Volume One - Into the Victorian Age - Some newspaper reports from the 1890's

• November 1896 - Serious Accident at Penarth Dock - "Henry Davies, a trimmer, aged 39 of 29, Gwendoline-street, Cardiff, met with a shocking accident on Tuesday morning, while attempting to get on board the steamship Blenfair, at Penarth Dock. He got caught in the tipping machinery, with a result that both of his arms were frightfully lacerated. Davies was at once taken to Cardiff Infirmary, where it was found necessary to amputate one of his arms below the elbow." Evening Express [135] 24th November 1896.

• December 1896 - Lascars Refusing Duty - Lively Scenes at Cardiff - "An extraordinary case has come under the notice of Mt T. W. Lewis (the stipendiary), at Cardiff, no fewer than 47 lascar seamen being summoned for disobeying the lawful commands of the captain of the Indralema, then lying in Penarth Dock. The defendants came into court one by one, and were allotted places in the gallery. There were two leaders - or, as they are more familiarly called, " serangs" - amongst their number, and they were allowed to stand on the seats and deliver what was told to them by the mate of the vessel, who interpreted the evidence.

The men formerly belonged to the Indra, which discharged at Glasgow. The defendants made no objection to their transfer from the Indra to the Indralema at the outset, but subsequently refused as a body to go to sea. The ship was bound for the Southern States of America, and unless the vessel could get away it would be a very serious loss to the owners. The ship was in good sea-going order ; the latitude was strictly defined to the crew when they signed on, and their only objection was that it was too cold.

The Stipendiary, through the interpreter, asked the lascars if they would go on board, and pointed out that if they did not do so they would have to go to prison with hard labour. The lascars, however, emphatically refused to join the ship, and the Stipendiary then said that it was in his power to have them taken on board. It would be better than sending them to prison, and he ordered that they be taken and seen safely on board the vessel.

When the dusky discontents emerged from the station there was a general hubbub, the whole of them gesticulating wildly. Superintendent Hayward, in charge of one of the serangs, led the way to two brakes, but on approaching the first brake met with considerable opposition. The lascars made a stubborn fight against being placed in the vehicles and several minutes were occupied before the superintendent of the police could pitch the first man in. A large crowd had by this time gathered, and the lascars, still fighting hard against being removed, it was necessary to send for additional help.