BEDOUT ISLAND LIGHT OUT.

The West Australian, Perth, Friday 5 April, 1912.

THE KOOMBANA,

ALL HOPE ABARNONED,

IN MEMORIAM SERVICES.

Yesterday brought to light no further 

details with regard to the Koombana. 

That she has gone down as the result 

of that Wednesday's terrible storm, 

there seems now no justification for 

doubting. The fact has, therefore, to 

be faced that, her entire complement 

of passengers and crew has also

perished in the waves. Many of the 

churches are preparing to hold 

"in memoriam" services as for the 

dead, and in St. George's Cathedral 

it is proposed to hold such a service 

on Sunday afternoon at 4 o'clock. It

will be observed below that a relief fund

in aid of those who have suffered through

tie recent North-West cyclone has been

opened by the Mayor of Perth.

Yesterday the Adelaide S.S. Company formally 

announced by means of a statement. signed by 

the manager Mr. W. E. Moxon and posted in one 

of the windows of their offices at the Port that the 

ill-fated Koombana has been lost at sea, the 

melancholy item being read by is large number of

people who have visited the company's premises 

daily seeking some ray of hope.

Considerable comment has been made as

to the efficacy of the self-tended lights. such

as are used at Bedout Island and elsewhere,

and the opinion has been expressed that

owing to the fact that the light was found

to be out when the island was visited recently, 

they are not reliable. When spoken to in this 

connection yesterday afternoon, the Chief 

Harbour Master (Captain Irvine) stated that 

when the light was first installed on Bedout 

instructions were issued to mariners giving 

particulars as to the installation, and a 

particular warning was on that occasion 

conveyed to them that as the light was a 

self-tended one, too much reliance should 

not be placed upon it. The light, had everything 

gone right, should have remained alight till June 

next, but, as it was, it had remained in good 

working order, day and night, from December, 

1909, till last month. It could hardly be wondered 

at that a cyclone which could bring disaster to

a steamer like the Koombana should have

the effect of extinguishing a light like that

at Bedout. He doubted if, in the event of a

cyclone striking Fremantle, difficulties would

not be experienced in keeping the lights at

Rottnest burning properly. 

The Government  steamer Penguin would 

be leaving, however, towards the end of the 

present month for the North-West to overhaul 

the lights along the coast, and in the mean

time word had been passed to all master

mariners on the coast acquainting them

with the fact that the light was extinguished.

What ghastly timing. Irrespective of whether warnings were issued to masters or not it was the responsibility of the State to ensure that lights such as Bedout were kept functioning. Captain Upjohn (a previous post) found no evidence that the cyclone had struck Bedout with any degree of force. 

However, if Koombana had approached Bedout at dusk ---> night, having been delayed +/- 2 hours filling tanks, there is the possibility that Koombana could have taken a knock on the reef extending out from was western aspect of the island.

Irvine was passing the buck by stating that because the lighthouse was a 'self-tending one' 'too much reliance should not be placed upon it'. Unacceptable!

Irvine was lying when he claimed that the cyclone was responsible for extinguishing the light, because he knew full well by 26 March, from reports, that the light had gone out as early as a week before the advent of the cyclone and Koombana disaster. It is amazing that no one picked up on this and took him to task. 

 'Western Australia—North-West Coast. NOTICE is hereby given that the hurricane which passed over Bedout Island—lat. 19.35 S. 119.6 E.—on the 22nd inst., extinguished the unattended light established on this island in December, 1909. Further notice will be issued as soon as the lamp has been re-lighted. Charts affected. No. 1055—Bedout Island to Cape Cuvier. No. 1048—Buccaneer Archipelago to Bedout. C. J. IRVINE, Chief Harbour Master. Harbour and Light Department, Fremantle, 30th March, 1912.' 

 NOTICE TO MARINERS. Western Australia-North-West Coast. 1516/12. NOTICE is hereby given that the Bedout Island Light, lat. 19.35 S., long. 119.6 E., has been relighted. Description of light as follows:-Unattended, white, flashing every 10 seconds, thus: Flash 2 secs., eclipse 8 secs.; height of focal plane, 66 feet; visible 14 miles in clear weather. Charts affected. No. 1055,-Bedout Island. to Cape Cuvier. No. 1048.-Buccaneer Archipelago to Bedout. C. J. IRVINE, Chief Harbour Master. Harbour and Light Department, Fremantle, 22nd May, 1912.

