Volume Eleven - Pre-Victorian to the Present Day - some more aspects - The Explosives Pier at Penarth Dock . . .

The property and markets committee took up the subject, and requested the town-clerk (Mr. J. L. Wheatley) and the chief officer of explosives (Mr. T. C. Major) to report upon the subject. Mr. Major's report was presented to the committee at a meeting held on Wednesday, when Mr. William Evans occupied the chair. Mr. Major stated that since the 12th of July twelve consignments of explosives had been imported and conveyed through the town.

They consisted of Ardeed powder 800 lb., blasting powder 9,000 lb., carbonite 11,400 lb., cotton powder 4,000 lb., coalite 1,000 lb., dynamite 2,000 lb., gelatine dynamite 7,000 lb., and gelignite 54,780 lb., making a total of 89,950 lb. Seven of these consignments were discharged at Ely Harbour, five of which were conveyed to Treforest and Caerphilly Mountain by the Taff Vale Railway via the Penarth Dock branch, and two by road to Radyr via Penarth-road, Simper street, Leckwith-road, Cowbridge-road, and Ely. Five consignments had been discharged at the Old Sea Lock, (situated on the Glamorganshire Canal) four of which were conveyed to Pontypridd and Treforest via the Glamorganshire Canal, and one by road to Radyr via Corporation-road, Clare-road, Clare-street, Neville-street. Cowbridge-road, and Ely.

The whole of the foregoing cargoes had been discharged and conveyed through the town under his (Mr. Major's) personal supervision, and the greatest care had been exercised for the prevention of accidents. At the same time Mr. Major expressed a strong opinion that it was very undesirable that dangerous explosives should be conveyed through an important and populous town like Cardiff. No matter how vigilant and unremitting the attention of the officer of the local authority, there was always great danger attending the transport of explosives from concussion by accident.

Mr. Major referred to several other explosions and the January, 1896, when a collision with trucks loaded with dynamite on a railway siding caused total destruction within a radius of 330 yards, and partial destruction up to 1,000 yards, killing upwards of 50 persons outright and injuring others so severely that they died in hospital. At Buluwayo in October of the same year a terrible explosion was caused by a bullet being fired into a magazine. He referred to several of their explosions and the disastrous consequences attending them. It was resolved that the report be printed in the minutes, and that it be considered when the town-clerk has reported upon the legal aspect of the question.' - Evening Express [135] [361] 6th April 1898.