EXTENT OF FRUITLESS SEARCHES.

The most powerful argument against the Koombana being destroyed by the cyclone must surely relate to the discovery of wreckage more than 10 days after the disaster. If the cyclone had been responsible for the destruction of the steamer, surely there would have been plenty of wreckage and cargo immediately apparent after 20 March? As the following post outlines, searches during the initial 10 days were extensive, but FRUITLESS.

The West Australian, 01 April, 1912. 

THE FAILURE OF THE

SHORE SEARCH.

A DEEP SEA MATTER.

INTERVIEW WITH MR. W. E. MOXON.

Mr. Moxon made the following statement:

"Captain Mills has reported that the s.s.

Minderoo from Thursday to Saturday last,

shaped a course taking her on the western

and eastern side of Barrow Island, and the

Montebello Group, and then went round 

Ritchie reef searching thoroughly there. 

Shell and Stewart Islands were visited before 

she proceeded to Cossack via the Dampier 

Archipelago, taking in Mermaid, Rosemary, 

Eaglehawk, Legendre, and Delamori Islands 

en route, without finding any trace of the 

Koombana after a most exhaustive and thorough 

search.

The Bullarra from Sampson to Hedland, 

commencing on Tuesday last, searched the 

Turtle Islands, thence to Bedout Island, where she

landed a search party. Here I might men-

tion they found that the new automatic light

had been extinguished. This is a matter

to which the authorities will give careful con-

sideration. The Amphinome Shoals were

visited, and a course shaped along the Eighty

Mile Beach, taking in La Grange Bay and

Roebuck Bay. This also produced no trace of

the missing liner. Close and wide the

luggers have been searching from Roebuck

Bay round the Amphinone Shoals to Port

Hedland, and we understand that Captain

Parkes' luggers have been searching from

Monte Bellos to Cossack. In addition, lug-

gers have searched Depuch Island, in the

neighbourhood of Cossack and Hedland

without avail. There is no report at present

from the lugger that visited Rowley Shoals,

but this, in view of the Gorgon's report, is

negligible. The Gorgon arrived at Broome

this morning, her instructions having been

to search the Rowley Shoals with Impereiuse,

Clark, and Mermaid reefs. She signalled this

morning that her search had been thorough,

but no trace of the Koombana had been

seen. It will, therefore, be seen that the

whole of the coast from Barrow and Monte

Bello Islands has been searched to Broome

and across from Broome to Rowley Shoals

inclusive. 

The Moira should have passed

down by this time on her trip to Fremantle,

taking in the Lacepede Islands, Rowley

Shoals, and west of Ritchie Reef, but no

report will be received from her, it may be

assumed, unless she has something of an

urgent nature to communicate before her

arrival at Fremantle. It will be remembered

that the Moira encountered the cyclone a

hundred miles to the north-west of Port 

Hedland bound to Wyndham. 

An important reminder that the Moira encountered the cyclone 100 miles NW of Port Hedland at 8 a.m. 20 March. This illustrates that the cyclone, 90 miles in diameter (Inquiry), was to the northwest, not north of Port Hedland on the day of the disaster, and from this position the cyclone moved in a 'southerly' direction (having curved round) towards Balla Balla.

The coast search, it will be seen, has been 

absolutely fruitless, except in so far as the 

reports that no trace of the vessel can be found.

Harbour and Light Department, Western Australia (Fremantle)

Broome: 12 April, 1912.

Addressed to The Chief Harbour Master, Fremantle

Sir,

Report on search for R.M.S. Koombana (note official Royal Mail Ship title). 

At the request of the District Magistrate and in accordance with your cablegram I organised a search for the R.M.S. Koombana.

I chartered the lugger McLlennan and put Captain White in charge with orders to proceed along the coast, searching the 80 Mile Beach and the shoals up to Bedout Island and thence into Port Hedland. I also got the lugger Mina, which with Captain Bennie in charge was ordered to proceed to a point 60 miles north of Bedout Island, then down to the east of the island and into Port Hedland.

