Volume Six - Pre-Victorian to the Present Day - Select Aspects - Crossing the River Ely . .

Subsequently, 'Iona' was built at the yard of the Penarth Shipbuilding and Ship Repairing Company in 1883, another double ended, iron hulled, paddle steamer of 64 tons. By this time, James Vellacott, the Cardiff coal shipper owned both vessels and floated the Cardiff and Penarth Steam Ferry Co. Ltd. in the same year. [154]



1890's : Above an antique view of the entrance to Cardiff Docks. [001] The following sad but somehow mildly amusing story was published in June 1868 : -

1868 - "Penarth. - Shocking Accident on Board the Kate Steamboat. - On Monday afternoon a fireman, named Thomas Morris, belonging to the screwship Chester, now lying in Penarth Docks, was proceeding by the Kate from Cardiff to Penarth. When about half-way across, he commenced dancing about the deck. His foot slipped through the skylight, and was caught in the machinery, whereby his foot was completely crushed. The steamer immediately returned to Cardiff, and the injured man was taken to the Hamadryad Hospital Ship, where it was found necessary to amputate the leg." Cardiff Times [019] 27th June 1868.