THE R.M.S. YONGALA.
Reading recent blogs on the steamship Yongala there are some points I disagree with namely the following. When the Yongala ran into the cyclone on the 23rd or just after midnight on the 24th of March 1911, the writer claims that the barometer fell from 29.75 inches to 21.25inches of atmospheric pressure.. This is not correct due to the fact that no standard barometer goes down on the dial to a low reading of 21.25 inches. I am surprised that this point was never picked up by the press who printed the comments by Captain Sim that he experienced winds between 70 and 80 miles per hour and that his barometer fell to 21.25 inches. What is even more surprising is that no one attached to the marine fraternity, ships captains and port officials, or those responsible for weather forecasting and past researchers on the subject, made or offered a correction on such an inaccurate statement. The dials on some barometers can start from as low as 26.00 inches but on average and for that period of 1911 started from 27.00 inches up to the maximum reading of 31.5inches. So let us look at 21.25 inches which = 719.60 millibars, one of the worst cyclones to hit Australia was cyclone YASI which crossed the coast of Queensland on the 3rd of February in 2011 with wind speeds gusting to 295Km/h and a barometric pressure of 929 millibars or 27.43 inches, YASI was rated at category 5 the highest on the scale of cyclones. It stands to reason that the reading of 21.25 could not have occurred simply because no such reading existed on any known barometer or barograph at that time or even now.
My own barometer starting at 27.5 inches.
The wind speeds that Captain Sim of the GRANTALA gave 70 to 80 mph or 128.7 kilometres per hour maximum, which is equivalent to 69 knots and therefore if he is to be believed would, under the Australian tropical intensity scale ratings for cyclones make the cyclone a severe one of category 3. Captain Sim knew there was a tropical low lurking off the coast as far back as the 21st of March when he was in Cairns North Queensland.
THE CAIRNS POST March 22 1911. (A morning Paper)
Grantala was expected to leave for southern ports this morning.
The weather yesterday was boisterous, and some stiff blows were experienced during the day. It was not surprising, therefore, when an urgent message was received last evening from the Weather Bureau advising that a depression existed to the north east of Cardwell, and was probably moving to the seaboard. There were a few strong gusts at intervals last night and the movements of the barometer were erratic, Cairns being apparently on the outside of the disturbance and close to the cyclonic influence, which would probably strike the coast, if it did not re-curve about Townsville or Bowen. Conditions at these places, however, as well as Cardwell late last night were normal, and the barometer was not down to near the point of danger. The glass here at 9.00am yesterday (21st) recorded 29.840, at 3.00pm it was down to 29.816. At 7.00 pm it had risen to 29.838 and at 9.00pm when a special reading was made, it was up to 29.878 standing at that point for about three hours. At 1 o'clock this morning (22nd) the barometer registered 29.850, at this hour it was blowing a stiff breeze with gusts at intervals, but conditions were apparently not indicative of any danger, though evidently Cairns was still feeling the outside effects of the developing disturbance. Captain Sim was fully aware of the tropical low and when he left Townsville he knew it was a cyclone close to him that had developed and took emergency shelter in Bowling Green bay and anchored in about 7 fathoms until it was safe to resume his voyage south.
When at Flat Top Island Captain Knight of the YONGALA when discharging cargo was also well aware of a disturbance out to sea. After discharging 50 tons of cargo for Mackay 9.5tons being deck cargo he was left with 30cwt on deck. He was asked to take in more cargo but was in a hurry to leave and at the last minute only took in mails which his company was contracted to carry and set sail at 1.40pm. He would have certainly had a copy of the Mackay paper the Daily Mercury dated Thursday the 23rd of March which was an early morning edition. In that edition was the following,
Brisbane Wednesday.
