NO RESPONSE TO WIRELESS.

The Mercury, Hobart, Tuesday 26 March, 1912.

NO RESPONSE TO WIRELESS .

INQUIRIES.

FREMANTLE, March 25.

Grave anxiety for the safety of the

steamer Koombana, which left Port

Hedland for Broome on Wednesday

last, is now entertained.

The vessel is now four days overdue,

and it is feared that she has met with

disaster, or has been disabled. The

Koombana is fitted with wireless 

telegraphy, and the German mail steamer

Gneisenau, which arrived this morning,

reported having spoken to her on 

Wednesday last, when she was lying at

Port Hedland. The vessels were then

800 miles distant. 

To-day the Gneisenau endeavoured to

get into communication with the

Koombana, but met with no response.

It is quite possible, however, that the

Koombana's wireless apparatus has

been disabled.

The R.M.S., Mongolia is due from

Colombo to-morrow morning, and it is

quite possible that she has been able

to get into touch with the Koombana,

as she would pass well within the range

of her wireless installation.

The illuminating extract confirms that Koombana had effective wireless communication. But this was limited by no receivers on land and the number of other vessels with equivalent installations; in this case the German steamer Gneisenau and the RMS Mongolia. What use was this at the end of a tragic day? None of the local steamers had wireless.

If Koombana's wireless installation was not disabled due to the gale or 'flooding', Captain Allen might have sent out a distress call if there had been enough time. But it was not to be.... 

SS Mongolia of the Atlantic Transport Line - courtesy Kinghorn.

courtesy Trove