s.s. 'Cluden ' in Penarth Dock c.1909. Another example of George Wehrley's fine photographic studies of ships and shipping at Penarth. Built in 1896 at the yard of Readhead John & Sons Limited she was of 3,166 gross registered tons, 315 feet in length x 43 feet in breath. She was owned by Steel, Young & Co. of West Hartlepool and was torpedoed and sunk by the German submarine U-39 in the Mediterranean Sea off Algeria without warning whilst on a voyage from Karachi to Cardiff loaded with wheat. Four of the crew were lost. Another fine postcard from the Penarth Dock Collection. [001] images - G. Wehrley & Co., 97 Glebe Street, Penarth, S. Wales. [395]

A colourised enlargement of the image of s.s. 'Cluden' indicating she is moored against coal tips numbers 1 and 2. Above the steam and smoke are the residences on Dock Road. [001] images - G. Wehrley & Co., 97 Glebe Street, Penarth, S. Wales. [395]

Another colourised enlargement showing coal tip number 1. The image illustrates the disadvantage of coal tips installed at a fixed distance from each other. When the dock was opened in 1865 these tips served the sailing ships of the day well but as shipping tonnage and dimensions increased, and with the advent of iron and steel ship construction and steam overtaking sail power by the mid-1880's, they became logistically problematic and efficiency gradually diminished. Effectively they were past their best by the date of this photograph which I estimate to have been taken in 1909. The postcard was posted in June 1910 to an address in Woking, Surrey. [001] images - G. Wehrley & Co., 97 Glebe Street, Penarth, S. Wales. [395]

Part of the OS 1920 edition map of Penarth Dock. I think that George Wehrley set up his camera on the steps of the dock at near the water level to snap this wonderfully descriptive photograph of the steamship 'Cluden'. [010] [398]