YONGALA MYSTERY.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1153, 14 June 1911, Page 7

YONGALA MYSTERY.

11 A VERY GOOD SEABOAT."

By TclcErapb-I'rc3s Assoclation-Coßyrlelit Brisbane, June 13. The marine inquiry was continued today into the loss of the Adelaide Steamship Company's inter-Statp liner Yongala, which disappeared between Mackay and Townsville on the Queensland coast in March last. Captain Sim, formerly master of tho Yongala, described tho vessel as a very good seaboat indeed. While with her ho encountered several heavy gales. Ho did not believe she went on a reef. The Adelaide Steamship Company's superintendent engineer slated that the vessel had been thoroughly tested for stability. He did not think her loss was due to a breakdown of the machinery, which was the strongest he had seen on tho Australian coast. She was registered in the highest class at Lloyd's. Other former officers of the Yongala described her as the finest seaboat they were ever in. Most of thp witnesses adduced different theories to account for the loss of the vessel, but were not even able to agree as to tho direction of the storm on the night the steamer was supposed to have been lost. Many different recommendations were mad© for additional lighting on that! particular part of the coast. AUSTRALIA'S COASTAL LIGHTS. Melbourne, June 13. The Federal Government has engaged an expert to inspect the lighthouses on the whole of the Australian coast. The inspection will occupy about a year. WHAT A CYCLONE IS LIKE. THE INSIDE OF A DRUM. Captain William C. Thomson, commander of toe A.U.S.N. Company s steamer Wyreema, said recently in speaking of tho Yongala, that a cyclone was like "hell let loose." If tho Yongala was struck by the centre of a cyclone she could not possibly live. "No vesselhowever strongly built, however equipped, could have stood it." Captain Thomson has been through four cyclones, and nautical men call him "Hurricane Bill." "My opinion," said Captain Thomson, "is that the centre of tho cjclone passed right over tho Yongala. Evidently sho was caught first with tho easterly gale, and if she lived through that, the westerly struck her perhaps not 20 minutes later. To be in a cyclone is like being in the inside of a drum. There is a teirific surging noise round you, as if all the fiends in Hades were yelling. It is liko Hell 'let loose. The sea breaks in every direction at once, a heavy sea and wind are coming over on one side, and tho next minnte the sea and wind are coming frdm the other. If there is sea-room you might get out of it, but if there is no room you can only anchor and trust to Providence. Where the Yongala was there was no sea-room—only about 15 or 20 miles between the coast and tho reefs. Captain Knight had only one thing to do—to anchor and hang on for all he was worth. Ixiok what happened to the Ba'.main near the.same spot 15 years ago. She ran_for shelter close to an island, and had just got there nvhen tho wind came from tho opposite quarter and blew her ashore. The fact is, when one of these hurricanes strikes you you don't know .which way to go for shelter. "This will give you an idea of the force of the wind. When I w s vi with Professor Agassiz surveying tho coral reefs along the Great Barrier, about 15 years back, we were examining a place not far from Sent Island, and we came across the bones of a whale 30ft.. long 18ft. above high-water mark. Tho rush of water caused by a cyclone must havo carried it up there. "Captain Sim, in tho Grantala, was fortunate in not being near the centre of tho storm. Hi' must havo been on the north side of it, and even then ■ the Grantala, lia-d a rough time. He anchored, just as Captain Knight must havo done. It was tho only thing he could do. And if tho Yongala anchored she must have been swamped. If she didn't anchor, no one could say where tho_ wind carricd her."