Foundering of Barge in Bristol Channel - Sole Survivor's Vivid Narrative - A joint coroner's inquiry was held at the Town-hall, Newport, yesterday evening respecting the swamping of the coal barge Rhondda whilst on a passage from Cardiff to Bristol on Thursday, August 20, when five lives were lost.

Four bodies had been washed up into the River Usk, two of which had been identified, and two others (probably the passengers who got on board at Cardiff) were left unidentified. Three of the bodies were picked up in the borough of Newport, and one outside. The inquiry was, therefore, jointly conducted by Mr. Digby Powell (the deputy-coroner for Newport) and Mr. M. Roberts-Jones (the coroner for South Monmouthshire) with reference to John Edward Whitterton Jones, aged 41, mate of the steel barge Rhondda, of 101 St. George's-road, Bristol; William Henry Hole, aged 35, seaman, of 34, Wade-street, St. Jude's. Bristol, and two unidentified men.

Mr. W. C. Hunter appeared for Messrs. Elder, Dempster, and Co., the owners of both vessels, viz., the Rhondda and the steel towing barge Garth, which was towing the Rhondda, and Mr. G. F. Cooke appeared for the widows of the two men.

Charles Field, the captain of the Rhondda, who lives at Stonehouse, Gloucestershire, stated that he left Ely Harbour, where he had been loading a cargo of coal, on Thursday, August 20, about 1.30 p.m., for Avonmouth. The Rhondda was being towed by the steam barge Garth. There was moderate weather and all went well till about 2.45 in the afternoon, when the wind, having risen, the shackle of the wheel parted, owing to the rudder kicking. The crew numbered four all told, and there were two passengers (whose names he did not know) who boarded the vessel at Ely.

When the wheel chain parted the vessel became unmanageable. A tackle which was put on the rudder also parted, and then the vessel went across the seas, shipped water on both sides, and began to founder in ten minutes. The steam barge kept towing until she went down. The hatchways were covered with tarpaulins, but the hatches were not on. Another tackle was being got ready by witness and Jones, but they could not get it quick enough to save the vessel from going down.

Hole and Garraway, two of the crew, got into a small boat about five minutes before she foundered to be towed astern of the Rhondda. Witness saw nothing of them afterwards, but saw the boat full of water when the vessel went down. He told Jones to get the life belts out of the forecastle, and he himself took a lifebuoy which was hung up aft and jumped overboard. Jones must have brought up one of them. It was used by one of the passengers.

The vessel had 287 tons of cargo on board, and the builders estimated that she could take 320 tons. The most he had ever had in her was 309 tons. She foundered stern foremost. Those on board the tug apparently could not see the distress of the Rhondda, nor could they hear what was shouted to them, as the wind had suddenly risen to half a gale, and there was a nasty sea on. They knocked the tow-rope off the Garth when they saw her go down. He thought the water must have got under the tarpaulins or washed away the bunker top.

The Rhondda was built at Newport, and took her first cargo two and a half years ago. She was well found, and the shackle which broke had only been in use about two months. She went down about five miles south-west of the bell buoy marking the River Usk.

Evidence was afterwards given as to the finding of the bodies, and in the end the jury returned a verdict that the men came by their deaths by being accidentally drowned. - Evening Express [135] [361] 29 August 1903.

Wreck of the Rhondda - Board of Trade Inquiry at Bristol - A Board of Trade inquiry was opened at Bristol on Tuesday into the circumstances attending the foundering of the Rhondda, a coal barge, when on a voyage from Penarth to Bristol.

She carried a crew of four and two passengers, and only the captain was saved. The disaster was caused, it will be remembered, by the wheel-chain breaking, thus causing the vessel to become unmanageable, the vessel being in tow of the tug Garth at the time.

Charles Field, master of the Rhondda, said he had been in command of her for two years, and he knew the Bristol Channel all his life. He held no certificate of competence. He had no written instructions as to his trips or runs, but instructions were given to him by the superintendent at Avonmouth.

On the occasion in question he left the harbour without the hatches being on; he used discretion as to putting them on. He did four trips a month, and then was entitled to 15s. a trip for any additional ones. It was moderate weather when they left Penarth on August 20. There was misty rain. The vessel had one boat towed astern in good condition. He could not tell when he had before put the hatches on. He had them on once last winter. He never had them on specially to sail the same tide; if the weather was bad he delayed sailing till next tide.

His crew were Edward Jones (mate), George Garaway (winchman), and Wm. Hole (A.B.). He took two other men for the run to Avonmouth. The navigation was left to the steamer. A little more than half an hour after leaving Penarth the wind freshened. The course was then altered for Newport River. He believed the wheel chain was in proper condition, but it parted through the rudder "kicking." The vessel then became unmanageable and shipped a quantity of water. There was tarpaulin over the hatchway, put on as they left Penarth. He told Jones to get the lifebelts out. and he brought up one. He did not know why the others were not brought.

Garaway and Hole got in the boat. He thought then that the vessel was all right. He saw the boat full of water, under the stern of the vessel, and no one in her. She had a painter, and was still being towed. The vessel settled down aft rapidly. Witness took a lifebelt and jumped overboard aft. The others jumped for'ard. One of the passengers had a lifebelt. He only saw him in the water.

The occurrence was five miles south of Bell Buoy, and was all over within ten minutes after the wheel chain parting. Witness was picked up by the Garth, after he supposed that he had been five minutes in the water. He attributed the calamity to the parting of the wheel chain.

In answer to Mr. Cooke, the witness denied that the hatches were underneath the coal. They could have been put on in half an hour, by Mr. Batten. If Garaway and Hole had stood by the vessel instead of getting into the boat he thought tackle could have been rigged, and the vessel got on her course again.

Evidence was also given by Henry Winslow, master of the Garth.

The findings of the court will be made known in due course. - Evening Express [135] [361] 30th September 1903.