West Australian (Perth, WA : 1879 - 1954), Wednesday 10 April 1912, page 7


THE NOR'-WEST DISASTERS. THE LOSS OF THE KOOMBANA. ARRIVAL OF THE GORGON. The Premier has received a cable message from the Agent-General (Sir Newton Moore) despatched on behalf of the Western Australians in London expressing sympathy with the relatives and friends of those who were on board the missing steamer Koombana. During the search operations considerable interest has been nmanifested by the London office, and request has been received that a list of the passengers and crew should be cabled home, as there have been numerous inquiries tfrom those in shipping circles and others with regard to those on board. This cable, which was received during the holidays, was promptly replied to by the Premier and the desired information was forwarded to the Agent-General. Sir Newton himself has had special associations with the Koombana which give him a more than ordinary interest in the fate of the vessel. When the steamer was being built by the Adelaide Steamship Company the present Agent-General, who was then Premier, was asked to suggest a name for the vessel, and at his instance she was called the Koombana, while the only trip which Sir Newton Moore has made to the North-West port tion of the State was in this steamer. The Blue Funnel liner Gorgon, which was one of the vessels engaged in the search for the missing steamer Koombana, arrived at Fremantle yesterday. She brought down the door which she picked up and which formed one of the earliest tangible proofs that something untoward had happened to the Adelaide Company's ill-fated liner. On the way down the coast the Gorgon's officers were impressed with the gloom which existed at each port in connection with the tragedy of the Koombana, on which vessel nearly everyone had had friends or relatives. The door which the Gorgon brought down is at present at the Adelaide Company's office at Fremantie. It now transpires that it belonged to the stateroom immediately facing the port side entrance to the music saloon on the Koombana, which contained berths numbered 1, 2, and 3. When spoken to yesterday afternoon, the Mayor of Fremantle (Mr. F. J. McLaren) stated that the matter of instituting a relief movement in connection with the Koombana disaster was receiving his attention. He intended making inquiries regarding the distress which had been occasioned owing to the loss of the vessel with all aboard, and would probably.call a meeting of citizens at an early date. At the meeting of the A.N.A. Conference at Northam on Monday a resolution was carried in silence, all the members standing, deploring the heavy loss of life in connection with the Koombana disaster and the other casualties m the Nor'-West, also expressing sympathy with the relatives and friends of those who lost their lives. TWO QUEENSLAND PASSENGERS. Brisbane, April 9. Captain Charles Brown Stuart, who was a passenger by. the Koombana from Port Hedland to Broome, leaves a widow and eight children at South Brisbane. Captain Stuart was at one time interested in the dugong fishery at Mackay Waters with Captain Findlay, and subsequently went to Thursday Island m charge of one of Mr. James Clarke's pearling schooners. He was engag ed in pearling on his own account and was returning from a business trip to Port Hedland, when he took passage in the Koombana. Mr. Abraham Davis, another of the Koombana's passengers, was manager of the Australian business of his brother-inlaw, Mr. Mark Rubin, whose interests embraced pearling, pastoral, and other business concerns.