Volume Three - The Pontoon Era - Delivery of the pontoon to Penarth . . .

The Earl of Plymouth after being presented by the chairman with a gold whistle, expressed his thanks to Mr. Turnball and the chairman and directors of the company for affording him the honour of taking part in the ceremony. His lordship declared the pontoon open. The visitors were subsequently entertained with refreshments.

Mr. R. G. L. Vassall, chairman of the Taff Vale Railway Company, in proposing the health of the Earl of Plymouth, said the pontoon had been constructed with the greatest success, and he trusted it would have the effect of bringing traffic to the Dock.

The Earl of Plymouth, in reply, congratulated the Penarth Pontoon Company and the Taff Vale Company upon having been so early in the field of establishing a pontoon which was to do the work of the dry-docks in the most modern and efficient manner. He proposed :   " Success to the New Pontoon. "

Mr. T. R. Thompson, in giving the health of the builders, Messrs. Swan, Hunter & Wigham Richardson, mentioned that he was the only survivor of the promoters of the Ship Repairing Company, of which he had been uninterruptedly a director from its inception down to the present day - 32 years. Their congratulations were due to Messrs. Swan, Hunter & Wigham Richardson. Everybody knew their reputation, and, as far they could judge, the pontoon at Penarth would be strictly in keeping with it.

Mr. William Denton, on behalf of the builders and engineers, returned thanks. The pontoon, he said, had been difficult to get into the wet dock at Penarth, but matters were overcome by building the pontoon so that it could be disconnected, drawn into the dock, and then reconnected.

Mr. J. J. Bryson, replying to the toast of " The Staff of the Pontoon Co., " said they had passed through some difficult times, and he was glad to be able to say the workmen had stuck to the company through thick and thin. Whilst the party had partaken of refreshments, the steamer Westgate had been docked on the pontoon, the time occupied being only 20 minutes.'