I took the schooner Muriel and proceeded to Rowley Shoals and then zigzagged into Port Hedland.

We got away on the evening of March 25th and I reached Mermaid Reef (Rowley Shoals) on March 29th. I proceeded along the south of the Reef and up the East side to the North End and then down to Sandy Island Clarke Reef. Same date I spoke S.S. Gorgon, who reported having searched Impereuse Reef and saw nothing.

I then proceeded across the North of Clarke Reef and down the East side of Impereuse Reef. 

At 2.30 pm on March 31st I spoke S.S. Moira who reported having also searched the shoals and sighted nothing.

I zigzagged down marking 16 mile tacks and picked up Bedout Lighthouse on the forenoon of April 3rd.

I had a flat calm all day and at 4 pm sighted smoke to the N.E.. This turned out to be S.S. Bullarra. I boarded her at 6 pm and Captain Upjohn reported as per my wire from Port Hedland.

I then proceeded to the South of Bedout Island and searched round Turtle Island and thence into Port Hedland arriving there at 9 pm on April 4th.

Captains White and Bennie were in Port Hedland, and being satisfied that we could do nothing further, I instructed them to return to Broome........


Oswald Dalziel.

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30th March

"Bedout, Amphinome thoroughly scoured luggers resultless."
"Luggers searching coast close and wide. Nothing reported."

SS Bullarra:

"Wednesday (27th) circumnavigation Little Turtle. No trace Koombana."
"Second Officer and party landed Big Turtle. No trace."
"After dark arrive Bedout position by observation."

Thursday:

"Chief Officer and party searched the island and adjacent rocks. No trace whatever."
"Made a detour course to Broome via the beach. Spoke several luggers. No trace whatever."

By 30 March the vast bulk of Koombana wreckage had yet to materialize.

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and the Minderoo's initial comprehensive search as per document:

Report, March 30th (Saturday)

"...anchored at 9 pm (28th, Thursday) at entrance Mary Anne Passage waiting daylight, weighed and proceeded at 5.50 am, 29th and searched the whole of the East side of Barrow Shoals and Island also Monte Bellos Islands and Richie Reef; from there steered 25 miles east and when south to Sholl Island, examined the neighbourhood of Sholl Island and then on to Stewart and Steamboa Islands, around the McLennand bank and anchored for the night off Cape Preston, weighted and proceeded at daylight 30th, and examined all the islands and passages from Cape Preston to Cossack where arrival at 1.45 pm, 30th. During the whole of our search we saw nothing and from the looks of the islands the storm does not appear to have reached that far west."

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Once wreckage became evident, more than 10 days after the disaster, the Bedout Island vicinity was extensively awash with flotsam - some distance from the track and extent of the Balla Balla Cyclone.

Note Captain Mills, Minderoo:

'examined all the islands and passages from Cape Preston to Cossack where arrival at 1.45 pm, 30th. "During the whole of our search we saw nothing and from the looks of the islands the storm does not appear to have reached that far west."

This supports meteorological report that the Balla Balla Cyclone was only about 90 miles in diameter.

The following document outlines in more detail the lugger Mina search:

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The following document outlines in more detail the lugger McLlennan search:

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27 March, winds were light NW. By 31 March, winds had shifted to SSW; 6 April, SSE and 7 April SE, persisting into 8 April.

Amphinome Shoals surrounded by 'banks' in 2 to 2.5 fathoms - 12-15 ft.; 3.6-4.5 m. Koombana drew 16 ft. aft which means that she would have run aground in this vicinity.

There can be no denying the extent of initial discoveries - NOTHING! 

A 'delayed' release of flotsam from a wreck 'breaking up in deep water', rather than battered to pieces by the cyclone.

courtesy State Records Office, Western Australia; Google Earth.