ANALYSIS OF WRECKAGE DISTRIBUTION.

Wreckage was first discovered in the form of two copper air tanks (from lifeboat(s)) on North Turtle Island, 25 March, by Mr. Daniels of lugger Gloria Violet. The majority of wreckage was discovered between 2 and 5 April, a fortnight after the disaster. The final discovery during this time frame, also copper air tanks from lifeboat(s), mid April, is outlined in the following report: 

The West Australian, 17 April, 1912.

THE KOOMBANA.

A STATIONOWNER'S REPORT.

Mr. W. E. Moxon, manager of the 

Adelaide Steamship Company, received 

information yesterday to the effect that a Mr.

Thompson, a station-owner in the North

West, had reported that some of his natives

had picked up three copper air tanks, which

had evidently come from one of the life

boats of the Koombana. The tanks were

found on the sandy beach connecting 

Solitary Island with the mainland, slightly to

the north of Amphinome Shoals.

Three sets of air tanks, originating from the wrecked Koombana's lifeboats, were discovered close to the coast, comprising 3 widely spaced (100 miles) geographic locations:

13. North Turtle island
14. Solitary Island. 
15. 14 miles south of Port Hedland 

There is no specific pattern apart from the air tanks having been subjected to the "set-in of the tide" -  Captain Clark, formerly Chief Officer of the Koombana:

"the wreckage had been borne landwards 

by the set-in of the tide, which always 

followed on a severe blow in the

Fix this textnorth-west."

One might anticipate such an outcome given the buoyancy factor associated with air tanks and variable surface wind forces.

Alternatively the Solitary Island discovery could point to what drover Olive saw on the night of 20 March.

Daily Commercial News, 14 May, 1912

The company had received a report 

from a magistrate at Broome that a 

statement had been made by a drover 

named Olive, that on the night of March 

20, when he was at Boyer's Camp, 30 

miles north of Condon, at about 8 or 9 p.m. 

he saw two rockets go up in the direction of

N.W. There was a hurricane blowing at 

the time. 

From a position on low cliffs roughly 46 ft. above sea level, he claimed to have seen two rockets in the direction of the northwest. Veracity of this account depends on reasonable visibility and the rockets rising to a significant altitude.

It is possible that at least one lifeboat got away safely from the sinking Koombana and these rockets were fired from it, which might explain why copper air tanks from such a lifeboat ended up at Solitary Island; a direction contrary to the sites of the other two sets of air tanks. 

Could it have been Koombana in the position of the two rockets rather than  a lifeboat ?

The vicinity of the rockets is riddled with shoals, notably the Amphinome Shoals and is relatively shallow. If Koombana grounded or foundered in the vicinity, surely the wreck would then have been readily discovered by fishermen, spear fishermen and pearl divers through the decades?

The distribution of the bulk of wreckage does not favour this site, particularly with the set-in of the tide referred to. (see second image and discussion below).

Against the veracity of drover Olive's account is the fact that during the night of 20 March and thereafter, the 'hurricane' was to the south of Port Hedland, not north. 

Let us return to the distribution pattern of the bulk of wreckage discovered.

Important to note that wreckage was found in close proximity to the Upjohn coordinates for the oil patch:

Daily Commercial News and Shipping List (Sydney) 14 May 1912.

They had taken the specimens produced 

in court at this spot. An awning spar and

one of the planks exhibited in Court had

also been discovered in close proximity.

Other articles were picked up about 20

miles from that spot (marked 2 and 3

on graphic below).

27.5 miles represents 30 fathoms, 20 miles from wreckage 2;3.

1. Stateroom door; painting stage; small pieces of board. SS Gorgon  
19 10 S, 119 06 E

2. Motor launch starboard bow plank (with insignia). SS Bullarra   
19 15 S, 119 06 E

3. Small wreckage; (life) boat tanks; lifebelts; panel from saloon / smoke room ceiling. SS Bullarra

(see: https://koombanarevisited.blogspot.com/2019/11/sufficient-warning.html) 
19 15 S, 119 06 E

4. Bottom board from (life) boat; white painted board. Lugger McLennan.  
19 22 S, 119 05 E 

5. (life) boat mast and small wreckage (rising from bottom). SS Una   
19 07 S, 118 53 E

6. Miscellaneous wreckage. SS Una  
25 miles NW Bedout Island. 

7. Miscellaneous wreckage. SS Una.  
28 miles NW Bedout Island.

(see https://koombanarevisited.blogspot.com/2019/10/captain-rantzau.html)

8. Cabin paneling. Lugger Mina.  
19 30 S, 118 55 E

9. Smoking room cushion; cabin door. SS Minderoo.  
19 36 S, 117 53 E 

10. Straw envelopes (Leech's fortune). SS Minderoo and SS Gorgon.  
55 miles NNW Port Hedland.
(see:  https://koombanarevisited.blogspot.com/2019/11/sufficient-warning.html)

11. Bottom boards (lifeboat); drawer; small teak panel. SS Minderoo.  
19 32 E, 118 09 S

North of Bedout Island the prevailing current generally flows in a westward direction - Holloway Current (100m).

