Brisbane Courier 9 March 1899
The following wire was received by the
Portmaster (Captain T. M. Almond) yesterday
afternoon from the harbour-master at
Townsville:-
" Captain Jenkins, of the steamer Duke of
Norfolk, which arrived this
morning from London, reports (beacons on
B and D Reefs down; those on A and F
not seen. Throughout locality saw evidences
recent severe hurricane. On No. 2
Claremont four pearl-shellers were stranded,
and on No. 1 there were seven stranded.
On Pelican Island and neighbouring reefs
were several others. Saw others under
way, but, as there were no distress signals
flying, did not communicate. Proceeding
towards Cape Melville, found lightship missing,
and two and one-third miles north-west
of Channel Rock found schooner Crest of
Wave which had dragged from anchorage in
Bathurst Bay, dismasted, and flying distress
signals. Communicated and found master
had not seen lightship. Gave him boat,
and took his wife and child, transhipping
them to Duke of Portland. Wanted tow
to Flinders, but was impracticable. Passed
position of Channel Rock lightship about
dark on Sunday, blowing half-gale at time."
10 March 1899 Brisbane Courier
Queensland : North, Central, and South.
-Very stormy, with heavy rain, especially
north-east from a line Joining Lake Nash and
Bustard Head, "Nachon" and "Mahina"
being the operating factors. Rough seas.
Heavy south-easters south from Mackay.
Shipping particularly warned. Scattered
rain in the centre and west. Winds shifting
northerly north from Bowen.
New Caledonia and Loyalty Islands.
Fierce south-easterly blows, heavy rain, and
local disturbances. Rough seas, under disturbance
"Mahina."
Special Note - The storm " Mahina" is now
400 miles east-north-east from Townsville,
making southing. Shipping advised.
A terrible gale was experienced on the
Northern coast, in the vicinity of Cape Melville,
and practically destroyed four fleets of pearling
luggers.
Several schooners were driven ashore, or
are missing, and out of 160 luggers only
twelve were seen afloat, while the sea was
strewn with bodies.
The steamer Warrego is being sent to the
scene of the disaster to undertake rescue
work.
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10 March 1899 Brisbane Courier
MR. WRAGGE'S "GENERAL
REMARKS."
TROPICAL DISTURBANCE " MAHINA'
BAD WEATHER BETWEEN TOWNSVILLE
AND THE (?).
SPECIAL WARNINGS TO COAST TOWNS.
In his "General Remarks" under yesterday's
date Mr. Wragge, Government Meteorologist,
says :-
Conditions to-day, so far as
Queensland is concerned, have a more serious
aspect than when we wrote yesterday. The
tropical dlstuibance " Mahina" is about 100
miles east-north-east from Townsville, and is
making southing; hence gradients are steepening
for bad weather from between southeast
and east, with rain, between the Tweed
and Cape Cleveland; and again have we despatched
special warnings to the coast towns
and to our friends in New Caledonia. The
south-eastern edge of "Mahina" has already
made itself felt in "La Nouvelle," for fierce
squalls are reported from Noumea and heavy
rain at Gomen. The monsoon
"Nachon"
still overlaps the Northern Territory, and
stretches over the Gulf of Carpentaria into
North-western Queensland. We consider
that the wet season has fairly set in in the
northern portion of our own colony, and
heavy flooding in the various creeks and
rivers, especially north from the parallel of
Mackay, will probably continue. Now, nothing
in Nature is left to chance, and, scientifically
speaking, there is no such thing as
accident.
The threatening presence of
"Nachon" and "Mahina," like most other
things, including minor events in life, are
due to the inflexible laws of the Great Master
Energy. Thus our Northern friends must
make the best of existing conditions; and,
since it is a fact that "talk and thought
create force," far more potent than many
are aware of, we trust that they will take
heed to our remarks and forecasts, and not
bo caught napping should "Mahina," on the
one hand, and "Nachon," on the other,
cause ugly cyclonic squalls in our fair tropics.
The barometer remains high between Australia
and New Zealand; and this, as intimated
yesterday, is not a good sign. An
anticyclone also exists between Adelaide and
Perth.; while the antarctic disturbance
"Tien" is 400 miles south-west from Hobart,
and its northern edge is bound to cause
some rough weather over the wild southwestern
portion of Tasmania. Our signals
remain hoisted along the Queensland seaboard.
TERRIFIC HURRICANE IN THE FAR NORTH.
The following telegram has been received
by the Under Secretary and Superintendent
of Telegraphs, Post and Telegraph Depart
ment, from the chief manager at Bowen,
dated 9th instant, namely: Thursday Island
line still interrupted north of Fairview. Relieving
Assistant Dunlop arrived Cooktown
to-day; left Thursday Island per Warrego
1 p.m., 7th instant. The line at that end
was theta down south of Coen.
was then reported down south of Coen.
Terrific hurricane appears to have struck
the coast between 14deg. and 15deg. S. lat.,
and travelled across the Peninsula, and
would prove destructive to line where it
crossed.
