishings

and fittings, special care having been exercised in the

ventilation and lighting. Electric light is fitted throughout 

the ship on the double wire system. A large first-class 

dining saloon has been built on the spar deck forward 

of the boiler casing, decorated In white and gold A trunk 

sky light opens out from the saloon to a spacious music-room 

above, furnished with a specially designed piano the treatment 

and decoration here being the same as saloon, but with 

oak moulding below dado. A comfortably fitted smoking-room 

has been provided at the after end of the bridge deck, framed 

in teak below dado, with white and gold treatment above. The

sanitary arrangements are also on the most modern

and approved principle. The vessel is fitted with

every facility for the rapid discharge of cargo, two

steam cranes as well as five steam winches being

provided for this purpose on the winch bridges fore

and aft. The crew and firemen are all housed under

the poop, but the waiters, stewards, etc, are 

accommodated amidships on the main deck. A large 

insulated space is arranged at the after end of the 

engines, where in addition to the ship's stores a 

considerable cargo of chilled meat can be carried.

To the ocean-travelling public generally, either on

business or pleasure, this ship affords the nearest

approach obtainable to the highly elaborated hotel

system of the present day, and her introduction to

Australian waters will probably mark an epoch to

those interested in the development of modern 

passenger marine service.

On her official trial trip just before leaving the

builders hands she attained in unpropitious weather

a mean speed of 15.86 knots on the measured mile

when loaded to her 21 ft draught marks, carrying 2000

tons deadweight. To everyone concerned the steamer

gave complete satisfaction, and with little or no vibration

demonstrated exceptionally fine sea qualities.

SS Bombala - courtesy Maritime Museum, Tasmania.