Volume One - Into the Victorian Age - Some newspaper reports from the 1870's

The fire had now spread through the whole of the vessel amidships. All the stores, the clothing of the officers and crew, and the moveable property were removed to shore, and the masts were cut away. No steps that were taken were effectual in staying the raging conflagration, and as hour sped on hour, gaining strength from the material they fed on, the flames gradually took possession of more and more of the ship. At about 11 o'clock the fire was at its height. Though it is sad to see a noble vessel going so quickly to destruction, it was impossible to suppress a feeling of awed admiration of the spectacle.

From the blazing coal in the hold, then literally a fiery furnace, the bright flames rose towards the sky, fierce red tongues of flame rose, as if in emulation, to add to the pillar of fire. Here and there in the deck, where the powerful element ate its way through the woodwork, showers of sparks flew upwards, and burning splinters were carried into the air to fall with a hiss or a splutter into the rising tide.

There was evidence that then the whole cargo had caught the ignition, and the chance of saving the vessel was a very small one. In the flowing water there was a germ of hope ; but as the tide rose, and it was seen that, where the hull lay stranded, the tide would not cover it, hope of preserving any of the gallant ship grew very faint indeed. At one o'clock Mr. Evans, of the Cardiff Fire Brigade, who had been attracted to the spot, thought if the fire could be checked before the tide rose to its level, total destruction might be averted. He conferred with Captain Bishop, and at the request of the latter sent for the Cardiff manual engine. When that arrived, in the crowd which had assembled was found a number of willing helpers, and, with the aid of the members of the fire brigade who had hastened to the spot, a powerful stream of water was poured into the mass of the flame.

Evans, the engineer, and his comrades did yeoman's service. They cooled the deck, beat back the wall of living flame that hindered access to the ship, and, having obtained a foothold, gradually won a space from the all-embracing power. But they were too late. Had the fire-engine been sent for instead for in the earlier hours, and there had been two instead of one, water might have triumphed over its old antagonist.

For four hours they played into the burning mass. They might as well have tried to extinguish a blast furnace with a syringe. The fire had too deep and firm hold of the fiery steam coal to be so easily conquered, and when at seven o'clock the firemen ceased operations, the whole vessel was a huge bonfire. The tide then had risen, and had just turned. The water nearly reached all that was left of the bulwarks of the doomed ship, and mirrored in a thousand forms the ever-changing aspect of the fire.