HOW WAS THE RESPONSE COORDINATED?

The Telegraph, Brisbane, 30 March, 1912.

Steamer Koombana.

Federal Aid in the Search

MELBOURNE, March 30.

Lodged Sydney 8.40 a.m. 

delivered 8.35 a.m.

Mr. Hans Irvine, MP, and Mr. G. Piggott, 

barrister, yesterday had an interview with 

the Minister for Customs (Hon. F. G. Tudor) 

to suggest that the Federal Government 

should take action to assist in the search 

for the Koombana. Mr. Tudor at once 

communicated with the Prime Minister 

(Mr. Fisher), and a telegram afterwards 

was sent to the Premier of West Australia: 

"The Commonwealth Government is prepared 

to bear a proportion of the cost, of any search

your Government considers desirable by sea 

or by land for traces of the missing steamer

Koombana and in supporting the survivors, if 

in distress. Please advise by telegram what has 

been done, in that direction, and what further 

action is considered immediately desirable and 

advisable, Has any search been made south of

Port Hedland ?" 

The following reply was received from

Mr. Scaddan : "Thanks for your telegram, 

re Koombana. The Government has

done everything possible to ascertain

whether the steamer met with any mishap. 

At the present time, the captains of the 

Gorgon and the Minderoo have been 

instructed to keep a sharp lookout

for her, whilst the Bullarra has been 

despatched from Port Hedland to make a

special search. Arrangements also have

been made for luggers to search near the

coast between Broome and Hedland. The

Government was negotiating for using

the steamer Moira from Wyndham, but

as she failed to arrive by 10.30 to-day,

the Government has instructed the captain 

to keep a lookout on the south journey, and 

the Government has arranged for the steamer

Una, which arrives at Geraldton to-day, to be 

coaled by the Railway Department and 

despatched from that port to join in the

search. Captain Irvine, chief harbourmaster, 

has been in conference with representatives 

of the steamship companies at Fremantle, 

having charts made available and arranging 

for the course deemed most advisable. 

"Regarding your inquiry re search being 

made south of Hedland, Captain Irvine points out 

that the Bullarra passed near the coast from 

Cossack to Hedland. The luggers also are out. 

He does not think there is any probability 

of a successful search being made south 

of that port. 

This report appeared 10 days after Koombana departed Port Hedland. No wreckage had as yet been found. Ultimately the wreckage discovered is represented on the image below as 1 - 11. Although the line depicted divides east from west, Captain Irvine referred to the area to the west of the line as 'south of Hedland'. Explanation? The Bullarra had covered an inshore stretch of sea between Cossack and Port Hedland, hence this being 'south of that port', relatively speaking. 

What is so interesting about this comment is that Bullarra had hardly touched the expanse of ocean west of the line and 'south of Hedland'. How did Captain Irvine know that Koombana was unlikely to have gone down off course? It was claimed by Richard Arundel (Lloyd's biased surveyor), in the course of the Inquiry, that the steamer must have been driven far to the west into the heart of the cyclone, where the bulk of wreckage was discovered. The wreckage was more to the north than west of Bedout. 

Being driven into the heart of the cyclone was the argument deployed to justify the loss of the steamer, but Captain Irvine had expressed the logic of probability long before the Adelaide Steamship Company was called to defend itself - culpability - unseaworthy vessel.

If Captain Arundel had wanted to go for a 'slam dunk' he should have declared; 'to the southwest of Bedout Island'. 

Cossack obscured bottom left corner of image.
courtesy Google Earth.

The police have also sent men along the coastline.

Finally, everything possible is being done but the 

extent of the water requiring examination covers a 

very large area. Should we be unable to find the

vessel, could your Government arrange for a gun

boat or vessel such as the Protector to proceed to 

the north-west, with the object of assisting in the

search for the missing steamer ?"

As the Protector now is in Melbourne, there would 

be serious delay in sending her. Mr. Tudor, gave 

instructions, therefore for the trawler Endeavour to 

be despatched as soon as she could be communicated 

with. She now is in the Great Australian Bight."