Volume One - Into the Victorian Age - Some newspaper reports from the 1870's

• June 1876 - Fearful Gas Explosion at Penarth Dock - Four Men Killed and Seven Injured - Narrow Escape of Two Men - "One of the most disastrous explosions from coal gas on board vessels since the explosion on board the Prussian barque Ellenmere, at Cardiff, about sixteen years ago, occurred on Monday on board the Atlanta, a fine Clyde built barque belonging to Greenock, while lying in Penarth Dock. The Atlanta is a vessel of 1,118 tons register. She arrived at Cardiff some days since from London, the agent and owners, Mr Sidney Dan Jenkins, having obtained a charter for her to convey 1,500 tons of steam coal to Hong Kong. The captain, Mr John Brown, who has held the command of the vessel for four years, brought her round from London with a crew of sixteen hands, intending to ship four more at Cardiff. The chief officer, the second mate, and all the crew joined the vessel at London.

On arriving at Penarth Dock, she was placed under No. 3 tip, and was loaded with 1,513 tons of steam coal by the Glamorgan Steam Coal Company. The loading was completed on Thursday night, and the captain on Friday shipped at the Cardiff Shipping Office four more men, giving them direction to join the vessel at ten o'clock on Monday morning. On Saturday, by directions of the chief officer, Henry Whitworth, the hatchways were closed, and covered with tarpaulin, but not battened down. The decks were cleared, and preparations made for leaving dock on Monday night. To facilitate this the Atlanta was, on sunday, removed from under the tip, and provided with a quay berth near the lock gates.

Alongside of her was another Scotch barque, the Killogham, bound for Aden, the captain of which intended to leave by the same tide. The Atlanta has cabin and forecastle on the main deck. she is fitted with two hatchways in the centre, each having two compartments. She has four boats, the lifeboat and the jolly boat being suspended over the hatchways, all in excellent condition, and her rigging and spars were such as are used on board first class vessels. Her carrying capacity is considerably greater than was necessary for the cargo of coal she had on board, and the coal, though close up to the hatchways in the centre, sloped towards the ends, where in the space above the coal gas is believed to have accumulated. In the after part of the vessel is a lazarette, where the stores are kept, and which is separated from the hold by an iron grating.

On Monday morning, about half-past 8 o'clock, the captain came on deck and gave orders for clearing away some of the ropes, and making all ready for shifting the vessel into the basin. He himself went to the bridge to superintend the work. There was on deck at the time Henry Whitworth, of London, chief mate ; Henry Rose, second mate ; William Allen,