Volume Two - The Era of Optimism, Investment & Development - Coal gas explosions etc . . .

There were numerous explosions and fires at the docks with an array of sources. The following extract from The Nottingham Evening Post [051] of 16th September 1903 provides a description of a typical coal gas explosion:

“Coal Gas Explosion on a Ship – Many of the Crew Injured – An accumulation of gas in the hold of the Norwegian barque Elna, of Drontheim, at Penarth Dock, Cardiff, exploded yesterday morning while the master (Captain H.J. Berg) and most of the members of the crew were injured.

The seamen are now in hospital suffering from severe burns. The ‘Elna’ - a wooden barque, built in 1852 – had loaded coal at Swansea last week for Sweden, and was driven up the Channel by the storm of Thursday last, and lost her anchors.

She was towed into Penarth Dock, and is waiting there while new anchors were being made. At the time of the explosion there were nine persons aboard. They knew a quantity of gas must have accumulated in the ship and one of them partly removed the covering of the hatch so as to allow some of it to escape. It is believed that the gas reached the galley fire and caused the explosion.

The whole of the forepart of the deck was blown up some distance, and as they fell they were struck by debris and injured. The lifeboat, weighing several hundredweight, was lifted nearly 20 feet, and fell upon two of the men. The captain was blown back against the starboard bulwarks and his back was injured. The planking of the decks and bulwarks was blown out into the dock.

Kristifer was hurled into the rigging, where he held on ‘till he was able to descend. The Negro cook was in the galley at the time, and though the deck surrounding the cookhouse was completely destroyed the galley remained untouched. The cook, however, was dashed into a corner and his foot was scalded by water from a dislodged boiler.

The four men most severely hurt were conveyed in a special train to Cardiff, and in each instance the whole of the hair on the face and head was singed off.”