s.s. 'Orianda' - The vessel arrived at the Roath Dock, Cardiff on the 8th February 1907. The story of her loss off the Nash was reported by the Evening Express on the 18th February 1907. [135] [361]

Terrific Crash - Steamer Sunk off the Nash - Fourteen Lives Lost - Thrilling Stories of Rescue - A disastrous collision, involving the loss of fourteen lives, occurred between Nash Point and the Foreland, in the Bristol Channel, in the very first hour of Sunday morning. Two steamers - the Orianda and the Heliopolis - came into violent contact in the open sea, and within about twenty minutes of the impact the Orianda heeled over and sank. Heavy seas were running at the time, and there was half a hurricane blowing.

The Orianda, which belonged to Mr. E. Morgan, of London and Aberystwyth, and which was commanded by Captain John Williams, of Borth, near Aberystwyth, had left Cardiff at half-past nine on Saturday night, laden with coal for Speazia. All went well till the Orianda got below the Nash. Captain Williams and the chief-officer were on the bridge together until half-an-hour after midnight, and it was then the Orianda came into collision with the Heliopolis, which was steaming up Channel, bound for Cardiff. The Orianda was struck amidships with such terrific force that she began to sink before the members of the crew had fully realised what had happened. Within half-an-hour she had disappeared entirely and gone to the bottom of the sea.

The nineteen men who made up the crew were thrown into the water, and only five battled successfully with the mountainous waves until assistance was at hand and they were saved.

The men of the Orianda, immediately after the collision, sent up signals of distress and called to the Heliopolis for help. Those cries were, apparently, not heard, and no aid was rendered, according to the accounts given by the survivors. The Heliopolis proceeded on her voyage, reaching Cardiff at eight o'clock on Sunday morning.

The boats of the Orianda were cut loose and put overboard with difficulty, owing to the heavy list of the ship caused by the collision, and Captain Williams and his men were all soon in the water. The boats filled with water, and the lifeboat disappeared, and with the exception of five of the men—the chief and third engineers and three foreign seamen, who got into a small boat — all the men were drowned.

The Crew of the Orianda. The following is a list of the crew of the Orianda, the place-name in parentheses indicating the town recorded at the Board of Trade Offices as the man's birthplace, and the second place-name, where available, indicating- the address given to the Board of Trade before sailing:-

Saved. The rescued men are:-

R. Aitken, 19, Blaeaclydach-street, Grangetown, Cardiff, chief engineer.
N. H. Bevan, 48, Marine-terrace, Aberystwyth, third engineer.
Metzal Jean, ordinary seaman, Constantinople.
Corinelo Insaeta. (Mimdaca, Spain), A.B., ?00, Bute-street.
D. Lambros (Constantinople), cook, 204, Bute-street.

Drowned.

J. Williams, Borth, Aberystwyth, master.
F. Jones, New Quay, mate.
R. Hunter, Freeport, N.S., second mate, 198, Severn-road Cardiff.
J. Nightingale (Barbados), steward.
J. Valender, Cheltenham, mess steward.
J. Tullis, (Birmingham), fireman, 101, Penarth-road, Cardiff.
George Steamer, Liverpool, fireman.
A. Jones, Bristol, fireman.
T. Davidson (Montrose), donkeyman, 1, Frances-street, Cardiff.
Tom Morris (Chepstow), ordinary seaman, 46, Milton-street, Cardiff.
J. D. Jesus (Porto Rico), A.B., 217, Bute-street.
H. Garcia (Ferrol, Spain), boatswain, 192, Bute-street, Cardiff.
G. Frackelos (Constantinople), ordinary seaman, 49, Bute-street, Cardiff.
John Hensen (Christiania), second engineer.

Survivors Injured. All the rescued men when brought to Barry on Sunday morning were found to have been more or lees injured, through being dashed about by the sea amongst the wreckage, and they were in a pitiable condition of destitution and exhaustion when rescued.