Volume One - Into the Victorian Age - Some newspaper reports from the 1880's

• September 1889 - Sad Fatality at Penarth - "Early on Monday morning a shocking fatality occurred at Penarth. A boy named Frank Bright, only 13 years of age, was walking along the cliff near the alabaster mine with his father, who lives at 2, Arcot-street, Penarth, when his foot slipped, and he fell over the edge of the precipice upon the stony beach below. His father hurried to his son's assistance, but when he reached him he found him insensible. with a deep gash in his skull. The fall was over 100 feet, and it was somewhat remarkable that death did not immediately ensue. It was only a little deferred, however. The lad was removed to his home, and Dr Aitkin was called in. Despite every effort the unfortunate lad died shortly after five o'clock from concussion of the brain. An inquest was held on Tuesday, and a verdict of "accidental death" was returned." Cardiff Times [019] 26th September 1889.

• October 1889 - The Ugly Positions of Ships at Penarth - "Large steamers going in to Penarth have to dock stern foremost. This, again, is an inconvenience not experienced at Barry, and unless they enter sternwards at Penarth they are obliged to leave sternwards. In the case of a deeply-laden vessels this is very dangerous. The China entered Barry Dock head foremost, and although she was 480 feet in length, she swung round with the greatest ease, and had no difficulty whatever in leaving.

The Advantages of the Tips at Barry - The tips at Barry are 37½ feet in height, and this is of material advantage to shippers. The largest steamers can bunker light, and this is an advantage which cannot be claimed in favour of Cardiff or Penarth, at any rate not until a portion of the cargo is taken in. At Penarth the tips are of the same height, so that they have to take in a considerable portion of the cargo before the bunkerage can be proceeded with." Barry Dock News [140] 11th October 1889.

• December 1889 - A Ship on Fire at Penarth - Scuttling of No Avail - Narrow Escape of the Crew - "On Thursday evening, shortly before seven o'clock, a fire, the consequences of which must prove most serious, broke out on board one of the largest sailing ships trading out of the Bristol Channel. The vessel, the Lonnie Burrill of Yarmouth, Nova Scotia, under the command of Captain Bell, was of 1,350 tons register, and about three weeks ago arrived in port. Formerly she was used for the purposes of carrying oil, but for the last three years she has been a collier. The oil, however, had soaked into the wood-work, and, as a consequence, the sides of the vessel were more of an inflammable nature than would have otherwise been the case. She had been chartered to carry a cargo of coal to Rio de Janeiro in Brazil, and went under No. 9 Tip at Penarth Dock.