Yongala Wrecked

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 264, 29 March 1911, Page 5

Yongala Wrecked

STRIKES A HIDDEN REEF. IN A CYCLONIC STORM. ALL ABOARD (150) PROBABLY DROWNED. WRECKAGE COMING ASHORE. BOATS SEARCHING FOR SURVIVORS. PATHETIC SCENES IN BRISBANE. By Cable—Press Association—Copyright. Received 28, 8.30 p.m. Sydney, March 28. The cargo of the Yongala is washing ashore at Cape Bowling Green. The wreckage found consists of bags of chaff, pollard, bran and pumpkins. These have been recognised as part of the cargo shipped by the Yongala and stowed in a lower hold at Brisbane. A later message reports that further wreckage, including oil drums, baskets and timber, have drifted ashore at Cleveland Bay." The -worst is now feared. STRIKES A HIDDEN ROCK. VESSEL'S BOTTOM RIPPED OUT. Received 28, 10.40 p.m. Brisbane. Last Night. The fact that cargo is coming from the lower hold is taken to indicate that the Yongala struck a hidden rock, which ripped her bottom out. ONE OF THE LATEST VESSELS. CAPTAINS' OPINIONS. HOW THE WRECK MAY HAVE HAPPENED. ; NO CHANCE OF SAVING LIFE. Received 29, 1.5 a.m. Melbourne, Last Night. ffhe general manager of the Adelaide Company states that the Yongala was one of the latest vessels of the fleet, and was valued at £90,000. The insurances are in the vicinity of £60,000. She had about 1800 tons of cargo aboard. He believed it was insured. The company's captains, interviewed, expressed the opinion that the Yongala struck a reef in Flinders Channel. One captain surmises that the Yongala intended to make the passage between Holborn Island and the outlying Nares Rocks. When the storm broke she edged away to make the outside passage. The captain, however, did not edge sufficiently, or left the manoeuvre too late, and was driven on to the rocks. There was no hope, the captains state, of saving life under such conditions. The cyclonic storms were of such violence that they would smash the boats to pieces before they reached the water, The Yongala would sink quickly in the deep water.

ANXIETY OF RELATIVES.

OFFICES BESIEGED. , SEVERAL VESSELS SEARCHING. ' NUMBER OF PASSENGERS NOT j DEFINITELY KNOWN. Received 29, 12.10 a.m. Brisbane, Last Night. Throughout the day crowds of relatives of those aboard the Yongala besieged the Adelaide Company and the newspaper offices, awaiting tidings. When news of the finding of wreckage •was posted there were some pathetic scenes. Several seaTch steamers are out, making a careful examination of the reefs and the islands in the vicinity of the supposed wreck, in order to pick up possible survivors. The exact number of passengers aboard is not definitely known. How many, if any, landed at MacKay is not certain. Thirty-one is given as the complement of the second saloon leaving Brisbane. This probably included at least two of those of the Sydney list. Little is known of the identity of the passengers. Rooney and Head are a Townsvillc firm of timber merchants. Mrs. Davids is the wife of the general the Mulgrave Sugar Mill. Miss Uhr is matron and Miss Buxton nurse of the Townsville Hospital. Mr. Stack is the Adelaide Company's account at Townsville. THE LATEST. MORE WRECKAGE. Received 2!). 1.14 a.m. Brisbane, Last Night. Further wreckage has been washed ashore, including the Yongala's deck fittings and a bag of mails. CREW AND PASSENGERS. THE FULL LIST. Received 28, 9.30 p.m. Brisbane, March 28. The Yongala carried a crew of 71. Captain Knight commanded, and the following is the list of officers and sailors:— First Mate: Williams. Second Mate: Harden. Third Mate: Cameron. Purser: Roberts. Carpenter: Miller. Boatswain: Mackenzie. Seamen: McGinnes, Jones, Baylon, Woods, Gale, Lewis, Freeston, Johnston, Walsh, McDonald, Merchant, ■ McDonald and Paton. Engineers: Parsons (first), Hamilton (second), Donaldson (third), Miller (fourth), Lawrence (fifth), Nelson (donkeyman.)! Firemen: Galvin, Donachi, Voight, Uggdahl, Todd, Metcalfe, Diamond, Gum-

bleton, Nome, Daveson, Lellico, Gallaher, Reich and Goldsmith. Stewardesses: English, Lambrick and Andrew. Stewards: Mawby (chief), Harris (second), Eintone, Slieplin, Reid, Cross, Morrison, Sullivan, Ward, Craig, Finlay, Armstrong, Costello, Rankin, J. Cook, Gordon, Fox (storekeeper), Emerson (pantryman) and Elliot. Cooks: West (chief), Guneval (second), Robertson (third). Butcher: McPherson. Baker: Marah. Sculleryman: Houston. Boys: Howard, McNamara and Dayle. THE PASSENGERS. Passengers from Sydney: Main waring, Carraroo and Kearesos (the latter two Italians), Misses Buxton and Butler, Mrs. Murray, three children and maid. From Brisbane: Mesdames Reath, Davids, Rooney, Elsdale, Woodward, Lin and Marbey, Misses Rooney, Murray, Buxton, Uhr, Carroll, Shannan and McGee, Messrs. Reath, Rooney, Dette, Parton, Stack, Elsdale, Voney, Fulton, Must, Lin, Schneider, Buckenridge, Davis, Barclay, Jollcy, Manmey, Real and Bonnarder. And thirty-one in the second ealoon. A CYCLONIC STORM. . ■ A. DANGEROUS COAST. Brisbane, March 28. Captains of arriving vessels report that there was a severe cyclonic storm and blinding rain at the time the Yongala was off Dent Island, where she was last sighted. The vicinity is beset with reefs and islands. They do not take a hopeful view of the possibility of the vessel having been able to head out seaward. The owners are hopeful. The Yongala was staunch and well found, and in charge of an experienced captain. They hold the opinion that the machinery may have broken down, or that the vessel may be sheltering among the outlying islands of the Barrier Reef. Besides 700 tons of coal there was 700 tons of cargo aboard. The passengers include ten from Sydney.