'REFUSED TO ANSWER HER HELM'.

 "Owing to the heavy seas, the gale, and the 

strong currents, together with the fact 

that the vessel was flying very light, the 

Cromarty refused to answer her helm, and 

became practically unmanageable. The 

steamer was only drawing 6ft. forward and 12ft. 

aft, and could not be controlled in heavy weather.

During the whole time she was pounding heavily, 

and at intervals of every few minutes her engines 

raced."

It does not take very much imagination to substitute Cromarty with Koombana, northeast of Bedout Island, March, 1912.

Outcome:

 Koombana broaching, falling into a trough and capsizing.

courtesy Trove.

 

OIL PATCH CONFIRMATION.

The Evening Telegraph, 29 September, 1911.

A YONGALA THEORY.

Captain Colin Thompson, of Cooktown,

arrived last week by the Matunga from 

Papua (says the Cairns "Post.,") He sailed 

the Schooner Annie from Maryborough to

Samurai, via Cooktown consigned to 

Messrs. Clunn and Sons, to be used as

a storeship for the firm and a lighter for 

oversea steamers - Captain Thompson 

reports that in passing Cape Bowling 

Green, between 7 and 8 miles from the

Cape he observed a "greasy" streak on

the water, about the length of a large

steamer. A small rip-tide was flowing.

There was about 16 fathoms (30 m)

of water and the sea was very smooth, 

but as it was about 6 p.m., and darkness 

was setting in he was unable to make 

any search and proceeded on his voyage

north. Captain Thompson thinks he 

passed at the spot mentioned the 

place where the Yongala lies. If so,

she is right in the track of the big

steamers.

Extraordinary!!

Yongala lies in 30 m = 16 fathoms, off Cape Bowling Green, a little further out than quoted, but within the 'track of the big steamers' referenced by an experienced mariner of the time.

The importance of an oil patch marking the final resting place of steamers cannot be over- emphasised.

This bodes well for searches for the lost Koombana - see:

https://koombanarevisited.blogspot.com/2020/05/coordinates-conclusion.html

courtesy Google Earth

An oil patch was used to localise the position of the sunken Clan Ranald:

https://waratahrevisited.blogspot.com/2016/03/clan-ranald-fascinating-account-and.html

"direct me to the spot where the wreck was sunk, 

which he said he knew exactly, having seen 

streams of oil rising from her."

courtesy: http://www.bandcstaffregister.com/page4487.html

 

courtesy Trove.

TOUGH TIMES.

The Sydney Morning Herald, 10 September, 1912.

ADELAIDE STEAMSHIP COMPANY.

ADELAIDE, Monday.

At the twenty-fifth general meeting of the

shareholders of the Adelaide Steamship 

Company, Mr. James Harvey, chairman of 

directors, who presided, said that, in addition 

to the unfortunate mishaps referred to in the

directors' report, the trading results for the

financial year had not been so satisfactory

as they could wish, not from want of trade,

but because the rates of freight and passage

money had not advanced proportionately to

the increase in expenses. The company had

been six times before the Arbitration Court

in connection with various sections of Its 

employees, and in consequence of the decisions

arrived at and the increased cost of labour

generally, the expenditure had increased

enormously. Strikes had occurred in Sydney

and Brisbane, and some of the ships had been

laid up for weeks In the former port with full

cargoes on board. The company had not been

directly concerned in the strike at the latter

port, but had been brought Into it, and the

effect on shipping was most disastrous. 

Experience had not been that the increase in

wages had increased efficiency. They had

also to deal with the great delay to their

steamers, both in Newcastle and In Sydney,

in obtaining coal and coke cargoes. It was

not uncommon for steamers to be delayed in

Newcastle for ten days in obtaining coal cargoes; 

whereas formerly forty-eight hours was sufficient. 

Strong representations had been made to the 

authorities to increase the wharfage and loading 

facilities, and they had reason to believe that those 

representations were bearing fruit. Another matter 

disturbing them was the proposed Navigation Bill.

It looked as though they were to be burdened

with additional heavy expenditure, without

corresponding advantages.

The Express and Telegraph, 27 March, 1913.

ADELAIDE STEAMSHIP COMPANY.

A Promising Outlook.

'26th ordinary' general meeting of

shareholders in the Adelaide Steamship

Company was held at the office, Carrie-

Street, on Thursday morning, when the

chairman (Mr. J. Harvey) presided. . . .

