["Koombana's Fate", The West Australian, Thursday 04 April 1912, page 7, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article23869000]

KOOMBANA'S FATE.

DISCOVERY OF WRECKAGE.

NEAR BEDOUT ISLAND.

SMOKEROOM FURNITURE FOUND.

MINDEROO ABANDONS HER SEARCH.

It is practically certain that the loss of the steamer Koombana will have to be added to the long list of disasters in Australian waters. The discovery of wreckage by the steamer Gorgon reported yesterday caused the most sanguine to lose hope that the vessel with her large passenger list and complement of officers and crew was still within the reach of human aid, and the news which filtered through during the day only pointed further to the probability that the Koombana had failed to live through the fury of the hurrican which swept the north-west coast a fortnight ago. From a most authoritative source the intelligence was conveyed to the Premier that the state-room door found by the steamer Gorgon belonged either to the chief steward's room or the printing room, situated close to the main saloon entrance on the Koombana. At a later stage a telegraphic message came to hand from the Resident Magistrate at Port Hedland to the effect that Captain Mills, of the steamer Minderoo, had reported on his arrival at that place that he had picked up a smoke-room settee, and part of a cabin drawer, 70 miles west of Bedout Island, and the bottom boards of a boat about 50 miles west of the island.

The news concerning the apparent fate of the missing steamer had a depressing effect on the residents of Fremantle, to whom the officers and crew of the ill-fated steamer were well known. The general opinion among seafaring men was that the vessel must have been the plaything of the elements for a brief period, prior to foundering, and the suggestion that she had been wrecked on any of the shoals was not received with favour.

Inquiries made at the offices of the Adelaide S.S. Company in regard to the telegrams received from the master of the W.A.S.N. liner Minderoo at Port Hedland, elicited the information that similar news had been furnished by the branch manager, Mr. Gardiner, at that port. From these it was plain to the management that the wreckage which Captain Mills had picked up had formerly been part and parcel of the Koombana's fittings.

The settee and red cushion which were picked up approximately about 70 miles westward of Bedout Island are, according to the opinion of the manager, Mr. W. E. Moxon, from the Koombana's smoke-room. In connection with the door which the master of the s.s. Gorgon reported having picked up, it is now considered that this would probably have belonged either to the chief steward's or the printer's room. Both formed part of the vestibule, which was situated on the spar deck, underneath the hurricane deck, on the port side of the vessel, looking forward, and both were cedar-covered. In fact, the whole of the outside portions of the vestibule were of polished cedar. The chief steward's and the printer's doors were painted white inside, as was the door picked up by the Gorgon. Apparently there were several leather-headed nails on the inside of this door, and this strengthens the belief that it was the entrance to the chief steward's room. The chief steward was in the habit of hanging various articles of toilet on these nails. The door having come from such a closed-in space of the vestibule under the hurricane deck, it is likely that a lot of other wreckage from the top deck will be floating around, and should be picked up by other vessels.

So far nothing has been decided regarding the prolongation of the search. Captain Townley, of the s.s. Gorgon, has been asked to communicate with the master of the s.s. Bullarra the news of the discovery of wreckage. The s.s. Moonta on her way up the coast is to coal the Bullarra at Cossack on April 8, but if she meets the Bullarra in Ashburton Roads en route she will coal her there.

It is reported that the passengers on the Koombana included Mr. E. J. Dalton, a wool classer, who was bound for Derby. His wife and two children and his mother and sister and two brothers reside in Hay-street West.

THE SEARCH BY THE MINDEROO.

The Deputy Postmaster-General in Perth received early yesterday afternoon from the postmaster at Port Hedland the following telegram relating to the work of the s.s. Minderoo, one of the vessels which have been engaged in searching for the missing Koombana:--

The captain of the steamer Minderoo reports having picked up a smoking room settee, red cushion, and part of a cabin drawer, 70 miles west of Bedout Island, and bottom boards of boat, with teak panel, 50 miles west of Bedout. Now abandoning search.