The s.s. Una. which has been instructed

to proceed to Bedout Island, has also been

ordered by Captain Irvine to communicate,

if possible, with the s.s. Bullarra, and to

instruct her to proceed at once to Cossack

and await further instructions. It is understood 

that the Bullarra will be relieved from any 

further search work. In order to maintain 

the contract mail service between Fremantle 

and the Nor'West ports of the State, the Adelaide 

S.S. Co.. Ltd., have arranged for their steamer

Allinga, which was a regular visitor to Western 

Australia a few years back, to come to the West, 

and take up the running of the Koombana. 

At the end of a long tragic day, it was business as usual for the Adelaide Steamship Company, hastily organising a replacement for the lost Koombana. 

The Allinga will leave the East shortly for Western 

Australia and her date of departure for all ports to 

Derby is fixed for Tuesday, May 7.

The following telegrams have been received by 

the manager of the Adelaide S.S. Co.:

--"This Chamber desires to express its sincere 

sympathy with your company and the relatives 

of the officers, crew, and passengers of the 

Koombana for the sad news just received.-

Carnarvon Chamber of Commerce."

"My Council and residents wish to express

their regret at loss sustained to your company 

through loss of Koombana. Carnarvon's deepest 

sympathy is with relatives of officers, crew and 

passengers, amongst whom there were many 

friends of ours.-

(Signed) W. Giles, Mayor."

MISSING PASSENGERS.

Kalgoorlie, April 4.

Mr. James Crosbie, one of the stewards of

the Koombana, is a son of Mr. Crosbie, of

Piccadilly street, Kalgoorlie, an engine-driver

on the Government railways.

Among the passengers who left Fremantle

by the Koombana was Mr. Jas. Craigie, butcher, 

who was well-known on the fields in the 

early days. After spending seven years

on Mr. C..Blythe's station at Fitzroy Crossing 

beyond Derby, he took a holiday trip East 

and was on his way back to Derby in

the Koombana.

ONE OF THE STEWARDS.

To the Editor.

Sir,-I should be pleased if you will make

an alteration in my brother's name in the

list of stewards of the s.s. Koombana. His

name has been reported as A. Durham, and

A. Deerham, but it should be Henry Durham. 

He has only been in Western Australia

about eight months, having previously had

experience on the Cape route from Southampton 

in the Union Castle Company's liners, and also 

on the Brazil route with the Royal Mail Co. He 

is the son of W. Durham, the well-known butcher 

of Brighton, England.-Yours, etc.,

W. DURHAM, Jun.

Fremantle, April 4.

A RELIEF FUND.

The Mayor of Perth (Mr. T. G. A. Molloy) 

stated yesterday that he had received

the following telegram from the Mayor of

Albany :-

"My Council will co-operate with

yours and other bodies throughout the 

State in any movement to alleviate suffering

through the Koombana and other North

West disasters. I trust you will make a

public appeal."

The Mayor added that he had fallen in

with the proposal contained it the above

telegram and had opened a fund in aid of

the sufferers by the wreck of the Koombana

and the other North-West disasters by 

subscribing £10 10s. His Worship stated 

that he felt sure that citizens would be only 

too ready to help in an effort of this description

and that he would he pleased to receive

subscriptions which would be duly acknowledged 

through the press.

To the Editor.

Sir,-Now that the worst fears concerning

the fate of the Koombana seems confirmed,

permit me to ask you to open a subscription

for the relief of those who have lost their

bread-winners in the ill-fated steamer. I

have heard privately of one or two cases

where distress appears inevitable unless 

relief is promptly forthcoming. Perhaps you

will be kind enough to take charge of a

fund. I enclose on behalf of my partner and

self a cheque for five pounds. Thanking you

in anticipation.-Yours. etc.,

OLIVER A. GREIG.

661 Hay-street, April 4.

We are in receipt of our correspondent's

cheque for £5, and with his sanction we will

Fix this text

forward the sum to the Mayoral fund..

Heart wrenching!

SS Allinga - courtesy Flotilla Australia

courtesy Trove

https://www.slp.wa.gov.au/gazette/gazette.nsf/gazlist/6205E4E859C7A3E548257C1D0015457F/$file/gg023.pdf