The Chairman said that at this time of

the year, as they were aware, no accounts

were published. The directors regret that

the results of the all-years' trading, for

various reasons, had not been more favor

able, and did not justify paying more than a

dividend of 3 percent for the half year ended

December 1912.The Queensland trade had 

not recovered from the set-back it received 

during 1911 and the production of sugar last 

season was consequently very small. Indeed, 

the Commonwealth imported from oversea 

over 80,000 tons of raw sugar. Had that been 

grown in Queensland the company's steamers 

would have carried a large proportion of it, 

besides which men would have been required 

to work it, and the necessary stores for their

consumption. Last year he made reference to 

the number of awards and agreements under 

which they were working, and since then the 

engineers had obtained an award of the Arbitration 

Court, while in July last the award of eight hours 

to deckhands came into force. All these added

enormously to their expenses, and it took

a long time to adjust fares and freights to

meet such increases. In February, 1911, the 

directors, observing that the market

"was favorable for building, an order

for two passenger steamers, and subsequently 

when the Yongala was unfortunately lost, ordered 

a third one. Owing to delays occasioned by strikes 

in Great Britain, the Warilda. the first steamer to

arrive, only reached Adelaide on September 8,

1912, and the second (the Wandilla) on

January 3, 1913. The third (the Willochra) arrived 

at Fremantle on Monday last. The Warilda had now 

made six voyages, and was popular with the travelling 

public. The financial results were satisfactory, it was 

hoped her sister ships would be equally successful. 

The full benefit of that investment of capital, however, 

had not been experienced in accounts for the period 

under review. In order to meet developments, it might 

be advisable, when a favorable opportunity occurred, 

to have the share capital of the company increased, 

and the directors would carefully consider the position. 

The cost of repairs was materially increasing - no

light matter on the coastal trade, where the wear and 

tear on the ships in the tougher cargo trades was very 

great." After a long period free from serious accident,

the company had had a run of bad fortune.

The outlook, however, was promising. Their

policy would be to husband their resources

and strengthen their position, so that no

substantial increase in dividends could be

expected for some time.

SS Wandilla, courtesy Wikipedia. All three vessels were identical.

Built by W. Beardmore and Co.

7785 gross tons

4477 net tons

411 ft.

57 ft.

34 ft. (depth of hold?)

16 knots

service speed 14.5 knots

Twin screw, quadruple expansion, 626 nhp, 6 boilers

These steamers were significantly larger than Koombana and also built for speed. This translated into higher running costs and given the admissions above, not a good time for such grand expansions. But the march of progress and competition demanded such acquisitions.

By 1929, a review of the Adelaide Steamship Company was as follows:

Western Mail, Perth, 11 July, 1929.

ADELAIDE STEAMSHIP COMPANY.

Review of Progress.

The commissioning of the motor ship

Manunda marked the re-entry of the 

Adelaide Steamship Company into the

inter-state passenger trade after an absence

from it for several years. The company's

connection with the trade dates back to 

its inception over 50 years ago, and it has 

employed many fine ships. The names of 

the Innamincka, Wollowra, Grantala, 

Yongala, Warilda, Wandilla, Morialta, 

Rupara, and Paringa are readily recalled, 

but in the Manunda the Adelaide Company

has something better than the best of

these.

The Adelaide Steamship Company, Ltd.,

was founded in 1875. The States, or 

colonies as they were then called, were 

engaged chiefly in primary production, and

with increasing population it was evident

that the existing state of isolation could

not continue, Therefore a movement was

made in South Australia to establish a

steamship company which would improve

the sea lines. The company , was duly

formed and registered on October 9, 1875,

with a nominal capital of £100,000, in

10,000 shares of £10 each, of which it was

intended to call up £60,000.

The company decided on the building

of two steamers, named the South 

Australian and the Victorian. The first 

increase in the fleet was the purchase of the

steamer Aldinga, 446 tons, in 1877, from

a Melbourne firm. Competition came in

1881 from Messrs. Nipper and See, with

the Claude Hamilton. There was a fierce

war in freights and passenger fares, ending 

with the purchase by the Adelaide Company 

of the Claude-Hamilton, which afterwards did 

good service in W.A. as the Albany.

The year 1882 marked a forward step

in the affairs of the company. An 

agreement was entered into with the 

Spencer's Gulf Steamship Company to 

absorb their fleet. To finance this undertaking 

the capital was increased from £100,000 to

£300,000. The newly acquired vessels 

comprised the Franklin, Investigator, Flinders, 

Emu, Lubra, and Royal Shepherd. Almost 

immediately the steamers Otway and Rob 

Roy, trading on the W.A. coast, were bought. 

It also agreed to take over Mr. Whinfram's 

vessels, Penola and Ferret, trading to South 

Australian ports, and at the same time contracted 

with British- shipbuilders for a 1,800 tons passenger

vessel.

