Volume Nine - Pre-Victorian to the present day - even more aspects - Cefn-y-Wrâch . . .

Throughout April 1878, the press published numerous letters and articles on the subject of the Pilot's dispute and the future of the Cefn-y-Wrâch shoal. A memorial (or memorandum) was prepared by the Pilots and forwarded to the Board of Trade. Newport got in on the act by insisting that safety of shipping was better served at their docks than at Cardiff and many false or misleading statements seem to have been made on both sides which clouded the main issues. A major point of contention to the Pilots was that the Pilotage Board meetings were held in private and in many cases the board members were both their employers, their accusers, and their judge and jury.

• 5th April 1878 - 'A meeting of the Cardiff Pilotage Commissioners was held on Monday, to consider a charge or charges preferred against John Tamplyn (No. 7) and David Samuel (No. 18), Cardiff pilots, for refusing to take out the sailing ship 'Prince Amalia'. The vessel drew 23 feet of water, and it was alleged that there was not at the time that depth of water over the Cefn-y-Wrach. It was considered by the Dockmaster that there was at the time plenty of water in the Channel, and there was no reason why the vessel should not have proceeded to sea that night. The Commissioners suspended Samuel's certificate for three months, and at the end of that period to be reduced to a second class pilot. The charge against Tamplyn was dismissed.' - Monmouthshire Merlin - [167] [361] - 5th April 1878.

The fact that the depth of water 'over the Cefn-y-Wrach' may have been sufficient for the ship to proceed to sea was not, however, the only factor to be considered. There seems to be a deliberate blurring of the truth to suit a particular argument regarding the depth of water in the channel, or was it at the dock gates or was it on, or over, parts of, or all of, the shoal! Eye witnesses, including Mr Plimsoll, stated that the shoal had silted up in many places and this appears to have made the channel somewhat difficult to navigate due to the fact that the channel was no longer straight ; so I suppose that banks of mud and stone had been allowed to impose from each side of the channel.

• 12th April 1878 - 'The Cardiff Pilots have petitioned the Board of Trade for the restoration of their certificates to Howe and Samuels, who were recently suspended by the Cardiff Pilotage Board for refusing to take the vessels to sea in consequence of the condition of the Cefn-y-Wrach shoal. The pilots also ask that the Board of Trade will adopt measures with a view to the re-constitution of the local Pilotage Board.' - Monmouthshire Merlin - [167] [361] - 12th April 1878.