FAILED CYCLONE FORECASTING.

Barrier Miner, 6 April, 1912.

THE LOSS OF THE KOOMBANA

After a long suspense the worst

has been realised in connection

the Koombana. It is an appalling

thing that a modern steamer (built

about four years ago), of about 3,600

tons, should be totally lost together

with about 130 people on board. The

gale which the steamer encountered 

was one of the most severe which has 

been recorded on that coast. 

When the weather forecasts for West 

Australia were issued by the Perth 

Observatory, warnings were given when 

there were indications that one of these 

storms was approaching, and shipping 

remained in port or made preparations 

for it. Since the forecasts have been 

prepared by the Meteorological Bureau 

in Melbourne, this plan has not been 

followed. When the meteorological work 

was being undertaken by the Federal 

authorities, Mr. W. E. Cooke, the Government 

astronomer at Perth pointed out that it 

would be impossible to predict the

weather for the whole of Australia from 

Melbourne as accurately as it could be done

from Perth. 

The forecasting of these gales in the northwest 

was among several things which he said, West 

Australia would lose by the change. But many 

people do attach much value to weather forecasts 

- that is people who are not directly concerned - 

and they complained of the cost of getting 

telegrams, giving the necessary data, from the 

telegraph stations.

At the Inquiry the following was recommended:

"It would help if the various officers on the 

coast exchanged information direct,

provided they understood what it conveyed.

Postmasters, speaking generally, were very
reliable in the matter of weather reports."

The gale in which the Koombana and other

shipping was lost was not predicted, and 

these disasters recall with some emphasis

the statement made by Mr. Cooke several

years ago. It is scarcely fair to blame the

Commonwealth Meteorologist (Mr. Hunt)

for not having predicted the storm, as the

data that he is able to receive from that

quarter is limited. It is more a fault in the

system of endeavoring to forecast for

the whole of Australia from Melbourne.

That is what Mr. Cooke pointed out at the

time. As in other things connected with 

the government and administration, the

central system has its disadvantages in

this. 

Those who do not understand or

appreciate the work of weather

forecasting complain of the cost, and

insist on cutting down expense.

When Mr. Wragge was doing such

excellent work as Government astronomer

in Queensland some years ago, he was 

subjected to the same kind of annoyances,

and eventually is work was so handicapped

by the shortage of funds that he gave it

up altogether. It is rather interesting to 

notice that these two States which did

not appreciate the forecasts have 

experienced two of the worst ship

wrecks ever recorded in Australian

waters, quite recently the Yongala,

in Queensland waters, and the 

Koombana off the coast of West

Australia. 

The shipping people as always appreciated 

the storm warnings, and were guided by 

them. But there is still a large number of 

people who put more confidence in the 

indications given of change in the weather 

by a corn or gouty foot than in scientific 

information. The unfortunate thing is these 

quacks have a good deal to do with the 

management of things. They are to be 

found in parliaments and  even Ministries. 

It is these, with their silly ideas and ignorance 

of value of proper information, who have 

been responsible for the refusal of money 

for carrying on the observatories in a proper

way.

A scathing condemnation.

The wreck of the Koombana

and the Yongala might have been

prevented had warning been given

of approaching gales. In all probability

this would have been done had the

system once in use not been destroyed 

by the refusal of a reasonable sum of 

money to keep up the stations. Of

course these are not the only results

of the change, but they are emphatic

examples. 

Australia has from time to time given 

handsome amounts of money for 

Antarctic exploration, one of the objects 

of which was said to be the securing 

of information in that region that would 

be of use in  foretelling weather. The 

South Pole has now been reached and 

a good deal is hinted at concerning the 

valuable scientific information that

has been obtained. That has been the

case after the return of each expedition,

and the excuse for not publishing details

at the time is that it will need some months

to prepare it.  But is is never disclosed, and

the only sensible conclusion to arrive at is

that no information of any special value 

has been obtained from that quarter. What

information, scientific or otherwise, has ever

been obtained from the polar regions, Arctic

or Antarctic, that has been put to any practical

use?

No beating about the bush.

