The Yongala Wreck

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 265, 30 March 1911, Page 5

The Yongala Wreck

ALL HOPE ABANDONED. EXCEPTIONALLY VIOLENT STORM. By Cable—Press Association—Copyright. Sydney, March 29. Up to last night there was a lingering hope that the Yongala might still be afloat, but the discovery at last of a lot of wreckage on Kepple Reef, consisting of a quantity of cargo and fittings, identified beyond doubt as belonging to the missing steamer, shattered the belief, and all hope is now abandoned. The Herald gives the number of souls aboard as 141—73 crew and 68 passengers. The Telegraph makes 120—crew 70, passengers 50. Until the lists are thoroughly overhauled the actual number cannot definitely be stated. Probably the larger number is nearer the mark. Captains of vessels who passed through the storm the Yongala met, describe it as of exceptional violence for even that part -df the coast. The steamer Guthrie encountered so violent a storm that it was impossible to move about the decks. Two boats •were blown clean, away, everything movable was washed overboard, and thetarpaulins stripped from the hatches. Tie sudden change of wind caused a dangerous cross sea, and several times the Guthrie was almost on her beam ends. Other vessels had similar experiences. Snipping men are .agreed that no vessel in light trim could live in such a storm. THE PASSENGER LIST. WHERE THE VESSEL STRUCK. Brisbane, March 29. Two passengers, Messrs. Greenfield and O'Brien, joined the Yongala at MacKay, and three left, namely, Messrs. "Must, Real and Bonner. It is believed now that the vessel struck one of the reefs between the Hinders- Passage and the Keeper Reef. If this is correct, the Yongala was ■twenty miles outside her true-course. Up to the present little is known regarding the passengers beyond their names. It is understood that at the last moment some who had booked pass-1 ages changed their minds owing to the weather conditions. This and other circumstances account to a certain extent for the discrepancies in the accounts regarding the number of souls aboard. Captain Knight was commodore of the Adelaide Company's fleet, and was married, but had no family. Most of the officers were married, witn families. The chief stewardess was 'the widow of Captain English, who lost his life some j ears ago in the wreck of the steamer Glcnelg. The. search for possible survivors is continuing with great vigor, but the general opinion is that there is little hope of any escaping such a storm in such wild and dangerous surroundings. The cargo consisted of flour, chaff, machinery, and general merchandise. The Adelaide Steamship Company state that the insurance on the Yongala was £90,000, the company holding onefourth, and the balance being divided between the South British Insurance Company and the Union Company of Canton. NO FURTHER NEWS. SEARCH VESSELS UNSUCCESSFUL. WRECKAGE FOUND. Received 30, 12.50 a.m. Brisbane, Last Night. There is no further news regarding the Yongala. Several vessels have returned, unsuccessfnl in their search. Additional wreckage has been found. The search is vigorously, continuing. There is a lingering hope in some quarters that there is some possibility of the survivors being found on the adjoining reefs or islands.