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

John Hay, the cook, was engaged in the galley, washing up some of the articles used for the men's breakfast. The forecastle and the galley were lifted perpendicularly from the deck, and Hay went with them, how far he does not know, but after three hours he so far recovered as to find himself buried in a heap of fallen timber on the coal in the hold, and from which place he succeeded in crawling.

His appearance on deck created much surprise, as the opinion prevailed that he had been blown overboard and drowned. All the crew are injured, but some of them very slightly. Their clothes are also all destroyed, the top of one of seaman's chests being found at some distance from the vessel. Everything on board the vessel is broken or destroyed. The cabin and the forecastle, after being lifted from their places, allowed the gas to escape, and they then seemed to have fallen down again, nearly in their original position. The rigging and sails are burnt and blackened with smoke, and although the deck is a mass of splinters the masts remain in their upright position, and the cargo is but little disturbed.

Hundreds of people from Cardiff and the neighbourhood of Penarth visited the place during the day, and Superintendent Adams, with a body of the county police, remained on duty at the docks for several hours. They also rendered valuable aid in assisting in removing the injured men.

The efforts of Dr Nell are beyond all praise. He personally attended to every one of the injured men, dressed their wounds, and assisted in placing them in the vehicles which were brought round for their removal to the hospital ship, and did not leave until the dead bodies had been removed and all the injured men provided for.

The men who were injured by the explosion on board the barque Atlanta, at the Penarth Docks, on Monday last, are doing as well as might be expected, and one or two of them were allowed to go out for a short time on Wednesday. Ross, the second mate of the Atlanta, and antonio Pedro, a sailor, from Portugal, lie at the Hamadryad Hospital in a somewhat critical state. Hopes are entertained for their ultimate recovery. Mr W. Brown, captain of the Atlanta, who belongs to Perth, is staying at a private house in Penarth, and attended by Dr Nell.

The remains of Alexander Muir, Matteo Pertovic, and J. A. Harnett, were interred in the Penarth church-yard on Wednesday. Mrs Muir followed her husband to the grave.