It is evident that the information that is

wanted for weather forecasting in Australia

is to be obtained much nearer home. If

storms are to be foretold with useful

consequences it will be necessary to 

have the records of the scientific

instruments over the whole country

recorded with as much pains as when

each State had supervision over its own.

The perils of the sea cannot be altogether

guarded against, but the dangers can be

reduced by proper precautions to meet

the weather conditions. For the rest, 

protection will have to be sought in another

quarter. There have been too many 

mysterious disappearances at sea during

the last few years. 

The modern passenger steamer should 

not depend for her safety on luck in not 

meeting with storms. She should be able 

to live through them whatever their fury, 

and not be greatly retarded in her progress 

by an adverse gale. But it is the modern 

steamer that provides the most sensational 

disasters. Both the Bullarra and the Koombana 

were in the recent gale, and the old Bullarra

weathered it, certainly after after a very

severe buffeting. The recent disasters

make one doubtful whether, after all, 

whether the iron or steel vessel can 

stand the storms that the old wooden

sailing vessels encountered, many of

them standing for half a century. They

did not rely upon dodging storms, but

upon living through them.

A parting shot, 'the old Bullarra weathered it'....

Cairns Post, 11 April, 1912. 

The Lost Koombana

.

What Wragge Says

(By Telegraph.)

PERTH, Wednesday.-. In connection 

with the loss off Port Headland, on the 

north-west coast, of the Adelaide 

Steamship Company's fine steamer 

Koombana, Mr. Clement Wragge, who 

at one time was in charge of the 

Queensland Meteorological Department, 

has written to the papers on storm 

forecasting.

Mr. Wragge, in effect, states that

if the Central Weather Bureau in

Brisbane were in existence now,

three days' warning, at least, would 

have been given of the recent cyclone 

which caused such destruction and loss 

of life, and the wrecking of the Koombana.

There is much discussion and comment

here on the subject matter of Mr. Wragge's

letter.

STORM WARNINGS.

To the Editor.

Sir-.Just allow me to say in simple justice 

that if the Central Weather Bureau,

Brisbane, had been in existence, the 

annual vote for which did not exceed £1,500

per annum, three days warning at least

would .have been given of the recent cyclone 

off the north-west coast of Australia.

-I am. etc,

CLEMENT L. WRAGGE.

Chiltern, Victoria, March 29, 1912.

These reports pointed to a very serious issue and failure of the federal system which could, possibly, have prevented the two disasters. The following link explores this issue in the context of the Yongala disaster and illustrates just how successfully the regional system operated in the late 1800's.

https://yongalarevisited.blogspot.com/2016/11/there-was-no-cyclone-prediction-or.html

The following extracts reveal that there was a very real physical reason for the failed predictions on the Nor'West coast:

The Telegraph, Brisbane, 20 April, 1912.

WILLY-WILLIES;

'Terrors' of North-west.

The loss of the steamer Koombana has

increased the desire of the Commonwealth

meteorologist (Mr. Hunt) to learn more

of the dreaded willy-willies that visit the

northwestern coast of Australia between

December and April, and cause such wide

spread disaster. "He purposes, with the

consent of the Minister for Home Affairs

(Mr.' O'Malley), to visit that portion of

Australia this year, and endeavour to

gather all the information possible with

respect to willy-willies, so that he may

collate the information, with a view to

arriving at a more satisfactory means of

anticipating disturbances and of warning

vessels.

"The data regarding willy-willies," said

Mr. Hunt to a Melbourne "Argus" reporter, 

"do not extend back more than 12 years, 

and another disadvantage is that

anemometers and other instruments with

which the Federal Government equipped

the whole of the north-west coast have

been destroyed by the willy-willys, the

velocity of which they had been placed

there to register. They were not blown

away, but were destroyed by flying debris.

courtesy Trove.

    

WAGES

Sunday Times, Perth, 21 April, 1912.

WRECK OF THE KOOMBANA

Wages of the Drowned Crew

The letter below from the Shipping 

Master at Fremantle to Mr. W. E. 

Moxon, manager of the Adelaide

Steamship Co, will be read with 

interest, and those who may be entitled

to receive any of the wages referred

to may apply to the Shipping Master,

Fremantle. The steamer was apparently 

lost about March 21, but the company 

decided to pay wages up to March 31. 