Messrs. Dalgety and Co., the Western Australian agents of the owners of the Minderoo, received the following telegram yesterday afternoon from Captain Mills, the master of that vessel, at Port Hedland:--

"Searched within the following positions by running parallel lines 30 miles apart:--Latitude 20.15, longitude 116; latitude 18.40, longitude 116; latitude 18.40, longitude 117.40; latitude 20. longitude 118; from the last position steering east ten miles, then north thirty miles, then east fifteen miles. Stopped to pick up smoking-room settee cushion and part of cabin drawer in latitude 19.36, longitude 117.53; and in latitude 19.32, longitude 118.10, picked up bottom board of boat and small teak panel. Abandoned fur ther search at sunset on Tuesday, and consider the ship is lost in the vicinity of Bedout Island. Letter by the Gorgon. (Signed) Mills."

THE STATE ROOM DOOR.

NOT IDENTIFIED.

...

THE SEARCH VESSELS.

UNA TO GO TO BEDOUT ISLAND.

Yesterday morning the Premier was in conference with Captain Irvine the Chief Harbourmaster, and it was decided that the steamer Una should be despatched to Bedout Island, where officers should be landed to make a thorough examination. In all probability the Una will proceed to the locality where the wreckage was found by the Gorgon and will then return to Cossack or Port Hedland to await further instructions. The Bullarra yesterday was expected to be in the vicinity of Bedout Island, and an early report will doubtless be received giving the result of her search.

THE STORM AT PORT HEDLAND.

CONDITIONS ON MARCH 20.

CAPTAIN ALLEN'S FEARS.

Port Hedland, April 3.

As if to palliate the tedium of the scorching, enervating heat Port Hedland was visited on March 20 with the tail end of a willy willy, which, coming from equinoctal tides, did a fair amount of damage. It was fairly certain that had it been a full willy-willy it would have spelt disaster to the lowlands of Hedland. It started on Tuesday night with a strong easterly wind, and the waves thundered on the beach with indications of heavier and deadlier surges out to sea. Wednesday morning saw about forty luggers running to shelter off Port Hedland, where they were soon safely anchored. These luggers had a rough time on Tuesday night near Turtle Island, and the cutting away of masts in some cases was seriously contemplated. The wind increased its velocity, and it continued for three days and nights. The waves surged up the harbour's entrance, and the breakers crashed into the sandy Esplanade, and washed thousands of tons of it away.

Captain Allen seemed disinclined to go out, and when he decided to do so he said, "I am going straight out to sea, and will be lucky if I get to Broome on Saturday." She left he port at half-past 10 o'clock on March 20 with propeller beating out of the water. When passing the entrance to the harbour she rolled deeply. Captain Allen stated that he would fill the ballast tanks when he crossed the outer bank. The ship headed due north, and was followed about an hour afterwards by the Bullarra going south.

...

The general congratulations possessing people's minds on having escaped the full force of the willy-willy in Hedland on top of the equinoctial tides gave place to feelings of horror when the tidings came that the Koombana and all aboard were lost and that a host of white people had been drowned at Balla Balla, a disaster to the whites never before equalled in the history of willy-willies on the north-west coast. The gale, or willy-willy, which caused this terrible calamity is described by experienced seamen and pearlers as one of the fiercest known on the coast. The theatre of its most ferocious attacks appears to have been that part of the coast between Condon and Cossack, and out to sea from Hedland. Harper's lugger arrived here on Monday searching from Broome towards the Rowley Shoals and into Hedland. She picked up a piece of painted plank six miles east of Bedout Island, and the Gorgon picked up a cabin door, undoubtedly from the Koombana, about 25 miles north of the same island. The door had been torn off with some force, the hinges dragging with them the timbers to which they were screwed. The door was intact, and little damaged. It appears to be from a cabin on the second deck, or the deck above the cattle deck. Captain Mills, of the Minderoo, to-day showed a cushion from the smokeroom of the Koombana, and other wreckage picked up between 50 and 70 miles north-west of Bedout Island. Judging from the direction of the wind during the gale, the opinion is held that the Koombana went down in the vicinity of Bedout Island. It is thought here that probably the absence of a light on Bedout Island caused the captain to misjudge his position, and strike a reef in the vicinity, which runs a long way out from the island, in which case in such weather he would have immediately turned over and sunk. No person could have lived in such a sea for five minutes, and the vicinity is noted for the existence of myriads of sharks. Deep feelings of sorrow pervade the whole community.

AB notes:

The location of Gorgon's stateroom-door discovery is here given as "about 25 miles north of the same island" [Bedout].