THE MARINE INQUIRY.

Unique ID:	21077
Description:	BOT Wreck Report for 'Yongala', 1911
Creator:	Board of Trade
Date:	1911
Copyright:	Out of copyright
Partner:	SCC Libraries
Partner ID:	Unknown

Transcription (No. 7477.)

" YONGALA " (S.S.).

REPORT of an Inquiry held by the Marine Board of Queensland into the circumstances attending the loss of the s.s. " YONGALA," of Adelaide, on or about the 23rd day of March, 1911, between Mackay and Townsville.

In complying with the request of the Hon. the Treasurer for immediate steps to be taken to hold a full inquiry, under the provisions of " The Navigation Act of 1876," into the circumstances connected with the loss of the s.s. "Yongala," on or about the night of the 23rd March, 1911, between Mackay and Townsville, the Board fully realise the difficulty inseparable from the task assigned to them, inasmuch as, while partaking to some extent of the nature of the ordinary inquiry into a marine disaster, the cause of which, by personal evidence and attendant circumstances, is usually ascertainable, its identity with such is impaired in this case by the fact that to enable them to arrive at a definite finding no such testimony is available, and it would therefore appear to the Board that, in order to account for the total disappearance of the ill-fated vessel with all on board, the inquiry will chiefly be in the direction of the ship's stability, equipment, and seaworthiness, together with the question of Captain Knight's carefulness and general efficiency as a shipmaster.

Mr. J. T. O'Shea, of Messrs. O'Shea and O'Shea, solicitors, appeared on behalf of the Adelaide Steamship Company. Having heard the evidence of Mr. E. Northcote (the general manager), Mr. E. B. Wareham (the Queensland inspector and attorney), Mr. H. Adamson (the superintending engineer), and C. Hansen (the superintendent stevedore), of the Adelaide Steamship Company; Captain J. Sim (master), W. K. Saunders (mate), and F. K. Blown (chief engineer), of the s.s. "Grantala "; Captain C. MacKenzie (master) of the s.s. " Wollowra," and Mr. A. McG. Leslie, who have for various periods served in the " Yongala "; Captains Hurford of the " Bombala," Smith of the " Cooma," Sharland of the "Warrego," Dibble, late of the Howard Smith Company; Binstead, Torres Strait Pilot; Rothwell, who searched for the wreck in the " Porpoise "; Mr. Bond, the Divisional Officer of the Meteorological Bureau of Queensland; the Shipping Inspector and Assistant Shipping Inspector of Brisbane; the Board find that the s.s. " Yongala," Official Number 118332, registered in Adelaide, Captain William Knight, master, and owned by the Adelaide Steamship Company, Limited, was on a voyage from Melbourne to Cairns, via ports.

In view of certain rumours being in circulation reflecting on the ship's stability, the Board invited, through the Press, persons desirous of giving evidence to attend the inquiry, which notice, however, met with no response.

Stability. 

The " Yongala " was a steel screw steamer of 3,664 tons gross and 1,825 net; length, 350 feet; breadth, 45·2 feet; depth, 27·2 feet; built under special survey in 1903 by Messrs. Armstrong, Whitworth, and Co., Newcastle-on-Tyne, from specifications supplied by the Adelaide Steamship Company. Mr. Adamson, the company's superintendent engineer, supervised her building, and gave in evidence that the that the specifications provided that:

"After the vessel is completed, her centre of gravity is to be ascertained experimentally by inclining her, and curves of stability are to be calculated up to 90 degrees inclination at intervals of not more than 10 degrees and for five different conditions of loading, to be specified by the company". "Complete diagrams of results are to be prepared and supplied to the company". "The inclining experiments are to be performed at the expense of the builders", "and in the presence and to the satisfaction of inspectors appointed by the company to watch the experiments."

These tests were strictly carried out in his presence. Mr. Adamson also stated that the machinery, especially crank shaft and shafting, were 20 to 25 per cent. stronger than Lloyd's requirements.

If further confirmation of the ship's stability and seaworthiness be required, it is to be found in the satisfactory career of the vessel of over seven years' continuous running on the coast of Australia, four of which were in the West Australian trade, where the return journey was always made without cargo in all weathers, without accident.

In regard to pig-iron ballast being placed in the vessel whilst in the West Australian trade, and subsequently removed when the ship was transferred to the Queensland trade, it was explained by the general manager that this ballast, amounting to 164 tons, became unnecessary, owing to cargo being obtainable both up and down the Queensland coast. A letter from Captain Knight to the company at the time confirmed this view; and stated that the ship rolled less, and was more comfortable in a seaway.