The letter is as follows :-

Harbor & Light Department,

Shipping Master's Office.

Fremantle, W.A., 18/4/'12.

W. E. Moxon, Esq,

(Mgr. The Adelaide S.S. Co)

Fremantle.

Dear Sir,-I am in receipt of

your letter of the 17th inst, and

have to acknowledge with thanks

receipt of your cheque for £461

4s, wages, for crew of late s.s.

Koombana which will be paid in

accordance with the Merchant

Shipping Act.

I am very pleased to find that

your Company has been so 

generous in paying the full month's

wages for March, and shall be

glad to receive the receipts for

the wages which you are paying,

and which are not included in the

cheque,

-Yours faithfully.

THOS. W. SMITH.

Shipping Master.

Many of the crew referred to were sole bread winners, leaving behind widows and orphans. It is almost insulting, viewed from the perspective of the modern era, that an additional 10 days' wages would be viewed in such favourable light. 

What about thereafter????

INTER GOVERNMENT TENSION.

The Advertiser, Adelaide, 2 April, 1912.

THE KOOMBANA

STILL NO NEWS. 

Fremantle, April ,1.

There is still no news of the Koombana

which is now 11 days' overdue at Broome.

In compliance with requests made by the

public, the Government have held up the

Bullarra at Broome and have commissioned

her to prepare and provision for a search

cruise over the known track of the cyclone,

which plan of search has been laid off by

nautical experts at Broome, men who are

experienced in cyclones. The Bullarra has

been instructed to report at Cossack on

April 8. The Adelaide Steamship Company

have agreed to contribute one-third of the

total-cost incurred in despatching the 

Bullarra for this work.

THE ENDEAVOR MISSION.

THE MINISTER EXPLAINS.

Melbourne, April 1.

Replying to-day to criticisms offered in

South Australia on the employment of

the Federal trawler to search for the 

Koombana, Mr. Tudor, Minister of Customs,

said if the Federal Government had refused 

to send the Endeavor they would have left 

themselves open to more severe censure. 

The Western Australian Government had 

originally suggested that a warship might 

be sent, but as the trawler was nearer the 

scene of the supposed disaster he thought 

it would be better to send the latter vessel. 

Later on Saturday afternoon another telegram 

was received from the Western Australian 

Premier, setting out that the Bullara had 

returned to Broome, but had found no trace

of the steamer; that several luggers had

also put in to Port Hedland after unsuccessful 

searches; and stating that the Government 

would be glad if the Endeavour could be 

dispatched immediately to make an exhaustive 

search. It was also mentioned that the Government 

had sent out the steamer Una from Geraldton 

provisioned for six weeks. He accordingly

gave instructions that the trawler should

be hurried to the scene. She would go

out from the mainland to make a thorough

search of the islands for any trace of 

survivors. "This was the best we could

do," added Mr. Tudor, "and we have done

it."

!!

SUFFICIENT WARNING AND FOUR THEORIES.

There can be no doubt that the signs were there when Captains Upjohn and Allen departed Port Hedland, 20 March, 1912:

Hedland Advocate, 6 April, 1912

It was preceded by hot, stifling days.

On Monday (2 days prior) several

divers who have been years on this

coast, warned their masters that

there were sudden changes of hot

and cold water, below, with a 

ground swell, which although

the surface of the sea was calm

and the glass good, they declared

indicated the approach of a blow.

(A similar warning was given by

old divers two days before the

disastrous Broome blow.)

Quite suddenly on Tuesday (the day

before) night a strong cockeye (large

whirlwind) blew up from the east, 

followed by moderate winds and a little 

rain. On Wednesday the wind shifted 

slightly to the south, increasing in its 

strength, and by midday it was again 

blowing from the east - all through 

blowing in gusts, accompanied

by occasional showers.

According to Bullarra accounts, it was blowing a gale from the N.E. when the two steamers put out to sea.

By the time (about 10.30 a.m.) the Koombana

and Bullarra (about an hour later) (20 minutes

later) had left Hedland it began to excite alarm, 

luggers moved up the creek and people bolted up

their houses. Two or three layers of swiftly

racing clouds could frequently be seen

through the prevailing mist. 

