SUFFICIENT LIFEBOATS.

The Advertiser (Adelaide) Wednesday 29 March, 1911.

SOME THEORIES.

Brisbane, March 28.

It has been learned that the lifeboats

carried by the Yongala were sufficient to

accommodate 317 persons, and as the 

passengers and crew on the Yongala 

numbered 120 all told, there was a good 

margin of space. Though from reports 

concerning the discovery of wreckage on

Keeper Reef, north of Townsville, it would

appear that the Yongala was swept past

Townsville and dashed on to a reef, the

general opinion, which is strengthened by

the finding of cargo in Bowling Green Bay,

is that the missing vessel struck somewhere 

in the vicinity of Cape Bowling Green and 

foundered, the wreckage found on 

Keeper Reef having drifted north. This

theory is further borne out by the fact

that the steamer Grantala, which usually

met the north bound boat three hours'

steam south of Cape Bowling Green, did

not on this occasion see anything of the

Yongala. This seems to indicate that

the latter vessel met the gale soon after

leaving Whitsunday Passage and struck

and foundered before the Grantala 

passed that way.

Very astute assumptions. However, Grantala was anchored in Bowling Green Bay during the cyclone and would not have seen the Yongala during this time.

The general opinion now held by ship-

masters is that the Yongala has gone down

with all hands, but as to the cause and

manner of the foundering opinions vary

considerably. Some think the ship was

driven on a reef with such force that she

went down, leaving no time for anything

to be done to save life. Others believe

the vessel was blown clean over.

THE YONGALA DESCRIBED.

The Yongala, with her sister ship, the

Grantala, is amongst the latest additions

to the Adelaide Steamship Company's fleet,

and is regarded as one of the most modern

vessels engaged in the Australian coastal

trade. The steamer was built in 1903 by

Messrs. Armstrong, Whitworth, & Co., at

Newcastle-on-Tyne, and reached Australia

on her maiden voyage at the end of that

year. Her length is 350 ft., beam 45 ft. 2 in, 

and depth 27 ft. 2 in, gross tonnage 3,064, 

net 1,825 tons Her engines were supplied

by the Wallsend Slipway Engineering

Company, and are 690 nominal horsepower.

The Yongala has accommodation for about

250 saloon and second-class passengers, and

about 1,700 tons of cargo. She was built

especially for the Australian passenger trade, 

and was first engaged in the run from 

Sydney to Melbourne, Adelaide, and

Fremantle, but latterly had been engaged

for the trade between Melbourne and Cairns 

(Queensland).

Yongala carried 617 tons of cargo when she foundered. This was 36% of her capacity, which must to some degree have contributed to a relatively light condition when she steamed into the cyclone.

VESSEL VERY STABLE.

The missing steamer Yongala was the

chief topic of conversation at Port Adelaide 

on Tuesday.

The officials of the Adelaide office of the

Adelaide Steamship Company stated that

they had no misgivings concerning the

safety of the vessel. They asserted that

mishaps, any one of which might have 

delayed the vessel for a day or two,

might possibly have occurred, but they 

refused to believe the steamer had

foundered. They were of opinion that 

when struck by the full force of the 

cyclone the Yongala's machinery might

have been injured, and the vessel have 

been driven south. In the event of the

vessel escaping rocks or reefs after 

repairing the injuries the Yongala would

probably put into Brisbane This, however, 

was before the news arrived of the finding 

of the cargo.

'Don't you think the vessel has turned

turtle' a reporter'asked the assistant

manager (Mr. Morphett) of the Adelaide

Steamship Company, on Tuesday morning.

"That would have been impossible," was

the response. The vessel had a good cargo,

and even when empty she is a most stable

" steamer." "

'You don't think it is a repetition of the 

Waratah case?'

"NO; unless the vessel struck a rock or

got on a reef she is safe."

A very interesting comparison suggesting that there was talk of a top heavy Yongala foundering in a 'storm of exceptional violence'.

'It is a very dangerous coast?'

"Yes," assented Mr. Morphett, "but

Captain Knight knows every inch of it."

'The weather has been cyclonic lately?'.

Cyclonic weather suggests that the cyclone of 23 March was not an isolated occurrence. Due care should have been taken. Captain Knight should have taken heed of the rapidly falling barometer signaling the approach of a cyclone.

"Yes, but we are optimistic."

'The vessel is four days overdue, 

and there is no sign or news of any sort?'.

"No news is good news."

The Adelaide manager (Mr. Haggart)

received on Tuesday afternoon this

telegram from the manager of the company

in Brisbane - "Bags of chaff, pumpkins, bran 

and pollard hive been found on the beach at 

Cape Bowling Green, which is 35 miles from 

Townsville.

Mr..Haggart said, although the telegram

pointed to disaster, he still hoped that the

vessel was afloat. "I have every confidence 

in Captain Knight," he remarked, "and the 

steamer is one of the best. She is only 

seven years old." Mr. Haggart said he did 

not know of any Adelaide people being on 

board.

THE INSURANCES.

The Adelaide secretary of the company

stated on Tuesday afternoon that the

Yongala was covered by insurances

amounting to £90,000. One-fourth of that

amount is with the Adelaide Steamship

Company, and the balance of three-fourths

is divided between the South British Company 

and the Union Insurance Society of Canton.

Sadly there was only one truth regards the Yongala - she had foundered with all hands in the cyclone.

Cape Bowling Green.