By my deduction, the distinct cluster of wreckage drifted from east to west and it is suggested that the starting point was somewhere in the vicinity of Captain Upjohn's oil patch coordinates - the site of the wreck of RMS Koombana, further substantiated by the above report reference to a spar awning and one of the planks found in close proximity to the oil patch.

In this instance, the heavier, waterlogged items do not appear to have been significantly influenced by variable, prevailing winds, as were the light and buoyant air tanks.

note extent of Balla Balla cyclone

Long after the disaster, discoveries were still made:

12. Submerged bilge section 150-200 ft.. SS Bullarra, mid July, 1912.  
20 10 S, 118 03 E

16. Saloon seat and ladder. Schooner Queenie Alice, July, 1913. 
Between Forestier and Depuch Islands.

17. Second stateroom door. Pearler, Sholl Island, 1930's.

It is clear from this pattern that over time wreckage drifted inshore, further down the coast (not up the coast).

The Sun, Kalgoorlie, 31 March, 1912.

TELEGRAMS

THE UNSUCCESSFUL 

SEARCH

PERTH, Saturday.

Five steamers have been searching

all the week for signs of the missing

steamer Koombana, have discovered 

no trace. Turtle Islands, Bedout Island 

and Ninety-Mile beach have all been 

carefully examined without success. 

The steamer Minderoo, which left Onslow

for Cossack on Thursday last is now 18

hours overdue. Some optimistic people

regard this as hopeful, thinking she may 

have the missing steamer in tow, but the 

general feeling now is that the Koombana

went down during the recent cyclone. The 

search is being still continued.

The report emphasizes that during the initial two weeks after the disaster, no wreckage was discovered. This suggests that wreckage was released after some delay from the sunken wreck rather than immediately due to battering hurricane-force winds. 

The following extract illustrates the Pilbara current trend associated with Western Australia cyclonic events such as the Balla Balla Blow:  

'alongshore propagating cyclones are responsible for simultaneously generating both strong wave‐induced sediment re-suspension events and significant southwestward subtidal currents. Over the 2 year study period, two particular cyclones (Iggy and Narelle) dominated the sediment fluxes resulting in a residual southwestward sediment transport over the southern part of the shelf. By analyzing results from a long‐term (37 year) wind and wave hind cast, our results suggest that at least 16 tropical cyclones had a strong potential to contribute to that southwestward sediment pathway in a similar way to Iggy and Narelle.'

https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/2017JC013518

11 March, 2021, cyclone Seroja devastated Kalbarri, Western Australia. 

To support my assumption that the bulk of Koombana wreckage drifted generally westward (west-southwestward in some cases) from an assumed starting point of the Upjohn oil patch, I looked at daily surface currents data for the Pilbara to correlate with a post-cyclone model for time of year, such as that outlined above.

The following images document this data as per dates reported.

17 April, almost 1 week after cyclone Seroja: -

Port Hedland is located halfway between 118 E and 119 E.
Bedout Island, 35 miles south of the 19 S line, is roughly where the 'LL's' of Wallal appear on the graphic.

Generally, the currents trend westward and southwestward.
There are no indications of an eastward trend except for a single outlier in latitude 19 S, well beyond the range of Koombana wreckage coordinates.

17 April, zooming in: -

The current trend between Port Hedland and Bedout Island is unambiguously westward.

(Bedout Island is roughly where the  'LL's' of Wallal are marked on the graphic)

19 April: -

The same pattern persists, the area directly north of Bedout Island demonstrating a clearly southwestward trend.

No indication of an eastward current trend.

20 April: -

The southwestward trend north of Bedout Island remains unchanged.

21 April: -

The consistent, westward trend supports my initial assumption that Koombana wreckage drifted uniformly from east to west.

23 April: -

Unchanged.

24 April: -

Unchanged.

26 April: -

15 days post Cyclone Seroja, the current trend both north and south of Bedout Island is consistently westward. 

3 May: -

In fact, 22 days post cyclone Seroja, the trend remains unaltered!!

'Captain Mills, of the steamer Minderoo, 

is inclined to the belief that the ship was 

lost in the vicinity of Bedout Island.'

 

Captain Mills picked up the smoking room cushion, among other items, some 55 miles to the west of Bedout Island. His contention that Koombana lay in the vicinity of Bedout Island confirmed the fact that the current carrying the wreckage trended southwestward.

The following extract (one of many period experiments conducted) illustrates the significance of prevailing currents' relationship with drifting objects. The distances in this extract are roughly 3,000 and 1,150 miles respectively; the prevailing current in question being the Southern Ocean Circumpolar Current from west to east:

 

Daily Telegraph, 19 January, 1911.

