WRECKSITE - FITTING TOGETHER THE PIECES OF THE PUZZLE.

The Advertiser (Adelaide) Tuesday 28 March, 1911.

THE WORST FEARED.

VIEWS OF CAPTAINS.

Brisbane, March 27.

No word of the missing Yongala was 

received up to a late hour to-night. The

steamer Grantala, from Cairns via ports,

arrived this evening, and Captain Sim 

when seen on arrival said he met the full 

force of a cyclone within a few hours steam

from Dent Island, where the Yongala was

last sighted. He was therefore in a position 

to give an account of the conditions which 

were probably experienced by the Yongala. 

The Grantala, which is a sister ship to the 

Yongala, left Townsville at 4 pm. on Thursday, 

and arrived off Cape Bowling Green about 

7.30 p.m. the same day. As it was then blowing 

very strongly the captain decided to anchor. 

38 miles = 10.89 knots average. 'Easy steam'. No urgency.

Captain Sim decided to depart Townsville suggesting that there was no cyclone warning at that port and conditions were fairly calm at 4 p.m.. Within 3.5 hours a strong gale came up forcing the decision to anchor in the bay and confirming the sudden energy of the system making landfall at speed.

The wind increased in force from the south 

through west to north. About 100 fathoms 

of cable was paid out, and as the shelter 

was good the ship rode out the gale, which

blew with the force of a cyclone. It was

strongest between 1 and 2 a.m., and was

then blowing from the west south-west.

Upper left hand section of the cyclone, otherwise known as the 'right-hand' of the cyclone.

The wind eventually came round towards

north and the barometer rose.

Cyclone moving over in a more or less southwesterly direction.

Heavy rain fell all night. The anchor was 
raised at 8 a.m. on Friday and the vessel 

proceeded south. Rain and heavy weather

were experienced all the way to Cape 

Moreton. Captain Sim describes the night 

off Bowling Green as one of the worst he 

ever experienced.

Captain McKenzie, of the Innamincka, 

which arrived from Sydney to-night, gave

little hope of the safety of the Yongala.

With the aid of a chart Captain McKenzie

explained that once the Yongala had passed

Dent Island she was in a locality beset by

reefs and islands. With a fearful gale behind 

her and a strong set of the current from the 

land off Burdekin River she would be moving 

through the water at a good pace. He spoke 

in the highest terms of the seagoing qualities 

of the Yongala, but, under the circumstances 

which were experienced by the Grantala in 

the same locality, he had to take a very serious 

view of the matter.

This expert comment supports my contention that Yongala averaged almost 17 knots to the disaster site, 11 miles off Cape Bowling Green Light. From the description given by Captain Sim of the cyclone's sudden development (and dissipation) in the vicinity of Cape Bowling Green, it is strongly suggested that Yongala steamed into the eye and where seas 'come from all directions' overwhelming the tender steamer.