'Exciting alarm' is graphic and clear in its meaning. 

It blew with terrific force whenever it shifted 

its course, and in Hedland we miraculously escaped

its full force, but the Bullarra struck its full fury 

three hours out, and the Koombana must have 

struck it earlier.

The hurricane was moving southward, and

its centre was not far out to sea, as the

Bullarra experienced half an hour's dead

calm (in which is was possible to keep a

match alight) in the middle of the hurricane.

What must the feelings of those on board the

lightly loaded Koombana as the wind and

water came booming against her with

resistless power?  

A 'lightly loaded' steamer implied a top heavy one.

Officers of the ships Moira and Bullarra 

say the rapidity of the storm was indescribable, 

the wind driving from the raging and foaming 

sea spray like a snow storm, which mingled with 

the clouds.

As the Koombana left the port, she was so

light that her propeller was partly out of the

water, and in the small swell at the entrance,

was racing. 

The clincher. 

Hedland was clear about the compromised seaworthiness of Koombana when she departed for the last time. The top of Koombana's propeller was 16.5 ft., suggesting that all tanks were empty. 

How effectively these were filled at sea, we shall never know...

Once outside, Captain Allen had

no other course open but that which led his

ship right into the vortex of the tremendous

elemental strife which prevailed at sea.

I disagree. 

The system was clearly visible to crew on board Bullarra towards the west into which they were steaming. 

Conversely, Koombana was steaming into the northeast, away from the centre of the system.

With a map or chart before the reader, and

following record, taken in Hedland, the fact

is easily borne in upon the mind that the

Koombana had to go into danger to avoid

land and reefs:

                March 20

4 p.m. east, wind fresh

10 p.m. east and northeast, strong

More in line with the Bullarra accounts; a gale from the northeast.

                March 21

10 a.m., east strong

12 noon, east-north-east, very strong

1 p.m. east-north-east, hurricane force

2 p.m. to 9 p.m., north-east, hurricane force

10 p.m. north-north-east, hurricane force

12 midnight, north, a howling hurricane

                 March 22

4 a.m. till noon, north-north-west hurricane

The wind very gradually fell from 2 p.m.

and at early morning was blowing with

occasional strong puffs from the west.

It is fairly certain that the Koombana was not

more than 70 miles from Hedland, and in the

worst part of the Hurricane, on Wednesday

night or Thursday, and sank.

90 miles if Captain Upjohn's coordinates are accurate. This was 130 miles from the centre of the cyclone, 90 miles in diameter. 

No, Koombana was far away from the worst part of the hurricane.

The seas off Bedout are dreaded by seamen

when an ordinary strong wind blows, and it

cannot be conceived what they were like

during the height of this gale.

It is also certain that the light on Bedout was

out on Wednesday night.

The public alarm at the continued absence of

news of the Koombana increased to confusion,

consternation and distress. Two luggers went

in search from Broome, each taking a different

course towards Rowley Shoals and into Hedland.

Harper's lugger, the first to arrive here picked up

a piece of board off Bedout, which, from

appearances, did not at first give an

impression that it came from Koombana.

The Bullarra searched the steamers'

course from Hedland to Broome, and the

Minderoo made a systematic search of the

coast from Onslow to Depuch, each

without result.

On Tuesday evening came undoubted

evidence of the fact that the Koombana

had foundered with about 140 souls

aboard. The Gorgon arrived at Hedland

on Tuesday evening having searched as

far out as Rowley Shoals. The ship's log

contained the following (the words in

brackets being our own): "On April 2,

at 10.15 a.m. lat. 19 10 S, long. 119 06 E

(40 fathoms), picked up a panelled door,

painted white on one side, been polished

on the other, silver fittings, marked "W&H

(Walker & Hall) finger-plate both sides

ornament with Grecian urn with hanging

wreath, each side; door forced by pressure;

(water pressure?) handle on white side was 

gone, and on the reverse side drawn in; 

builders' joiner had written this on paits hidden 

from paint and drawn off the door post by the 

door hinges, Stat (here was a joiner's cut in the 

pencilled lettering, leaving only traces of the 

letters, which appeared to be State Room - 

first class entrance, 429; the lock is marked 

N.F. Ramsay & Co, Newcastle-on-Tyne; 

several small leather heads attached about 

3.2 inches long."

