KOOMBANA NEAPED

Northern Times, 6 November, 1909.

The first tram to Point Sampson under the

new arrangement left on Tuesday, 20th

inst, to meet the Koombana, and was

availed of by a number, in addition to the

numerous passengers, and it is intended to

meet all steamers and also run as necessary

at other times till a regular time table is

required. The tramway service to Cossack

has been altered, and for the present a

day tram only will be run, leaving Roebourne 

at 10 a.m. The altered state of affairs will be 

much appreciated by the Roebourne public 

at all events, as now the despatch and 

receipt of mails will be greatly facilitated, 

and passengers will be able to remain 

at home till within a very few hours of the 

ship's arrival. Of course it will take some 

days to arrange matters, but Mr. Thomson 

is already showing himself ready to meet 

the wishes of the residents. Though the 

first tram left early in the morning yet a 

large number gathered to witness its 

departure, and later in the day, like the 

proverbial cat, "it came back" with a hungry 

and disappointed party, the cause being that

the Koombana had been neaped at Hedland. 

Word coming through later that the boat had 

left Hedland at about 6 p.m. the passengers 

left again for the boat, hoping for better luck.

The reality of Koombana being caught in Port Hedland by the tide. Inconvenience and a knock-on effect, potentially extending to other ports up and down the coast. One can understand the pressure Captain Allen experienced to 'press on'. The limited access to a tidal port such as Hedland was a central factor contributing to the disaster. It does raise a number of issues:

1. Did Koombana's size and draught qualify her for using this tidal port?

2. In order to clear the outer bar, Koombana had to empty her tanks which made her unstable in terms of GM - unseaworthy. 

3. Filling ballast tanks at sea was risky at best and frankly dangerous if Koombana was rolling and pitching, as was witnessed on the morning of 20 March.

4. 'Bumping' the outer bar on numerous occasions would surely have caused latent damage to the keel and hull of Koombana? It does remind one of the discovery of a 150 ft. section of her bilge keel near the coast after the disaster!!!

5. The harbour master at Port Hedland,who represented Captain Irvine, the Chief harbour master, sanctioned Koombana exiting his port on numerous occasions in extremely light, unseaworthy condition. The Department of Harbour and LIghts was thus, albeit indirectly, also responsible for allowing Koombana to go to her fate? 

6. Trying to save costs at the expense of lives and safety in terms of not dredging the bar and not providing lighters for ships the size of Koombana.

courtesy Trove.