MATTHEW JOHN WILLIAMS.

Matthew John Williams, Marine Superintendent to the Adelaide Steamship Company in Western Australia.

Despite the consistently biased witness accounts from those associated with the ASSCo in favour of Koombana two interesting points were made.

1. Cargo was well secured in sections; 85 tons for Broome and 175 tons for Derby as per diagram below. 

In terms of this cargo component Koombana was in very light condition when she departed Hedland for the last time. Furthermore, the Broome cargo was higher up in the hull, raising centre of gravity and diminishing GM stability - i.e. top heaviness.

courtesy Annie Boyd.

2. Captain Williams referred to coal stowed on the main deck which was in effect the cattle deck above the Broome cargo labeled above. 

This could be construed as irresponsible in an inherently top heavy vessel, particularly when there was adequate stowage space in demarcated coal bunkers below this level. 

However, we know that no coal was stowed on the main deck according to Captain Upjohn at Hedland and he was there - Captain Williams was not. 

Captain Williams referred to two ballast tanks filled with salt water, both port and starboard subdivisions. Captain Upjohn referred specifically to tanks number 2 and number 3 used for salt water. 

However, Captain Upjohn also alluded to the afterpeak being a fresh water 'tank' as well. 

Reference was made to flexibility filling tanks: 

"the tanks used in trimming. If the ship had a list with the fresh water in one side on No 2, could they fill the other side with salt water?"

"The sub-divisions are totally independent of each other with separate connections for fresh and salt water."

In other words,    

"yes"

courtesy State Records Office, Western Australia, series 2357, cons 066

courtesy State Records Office, Western Australia. Series 2357, cons 066