The log adds that half an hour later the ship

passed through several small pieces of

wreckage, one a painting stage, and the

others apparently small pieces of board,

but, strange to relate, the ship was not

stopped to pick them up.

The Minderoo (Captain Mills) arrived

in Hedland on Wednesday morning, having

been four days out from Depuch, making

a very systematic search. We have seen the

chart of this search, and passengers declare

that the Captain rarely left the bridge, a

fact which was borne out by his jaded

appearance on arriving at Hedland.

April 2, in lat. 19 36 S, long. 117 53 E,

sighted wreckage on the port bow. Stopped

and picked up a leather cushion for settee.

Cruised round for half an hour but sighted

 no more wreckage. Then sailed east 18

miles, north 24 miles, at 4.30 p.m., lat.

19 32 S, long. 118 09 E, picked up

bottom boards of a boat, numbered

429, and a small teak wood panel. Sailed

east 14 miles and then south to Hedland.

The search from Depuch to the turning of

this port gave vision to some miles of sea

surface, 12,000 square. A master mariner

has worked out these directions and

distances. The door, 25 miles north of

Bedout and 75 miles north-north-east

of this port. Cushion, 70 miles west of

Bedout and 60 miles northwest of this

port. Boards (Minderoo), 54 miles west

by north of Bedout and 55 miles north-west

by north of this port both the Gorgon and

the Minderoo passed through thousands of

bottle straw envelopes, and, as the Koombana

had shipped 27 tons of empty bottles (mostly

enveloped) from this port, it is evident these

came from the doomed ship's hold.

https://koombanarevisited.blogspot.com/2018/06/a-large-patch-of-straw.html

 "Leech's Fortune,"

as the huge stack of empties had

become known, was transferred

as deck cargo to the Koombana.

27 tons on deck would have presented a further, alarming decrease in Koombana's GM i.e. increasing top heaviness. Against this claim must surely be the fact that these many straw envelopes would have been discovered much earlier if released, unobstructed from Koombana's main deck. 

It does seem more likely that the envelopes were stowed in lower holds, released over time from the sunken ship, leaving behind the heavier bottles.

Capt. Dalziel (schooner

Muriel), who took the outer

course in a search from

Broome to Rowley's Shoals and

into Hedland, arrived here on

Thursday night, and saw no

wreckage. The schooner met

the Bullarra, on its second

search; and she had found,

25 miles north of Bedout: the 

bow of a boat with the A.S.S. 

Coy's, badge on it, the bottom 

boards of a boat, life-boat tanks, 

life belts, and a panel from either 

the saloon or smoke-room ceiling.

The following theories as

to the Koombana's fate have

been hazarded :

1. Mountainous seas flooded

the ship by means of her cattle

decks and she sank.

Acknowledging the cattle deck as a weak link for water ingress.

2. Bedout light being extinguished,

Capt. Allen misjudged

his position in the

dark, the ship struck and

turned over, or her bottom being

torn out she subsequently

sank in deep water.

This would certainly explain the 150-200 ft. submerged bilge discovered by Bullarra in July, 1912.

3. Machinerery became disabled

and the vessel, left to the fearful 

wind and seas, foundered. 

continued on Page 8

S

4. That when the vessel

attempted to alter her northward

course, to face the hurricane,

she heeled over, the wind drove
the water from her bottom, and
the next big sea turned her
completely over.

Frighteningly to the point! Note the thoughts leaning towards a top heavy vessel turning over, completely. I am of the opinion that this is EXACTLY what happened.

Nos. 2 and 4 are theories

held by seamen most competent

to judge. The opinion

generally held , by Nor'-West

residents was that the Koombana

would meet her fate in

the first willy willy she

struck, and we have had a sad

fulfilment of that prophecy.

A blatant acknowledgement of the steamer's shortcomings. No wonder Captain Allen looked ill before he sailed that day.

