Sunday Times, 14 July, 1912.
THE LOST STEAMER KOOMBANA.
Captain Irvine, Chief Harbor-master of Fremantle
(W.A.), received the following telegram from Broome
on Monday : 'Bullara, on passage from Cossack to Port
Hedland, passed derelict, appeared to be submerged bilge
of vessel, 15Oft. or 200ft. long, in latitude 20 deg. 10 min.
south and 118 deg. 3 min. east.'
The general impression amongst shipping men is that
the derelict is portion of the Koombana. It is significant
that the wreckage was sighted close to where the
Koombana was supposed to have been lost. 'She left
Port Hedland during the forenoon, and was lost the same
night in the vicinity of Bedout Island. Wreckage was
found about five miles north-west of Port Hedland.'
97 miles southwest of the oil patch, 13 miles offshore, the submerged 'bilge' was discovered four months after the disaster. This important discovery suggested that Koombana had sustained hull damage.
Given the Bullarra report, as it stands, had Koombana taken a knock off Bedout Island (reef extending out on the southwestern fringe) resulting in water ingress and ultimately foundering; or had her back broken; or hull damaged when striking the seabed ? This was well documented in the case of the Clan Ranald when a diver went down and reported:
"There are several long furrows in the bottom immediately
to the eastward of the ship, as if her starboard
bilge keel had bumped several times before
she finally settled down."
bilge keel had bumped several times before
she finally settled down."
It must be remembered that Koombana's hull had suffered repeated insults in the form of groundings; striking a rock; bumping the outer bar at Port Hedland; resting on muddy bottom at low tide and a blow from the SS Pilbarra.
Although repairs were made and the keelson reinforced with a steel strap, the latent damage must have been significant. A steamer's back could break given certain certain circumstances and wave lengths as outlined in the following extract drawn from Wikipedia:
"Hogging is the stress a ship's hull or keel
It is interesting to note the comment about wreckage being found 'five miles north-west of Port Hedland'. 10 airtight tanks from lifeboat(s) were discovered about 15 miles west of Port Hedland. For the rest, the bulk of the wreckage was found to the north and west of Bedout Island significant distances from Port Hedland. Reporting needed to be constantly cross-referenced.
The following image reminds us where the submerged bilge was discovered and in this case I have illustrated the extent of the cyclone as reported at the Inquiry:
"S. R. P. Stevens, who was acting divisional
officer of the Commonwealth Weather Bureau
from March 15 to 25"
"The diameter, he thought, would extend from Port
Hedland on the north and Cossack on the south.
About 90 miles north-east by south-west"
Note that even to this extent the cyclone did not broach the Hedland to Broome, outer steamer track route around Bedout Island.
The Daily News, 27 March, 1912
(From Our Own Correspondent.)
PORT HEDLAND, This Day.
11.45 a.m.
Scarcely any damage has been done
at all at Port Hedland.
The following document is interesting in that although minimal damage was sustained at Port Hedland the sequence of events was important. Note that as the system moved inland Port Hedland started to get stronger winds, only commencing late Thursday 21 March, when Koombana was long gone to a watery grave.
Compare this sequence of events with that reported in Bullarra's log as she steamed southwest into the cyclone targeting Balla Balla. Initial hurricane conditions 4.30 pm 20 March (inferior aspect of the system) increasing towards 10 pm ----> midnight as the cyclone made landfall and the steamer was driven into the heart of the system.
 |
| courtesy State Records Office, Western Australia |
Balla Balla and Whim Creek took the brunt of the cyclone. The following extract describes the evolution:
"On Wednesday morning (20 March) a strong breeze sprang up at Whim Creek and Balla Balla (separation distance, 15 miles) which, as the day wore on, gradually developed until at night it was blowing a gale. The following day the wind increased in strength and on Thursday afternoon it was blowing a hurricane which attained its maximum at about 2.30 on Friday morning. At the Whim Creek mine office the barometer fell from 29.86 to 29.31. At the mine store the register went as low as 29.15."
There is no doubting the significance of the fall in barometer readings and intensity of the onslaught.
"At Roeburne 875 points of rain fell in
24 hours. The Harding River was running
a banker, and the town was flooded.
Portion of Point Sampson jetty, and the
tramway between Point Sampson and
Cossack are washed away. Port Hedland
was half under water, but no lives are lost.
Two hotels were blown down at Balla
Balla, and other buildings are severely
damaged."
Cossack; Point Sampson and Roeburne are only about 30 miles from Balla
Balla. Port Hedland is about 50 miles distant. Although heavy flooding rain fell,
there were NO reports of destructive wind forces at these two geographical sites, confirming my understanding of the limited extent of the cyclone core.
"A message from the Hedland post
master reports that the gale was
severely felt there, but there was no
damage and no loss of life."
Heavy rain would not necessarily destroy a steamer; but destructive winds and
confused seas, most certainly could!
courtesy Trove and Google Earth.
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