["The Lost Koombana", The Advertiser (Adelaide, SA), Saturday 20 April 1912, page 20]
THE LOST KOOMBANA.
CAPTAIN OF THE MONTORO INTERVIEWED.
Brisbane, April 19.
The Burns-Philp steamer Montoro, from Singapore, arrived to-day. Captain Wilson was questioned regarding a wireless message which the Montoro was supposed to have received from the Koombana, and which ended in a blur. He expressed astonishment at the statement. It was true the Montoro was in communication with the Koombana on the day previous to that on which she was supposed to have been lost. The Koombana was speaking to another vessel at the time, and there was nothing in the message to indicate that she was in any trouble. The Montoro experienced the storm in which the Koombana was lost. When approaching Darwin the weather was so boisterous that on reaching Cape Don he turned his ship round and stood out into the open sea. Captain Wilson pointed out the necessity of a light being placed on that cape.
AB notes:
A useful early observation of the storm's origins. Montoro at Cape Don stood out to sea. But on what day?
