["Grounding of the Koombana", Daily News (Perth, WA), Saturday 07 August 1909, page 7]

GROUNDING OF THE KOOMBANA.

MARINE BOARD INQUIRY.

CHARGE AGAINST CAPTAIN REES.

"LAXITY IN NAVIGATION."

CAPTAIN EXONERATED.

In the Fremantle Courthouse on Friday the Marine Board, consisting of Captains Foxworthy and Cutler and Mr. E. P. Dowley, R.M., continued the inquiry into the grounding recently of the. s.s. Koombana on the Nor'-West

coast. At the preliminary Inquiry evidence was tendered in camera by the Chief Harbormaster (Captain C. J. Irvine), who now charged Captain Rees--

"With laxity in the navigation of the ship after rounding Entrance Point on the night of April 28."

Mr. A. E. Barker conducted the inquiry on behalf of the Harbor Department, and Mr. M. L. Moss, K.C., watched the interests of Captain Rees.

John Rees, master of the Koombana, in his statement to the board, said that on April 28 last he was in charge of the ship at Broome. The next port of call was Derby. The vessel sailed from Roebuck Bay (Broome) at eight o'clock on the night of April 28, with passengers and general cargo aboard, for Derby. When off Entrance Point the Koombana bore north 10 degrees west, magnetic, and the course was next altered to north 46 degrees west, magnetic, The latter course was steered until the ship struck some thing. The subsequent survey of the steamer showed that the ship had been injured on the port side through striking something, and several plates had in consequence been damaged, He was confident of his position, having used the channel several times. He did not take any bearings, as it would have been useless. He could not make allowance for the tide in taking bearings, as it varied. Sometimes it might run at ten miles an hour, or eight miles an hour. The after part of the ship did not strike, it being his opinion that the obstruction was knocked away, so that the after end was not damaged, The vessel was not stopped, but continued on her course, and as soon as possible he took his bearings from the lighthouse. He had never noticed a tendency of the tides to sweep the ship in shore at that point. At the time of the impact he thought some 14ft. 6in. of water was covering the rock which the vessel struck. It would not have been better if he had taken his bearings in the first place from the lighthouse, instead of Entrance Point. In the extreme low spring tide the rock would probably be nearly awash if in the neap tides the rock was 14ft. be-low the surface. In the course he set he passed well away fom the Nab Rock, and did not nearly 'shave it,' The compasses on the Koombana did not show any appreciable deviation.

To Mr. Moss: He had been in and out of port scores of times with other vessels without accident. The chart produced, which was the one used by him, was drawn up in 1883, and within the last two months the H.M.S, Fantome had discovered an additional rock near Gantheaume Point, which was not marked on the chart. He suggested that the ship struck a coral pinnacle, which was snapped off, leaving the stern clear to pass over it. He had been on a ship in the Nor'-West when an uncharted rock was struck, and it was subsequently discovered that the top of it had been struck off, an experience on all-fours with the present. The officer of the watch at the time of the mishap, William Menzies (third officer) stated that he made the entries of the bearings in the bridge book on the commands of the master at the end of the watch.

Henry John Clarke, chief officer of the Koombana, said he remembered April 28 last. He made a certain entry on the deck log. He saw the ship's bottom at Sydney, and the injuries seem to extend about 60 to 80 ft.

Horace Willis, quartermaster on the s.s. Koombana, said he took the wheel when the vessel left Broome on April 28. He had brought vessels out of Broome several times. He did not know what course he was on when the vessel struck. He could see nothing from the wheel-house, and had no idea how far off shore they were.

Mr. Moss said that he did not intend to call any witnesses, but he claimed the counsel's reply. It was a fortunate thing that Mr. Dowley was assisted in his deliberations by two master mariners as assessors. He would like to draw tho attention of the court to the difference in some of the evidence given. There was a big demarcation line between some of the testimonies. What did Captain Rees not do? In what respect was he negligent? He had done every reasonable thing that a master mariner could do. When leaving Broome the proper course had been given, and there was no doubt that the course had not been given. The evidence of the first officer and quartermaster was clear enough to the point. There was no doubt also that the Koombana when leaving Broome passed three quarters of a mile westward of the Gantheaume Point light. He had now come to an important point. Was the chart before them reliable? He found that the chart was published in 1883, and yet during the interval of 26 years a patch, of rock recently discovered by H.M.S. Fantome, near where the Koombana had struck, but the chart did not show it. Was it not then possible that the chart was so unreliable as to make it dangerous to navigation? He would like to remind the court that an adverse finding would affect the bread and butter of Capt. Rees, and he confidently left his fate In the hands of the court.

Mr. Barker said that this learned friend was in the wrong in alleging that the inquiry was in the form of persecution of Capt. Rees. It was only held in conformithy with the Board of Trade regulations. The court carried out a double function. In the first place it was practically an inquest on the ship, and in the second place it was held in order to determine how the accident had occurred. Mr. Moss had made much of the fact that a patch of rock had recently been made by H.M.S. Fantome, which was not shown on the chart. As a matter of fact the position in which Capt Rees found himself when the vessel struck, was some distance out from this point. After carefully considering the evidence, Mr. Dowley said the board had decided to exonerate Captain Rees from all blame In connection with the unfortunate mishap.