BOTTLES FROM THE PERICLES

HOBART, Wednesday. — Fishermen have

picked up two bottles containing current charts,

which on December 26 and 31, 1908, were thrown

overboard from the steamer Pericles, which was

wrecked off the West Australian coast. A peculiar 

feature about the find is that the bottles were thrown 

overboard with an interval of five days between each 

and they were found within five or six miles of each 

other on the South Tasmanian coast.

https://koombanarevisited.blogspot.com/2019/11/a-grim-reminder.html

Thanks to Annie Boyd for contributing to wreckage data.

courtesy Trove; Google Earth and:

http://www.bom.gov.au/oceanography/forecasts/idyoc300.shtml?region=NWWA&forecast=SSTCur

http://fishing-app.gpsnauticalcharts.com/i-boating-fishing-web-app/fishing-marine-charts-navigation.html?title=Western+Australia+-+Solitary+Island+to+Bedout+Island+boating+app#9/-19.8374/119.6892

MR. ELLIOT MOSS.

Geelong Advertiser, 6 May, 1912.

KOOMBANA INQUIRY.

Fremantle, Sunday.--The Court of

Marine Inquiry investigating the loss of

the steamer Koombana sat yesterday.

Mr. Elliott Moss, K.C., who appeared

for the Adelaide Steamship Company,

addressed the court. The vessel had

her loading of 1671 tons well distributed, 

a fact which had been well proved.

The evidence showed that she was in

good trim, and the propeller, was sub-

merged. The almost superhuman efforts

made by the Government in the search

for the missing vessel were deserving of

the greatest commendation. He did

not know what the finding would be,

but he suggested that the Koombana

a steamer of the highest class and of

proved stability, encountered a hurricane 

of phenomenal violence, of which

no warning was given in a dangerous

position, and she was totally lost. The

Admiralty said no reliance was to be

placed on the chart, and in the circum

stances it was impossible to say what

caused the loss of the vessel.

Further proceedings were adjourned

till Monday next, when it is possible

that the finding of the court will be

made public.

Mr. Moss successfully defended the honour and pocket of the Adelaide Steamship Company. He steamrollered his way through the Inquiry, defying red-flag evidence and loudly proclaiming, 'loading well distributed'; 'good trim'; 'propeller submerged'; 'encountered cyclone of phenomenal violence'; 'no warning given'; 'dangerous position'; 'impossible to say what caused the loss of the vessel'. 

It was an Inquiry with an outcome foretold in favour of the Adelaide Steamship Company. Mr. Moss had succeeded.

Except for one little detail: The State service was about to displace and ultimately kick the Adelaide Steamship Company off the Nor'West trade.

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."

"AN UGLY LIST TO PORT."

Endeavouring to get as close to the truth as possible it is important to be able to cross-reference and substantiate statements and claims. Perhaps the most significant of these were the claims made by the proprietor of the Hedland Advocate, Mr. Barker.

Contrary to Court witness evidence, which I believe to be heavily biased in favour of the owners of Koombana, Mr. Barker conveyed the Port Hedland Harbour Master's alleged claim that the flagship was in extremely light condition, drawing 11 ft. forward and 16 ft. aft. when she departed, 20 March. 

'The harbourmaster made an assertion that 

the Koombana was drawing 11 feet forward 

and 16 feet aft.' 

The Court of inquiry came to the conclusion that Koombana was drawing 19 ft. aft. and 12 ft. forward; highly unlikely given her lading status (260 tons cargo) and empty ballast tanks. To validate Mr. Barker's reporting the facts need to make sense and the draft figures do - see previous posts on draft. 

We know that 20 March there was a strong wind ---> gale from the NE and a heavy ground swell coming in from the NW. This would have created turbulence (choppy sea) over the outer bar of the port, substantiated by the following extract:

'As the Koombana went out a choppy

sea was rolling through the harbor 

entrance. Mr. Barker watched the 

vessel from his house on the foreshore,

and she had an ugly list to port. She

was rolling heavily, her propeller at

times being out of the water.'

It makes sense that the lightly laden, top heavy vessel 'rolled heavily' with 'her propeller at time being out of the water' = pitching.

But what about the 'ugly list to port' which, in 4 concise words, confirmed that Koombana was significantly top heavy?

Given the fact that the wind came from the NE (ENE, some sources) illustrates that the wind force would primarily have impacted the starboard side of the steamer which, with her numerous decks, presented a significant wind-catchment surface area. Such a force would naturally have caused a list to port rather than starboard in a top heavy vessel, given that Koombana was exiting Port Hedland heading in a roughly northerly direction.

A list (probably 'ugly') to port, confirmed.

There is more to support Mr. Barker's reporting than that presented at the Inquiry.

note the direction of the wind, 20 March, from the NE.
courtesy Google Earth