Seamen are of the opinion

that from Bedout Island the

area of the sea in which the

Koombana is situated can be

seen with the naked eye.

Suggesting within a radius of 10 miles from Bedout.

A fortnight has elapsed since the

blow, yet the sea for 100 miles

from the shore "is like pea soup."

'Pea soup' a shroud for 158 lost souls.



courtesy Trove

A GRIM REMINDER.

The Sydney Morning Herald, 10 September, 1913.

MISSING KOOMBANA.

PERTH, Tuesday.

On July 20, at Middle Forestier reef, half

way between Forestier and Dupuch Islands,

in the north-west, Captain Cummings, of the

schooner Queenie Alice, picked up part of a

bridge ladder and the back of a saloon seat,

painted with a floral design. The relic has

since been brought into Carnarvon, and is
believed to have formed part of the fittings of
the missing steamer Koombana.

And decades later in the 1930's....

A pearler with whom he was acquainted 

had found a stateroom door among drift 

wood on Stuart Island, (Great Sandy Island

Nature Reserve) which he believes to be 

wreckage from the the lost steamer.

SS ALLINGA PROMPTLY STEPS IN.

Geraldton Guardian, 4 April, 1912.

THE MAIL SERVICE.

S.S. ALLINGA TAKES THE

KOOMBANA'S PLACE.

Mr. Faulkner informs us that the

Adelaide Steamship Co. have decided 

to replace the ill-fated Koombana

by the s.s. Allinga, a steamer which

for some years past has been engaged 

in the Queensland trade. She is a

twin-screw steamer of 2,342 tons

gross register, and was built by

Scott and Co. at Greenock in 1897. 

She is described as a fine, roomy 

steamer with accommodation amidships 

for about 60 saloon passengers, and 

she can also accommodate about 100 

second-class passengers. She has  a 

fine promenade deck for saloon 

passengers, whilst the second-class 

passengers will, as was the case with 

the Koombana, have the use of the poop 

deck. The Allinga will leave Fremantle on 

May 7, running as far as Derby, and her

subsequent trips will be in accordance 

with the mail contract.

The s.s. Bullarra, on her return

from the search in which she is now

engaged, will resume her running under 

the time-table fixed in continuation with 

the North-West mail steamer.

Once the saloon door had been picked up by the crew of the SS Gorgon, it was time to move on. Relatives of those lost might have viewed this decision as mercenary. It was, however, necessary. 

SS Allinga comprised 279.5 ft.length; 42.5 ft. beam and 13 ft. draught. Clearing the spring tide outer bar at Port Hedland, 19 ft., did not present the same challenge to this steamer. Powered by twin triple expansion engines driving twin screws (272 nhp) Allinga was slow, gaining her a reputation and the nickname, "Lingerer".

Given the standing fine rate of £ 5 per hour for mail delivery delays, one wonders what bill this ageing steamer racked up...

The Week, Brisbane, 12 July, 1912

STEAMER ALLINGA

Strikes an Uncharted Reef.

The Adelaide Steamship Company's

steamer Allinga, which recently was taken

off the company's east coast service to

replace the ill-fated Koombana on the

west coast, was not long in her new

sphere when she met trouble, but, 

fortunately, she escaped without serious 

damage. When on her way southward 

from Wyndham, the north-west terminus 

of her run, to Fremantle, the steamer 

struck an uncharted reef in the vicinity of 

Onslow.

She was able to resume her voyage a few

hours afterwards. The exact position of the

reef is said in be 21 degrees 36 minutes

south, and 115 degrees 31/2 minutes west. (east) 

Since her arrival on the west coast, the Allinga 

has undergone some important structural 

alterations. Most of the deck stock fittings 

have been removed. This does not, in any way, 

interfere with the stock tarrying capacity of

the vessel, but adds greatly to the comfort 

of the passengers. These alterations having 

been made permit of awnings being spread 

on the main deck, and, as in the Queensland 

trade, sleeping accommodation and shower 

baths are provided on saloon decks. Such 

appointments as these are a boon to hot 

climates, and the vessel bids fair to become 

a popular one on the coast.

courtesy Trove, Google Earth and Flotilla Australia.