From the foregoing the Board are satisfied that the vessel in construction, stability, and seaworthiness was equal to any of her class on the Australian coast.

The cost of the vessel was £102,000. The underwriters' proportion of the insurance was £65,000, and the balance was carried by the owners.

The vessel left Brisbane on the 21st March with a total dead weight of 1,885 tons, fully manned, equipped, in excellent trim, draft aft 22 feet 6 inches, forward 17 feet 9 inches, leaving a clear side of 10 feet 6 inches, with a general cargo and passengers for Northern ports, and reached Mackay on the 23rd March. The weight of cargo in the vessel was 667 tons, almost entirely in the lower hold, and was properly stowed. There were 43 tons in the between decks, 40 of which were for Mackay; and 11 tons on deck, 10 of which were also for Mackay.

The number of persons on board on leaving Mackay were:

First saloon passengers 29.  

Second saloon passengers 19.  

Crew 72. 

Total 120. 

The "Yongala " left the anchorage at Mackay at 1.40 p.m. on the 23rd March, and was reported as having passed Dent Island at 6.30 p.m. on the same day. She was not subsequently heard of. A small portion of her cargo, &c., was picked up on the coast and reefs to the north-west of the Whitsunday Passage.

The Meteorological Bureau telegraphed Flat-top on the 23rd that cyclonic conditions prevailed between Mackay and Townsville. This was signalled to the s.s. " Cooma " from Flat-top; but, unfortunately, the "Yongala" had left some hours previously.

The s.s. " Taiyuan " anchored at Repulse Island on the morning of the 23rd, and had the wind from S.E. (strong gale with occasional terrific squalls). At Dent Island it also blew from S.E., force 7 to 9, with no indication of a cyclone, when the " Yongala" passed at 6.30 p.m.

At Cape Bowling Green, however, the wind commenced at S.S.E., veering to S., S.W., W., and thence to N.W. The "Grantala," bound South, anchored about 7 miles W.N.W. from the Cape, experienced the same weather conditions; barometer 29.50, which would place her on the northern margin of the right-hand semicircle of the storm proving unerringly that in conformity with the laws relating to hurricanes in the Southern Hemisphere it came from the N.E., and in its progressive motion to the S.W. (inland) large trees were uprooted, clearing a well-defined space through the forest at the back of Cape Upstart. 

From the scant data available, it may be assumed that the diameter of the storm did not exceed 30 miles; and as the course of the " Yongala " would be nearly at right angles with the path of the storm, it is just possible that she reached its southern margin, about midnight, between Cape Upstart and Cape Bowling Green.

It has been given in evidence that several masters, including Captain Knight, when proceeding from Whitsunday Passage north, were in the habit of using the inshore route, passing between Armit and Gumbrell Islands. The Board, however, are of opinion, taking into consideration the prevailing weather conditions at the time, that Captain Knight as a careful and experienced master would not use the passage on that occasion.

Several theories were suggested by witnesses (well known shipmasters) as to the cause of the disaster, notably the vessel striking a reef or, owing to some mishap, rendered helpless in the vortex of the storm; but as they were merely conjectures, it is not possible to allow them any consideration; and while it is both gratifying and reassuring that the vessel's stability and seaworthiness remain unassailable, and the competency and carefulness of Captain Knight unimpeachable, the Board, with no desire to indulge in idle speculation, simply find that, after becoming lost to view by the lightkeeper at Dent Island, the fate of the "Yongala" passes beyond human ken into the realms of conjecture, to add one more to the long roll of mysteries of the sea.

The Board have to thank Mr. Northcote, general manager of the Adelaide Steamship Company; Mr. Wareham, the local inspector, and officers for their efforts in supplying every information regarding the vessel. Plans, models, and details of every description were readily furnished, and witnesses brought forward at some inconvenience to the company's working arrangements. The Board also commend the company for their prompt action in endeavouring by every means at their disposal to obtain information regarding the whereabouts of the missing vessel.

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.

By direction of the Marine Board of Brisbane, this 20th June, 1911.

  

AROHD. MORGAN,  

Secretary.

(Issued in London by the Board of Trade on the 25th day of August, 1911.)

There is a lot to digest and I am going to tackle the transcript section by section in coming posts. Suffice to say that in some respects the report was scant if I compare with the wreck report for the Waratah. Very little attempt was made to outline Yongala's stability in various forms of lading and to what degree 617 tons of cargo, some of which was on deck, affected her GM and righting angle figures. It's as though it was a subject left well alone.

to be continued.....

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