The following special weather advice was issued today; The new tropical depression has not moved any nearer to the Queensland coast since yesterday. There has been a steady increase in pressure along the Pacific slope, (coastal towns and cities on the East coast of Australia) thus the atmosphere is very much intensified, and its influence is felt and reaches south from Cooktown, the weather being gloomy, unsettled and showery. I think that Captain Knight thought he would make it to Townsville before any bad weather set in. It is clear that it was thought to be stationary by everyone and unsure if it would develop into a cyclone, in fact it was a very slow moving cyclone travelling at about 5 to 7 knots which probably misled weather observers. It could hardly be the fault of the Weather Bureau if they were not receiving reports from ships in the area which they relied on heavily, obviously there were no inward bound ships from the other side of the barrier to give reports at the nearest port of call.
R.M.S. GRANTALA . Authors private collection
Barometer commencing at 26 inches.
My own barometer starting at 27.5 inches.
Barograph, circa early 1900s.The wind speeds that Captain Sim of the GRANTALA gave 70 to 80 mph or 128.7 kilometres per hour maximum, which is equivalent to 69 knots and therefore if he is to be believed would, under the Australian tropical intensity scale ratings for cyclones make the cyclone a severe one of category 3. Captain Sim knew there was a tropical low lurking off the coast as far back as the 21st of March when he was in Cairns North Queensland.
THE CAIRNS POST March 22 1911. (A morning Paper)
Grantala was expected to leave for southern ports this morning.
The weather yesterday was boisterous, and some stiff blows were experienced during the day. It was not surprising, therefore, when an urgent message was received last evening from the Weather Bureau advising that a depression existed to the north east of Cardwell, and was probably moving to the seaboard. There were a few strong gusts at intervals last night and the movements of the barometer were erratic, Cairns being apparently on the outside of the disturbance and close to the cyclonic influence, which would probably strike the coast, if it did not re-curve about Townsville or Bowen. Conditions at these places, however, as well as Cardwell late last night were normal, and the barometer was not down to near the point of danger. The glass here at 9.00am yesterday (21st) recorded 29.840, at 3.00pm it was down to 29.816. At 7.00 pm it had risen to 29.838 and at 9.00pm when a special reading was made, it was up to 29.878 standing at that point for about three hours. At 1 o'clock this morning (22nd) the barometer registered 29.850, at this hour it was blowing a stiff breeze with gusts at intervals, but conditions were apparently not indicative of any danger, though evidently Cairns was still feeling the outside effects of the developing disturbance. Captain Sim was fully aware of the tropical low and when he left Townsville he knew it was a cyclone close to him that had developed and took emergency shelter in Bowling Green bay and anchored in about 7 fathoms until it was safe to resume his voyage south.
When at Flat Top Island Captain Knight of the YONGALA when discharging cargo was also well aware of a disturbance out to sea. After discharging 50 tons of cargo for Mackay 9.5tons being deck cargo he was left with 30cwt on deck. He was asked to take in more cargo but was in a hurry to leave and at the last minute only took in mails which his company was contracted to carry and set sail at 1.40pm. He would have certainly had a copy of the Mackay paper the Daily Mercury dated Thursday the 23rd of March which was an early morning edition. In that edition was the following,
Brisbane Wednesday.
The following special weather advice was issued today; The new tropical depression has not moved any nearer to the Queensland coast since yesterday. There has been a steady increase in pressure along the Pacific slope, (coastal towns and cities on the East coast of Australia) thus the atmosphere is very much intensified, and its influence is felt and reaches south from Cooktown, the weather being gloomy, unsettled and showery. I think that Captain Knight thought he would make it to Townsville before any bad weather set in. It is clear that it was thought to be stationary by everyone and unsure if it would develop into a cyclone, in fact it was a very slow moving cyclone travelling at about 5 to 7 knots which probably misled weather observers. It could hardly be the fault of the Weather Bureau if they were not receiving reports from ships in the area which they relied on heavily, obviously there were no inward bound ships from the other side of the barrier to give reports at the nearest port of call.
R.M.S. GRANTALA . Authors private collection