The next venture was the building of the 

Adelaide (1,711 tons), which was prominent 

in the early days of the W.A. gold rush. In 1887 

the Colac (1,479 tons) was bought and entered 

the Newcastle coal trade, and soon after the 

Barrier was purchased. In 1891 the passenger 

and cargo steamers, Innamincka (2,500 tons) 

and Bullara (1,725 tons), and the cargo steamer

Ouraka (2,637 tons) arrived from England.

The Bullara served principally in carrying

the North-west Australian mail.

In 1893 a contract was entered into with

the Colonial Sugar Refining Company for

the carriage of raw sugar from Queensland

to the Southern refineries. This and the

gold discoveries in W.A. necessitated further 

tonnage. In 1895 the sister vessels

Francesco Crispi and Silvio Spaventa appeared, 

after being renamed Marloo and Wollowra.

The company was now represented by

51 branches and agencies from Port Douglas 

in North Queensland, almost encircling

the continent to Port Darwin. In 1896 the

light draught steamers Wakefield and Herbert 

were added to the fleet of small steamers in 

North Queensland rivers, feeding the larger 

craft, and in 1897 the Allinga was built and 

the Kirklands, Karaweera, Kadina and Willyama 

were bought. The next addition was the steamer

La Serena, which was repaired and renamed the 

Moonta, and in 1900 the Larnaca was acquired 

and renamed Miataro.

The company was reconstructed in 1900

when the capital was raised to £750,000.

A new era for interstate shipping was

ushered in during 1901 by the passing of

the Federal Act abolishing interstate Customs 

duties. In 1902 the two shelter deck steamers

Tarcoola (2,647 tons) and Dilkera (2,667 tons) 

were built and the steamers Winfield (3,275 tons) 

and Nardoo (2.907 tons) bought. .

To maintain prestige in the passenger

trade, two fast vessels, the Yongala and

Grantala, were built and arrived in Australia

in 1903 and 1904 respectively. They were 

popular steamers and held many records. 

The Grantala, after war service was sold 

and now runs between Marseille and Algiers. 

Then came the development of the Spencer's 

Gulf trade in South Australia, for which the 

Rupara was built in 1905, the Paringa in 1907 

and the Moria lI; in 1911, all passenger and 

cargo ships.

The early promises of this trade were not

fulfilled, and all three vessels were later

employed in the Sydney-Cairns service.

Later still two of them were sold and the

Paringa went back to South Australia

The two cantilever steamers Echung

(4,589 tons) and Urilla (1,965 tons) were

built in 1907. The Echunga was requisitioned 

during the war by the British Government 

and converted into an oil tanker. She was 

soon afterwards sunk by an enemy submarine 

in the English Channel. In the same year the 

Junee (2,217 tons), intended to carry cattle 

and cargo was bought off the stocks, and the 

Lammeroo (3,750 tons) was purchased.

The growth of the North-West Australian trade 

was responsible for the ordering of the Koombana 

(3.668 tons). She was a powerful vessel fitted 

with ever possible convenience for tropical travel.

There were no further material additions

to the fleet until 1912, when contracts were

placed for three large steamers, each at

8.000 tons gross. The first to arrive was

the Warilda, followed by the Wandilla

and the Willochra. The Willochra never

actually traded on the coast, being 

chartered to the Union Company of 

New Zealand for their Vancouver run. All 

three were immediately requisitioned by 

the Federal and Imperial Governments at 

the outbreak of the war, and the Warilda 

was lost in 1918.

The company was reconstructed in 1920

when the capital was raised to £3,000,00

of which £2,325,135 was issued and the

balance held in reserve. The extension of

the railways caused a diversion of the 

passenger traffic, and the Wandilla and 

Willochra were sold. A 7,200 tons steamer

was bought and named the Baldina, and

in 1920 other vessels were bought, including 

the Arcona and Aldinga, (5.000 tons

capacity each), Merriwa and Milluna (8,000

tons each) and the Barunga (7,200 tons)

Later the Arkaba, Allara, and Ulooloo were built.

The rapid progress in the development of the 

Diesel engine claimed attention, and a contract 

was placed for the. building of three 5,000 tons 

cargo carriers, the Mulera, Momba and Mundalla. 

About the same time the steamers Dundula and 

Dilga were purchased from the Commonwealth 

Shipping Board, and in the last two years two

small steamers were bought.

Fifty-four years ago the Adelaide Steamship 

Company owned two steamers of about 715 

gross tons each. To-day its fleet, including 

subsidiary companies, consists of 50 steam 

and motor vessels, of a tonnage of 85,000, 

and about 30 lighters and hulks exceeding 

30,000 tons dead weight.