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Friday 10 March Brisbane Courier page 5
HURRICANE IN THE NORTH
---------------
PEARLING FLEETS DESTROYED:
-----------------
HEAVY LOSS OF LIFE
-----------------
STEAMER PASSES DEAD BODIES
-----------------
WARREGO GOING IN SEARCH.
-----------------
Judging from latest reports, the hurricane
which was experienced off the Northern
Queensland coast some few days ago
was an exceptionally severe one, and resulted
in much loss, both of property and
life. The storm appears to have been felt
most keenly between Cape Melville and
Cape Flattery, and as a large portion of
the pearl-shelling fleet, about seven
schooners and some ninety or one hundred
luggers is supposed to have been working
in the vicinity at the time, considerable
anxiety is being felt by those interested in
the trade. The lightship which is missing
from Channel Rock waa one of the best
on the coast, the hull alone costing almost
£2000.
The following wire with reference to the
matter was received yesterday by the Port
master (Captain T. M. Almond) from the
harbour-master at Cooktown :-
"Captain
King, of steamer Warrego, which arrived
to-day from Gulf ports, reports leaving
Thursday Island at 1 p m. on the 7th instant
with strong north-west winds, weather
being showery and overcast. Stopped at
Claremont lightship at noon on 8th. Saw
several vessels on Pelican Island. Was
signalled by schooner Tarawa, steamed
over and hove to for the boat. Was boarded
by captains of Tarawa and Meg Merrilees.
Former reports hurricane commencing Saturday
night and lasting twelve hours. During
storm Meg Merilees was totally lost, and
the Tarawa dragged with two anchors down
on to Pelican Island. Eleven luggers lost,
and, so far as known, eleven lives. It was
expected to float Tarawa. Proceeded, and
four miles south from Channel Rock passed
a schooner, the Crest of the Wave, at
anchor, totally dismasted. Passed close,
but no signals were made, the vessel appearing
to be riding easily. Proceeded on
and found Channel Rock lightship gone.
Good lookout was kept, but no signs of her
were seen. Between 6 and 7 o'clock passed
a number of dead bodies floating in the
water, two of which appeared to be those
of white men. On account of thick weather
anchored off Howick Island at 8 p.m. Afterwards
proceeded, keeping good lookout for
wreckage. Communicated with the Victory
off Cape Flattery. She reported
beacons down as follows :- R and D reefs
and E, F, and A reefs."
Immediately upon receiving the wire, Captain
Almond placed the matter before the
representative of the Treasurer, and as a
result the Portmaster was empowered to
seek the assistance of one of the shipping
companies. The A.U.S N. Company were
first approached, and upon the facts of the
case being placed before them the managers
immediately offered to place the steamer
Warrego, which arrived at Cooktown yesterday
from the Gulf ports, at the disposal
of the Government. Captain Almond at
once accepted the company's offer, and the
captain of the Warrego was immediately
instructed by wire to coal his vessel as
quickly as possible and proceed North again
to render whatever assistance is necessary
to the crews of the stranded vessels, and
search for any distressed vessels and the
missing lightship.
FURTHER PARTICULARS.
One of the passengers by the Warrego,
who is interested somewhat in the pearl shell
fishing trade, wired to Mr. James Clark last
evening as follows.-
"Hurricane from southwest
on Saturday lasting fully twelve hours.
Tarawa ashore on Pelican Island; Meg
Merrilees totally wrecked; Aladdin missing.
Ten luggers safe. Crest of the Wave safely
anchored Channel Rock, masts and boats -
gone. Porter (captain) and one man seen on
board. No traces of Sagitta, Wave, or boats
at Howlcks."
MR. JAMES CLARK INTERVIEWED.
A representative of the "Courier" waited
last evening upon Mr. James Clark, who is
very largely interested in the Torres Straits
pearlshell fishing trade, for the purpose of
obtaining if possible some information with
reference to the fishing fleets. When asked
as to what he thought of the sad news, Mr.
Clark remarked that it was terribly serious.
It was bad enough, he said, to lose boats,
but when lives were involved also it made
the position a hundred times sadder.
Speaking of the hurricane, Mr. Clark said
that it is a most unusual thing for such
storms to be experienced so far North. So
free from storms are the grounds usually
worked by the pearlshell boats that Mr.
Clark's company have not insured their fleets
for years.
Mr. Clark has some doubt as to the exact
number of fleets that were working in the
vicinity of the Howicks. He estimates, however,
that there were about five schooners
and from ninety to one hundred luggers.
The crews employed on these vessels would
number in all not far short of 1000. The
schooner Wanetta is, Mr. Clark believes,
safe at Thursday Island, but it is possible
that her boats were down working with the
other fleets.
Referring to the missing boats, Mr. Clark
said that it was very probable that some of
the schooners would turn up safe. In his
opinion, however, many of the luggers have
gone down, and in consequence he anticipates
considerable loss of life. |