Sunk Off Penarth - Schooner Run Down - At 3.15 on Monday the s.s. Gardepee, belonging to Messrs Morel, Ltd., Cardiff, when coming out of the Cardiff Docks, ran into the Benjamin Boyd, a sailing vessel, just after she had left Penarth Dock. The latter sank in about five minutes, but the crew was safely got ashore and landed at Cardiff.
The schooner, which was outward bound with about 200 tons of coal for Ballinacurra, and was proceeding in an easterly direction, was overtaken by the s.s. Gardepee and struck just abaft the mainmast on her port quarter. The damage done was so great that the schooner immediately began to settle down, and the crew of four hands only just managed to escape, two of them jumping on board the Gardepee and the other two taking to their boat, where they were subsequently rejoined by their comrades, and rowed first to Penarth and then to Cardiff.
The crew consisted of Captain T. Chidgey, Robert Chidgey, mate, both of Watchet; J. Flynn, cook, of Arklow and H. Pyle, A.B.. of Exmouth. In the course of an interview the mate of the sunken schooner said that their craft was practically cut in two, and sank within 10 minutes. They landed at Cardiff about 4 o'clock, and the Gardepee proceeded to Barry.
The steamtug Primrose (Captain Phillips), belonging to the Taff Vale Railway Co., which was lying at the entrance to the dock, witnessed the occurrence, and went to the aid of the schooner. A rope was attached, but the vessel foundered before they were able to draw her to the beach.
The schooner now lies on the edge of the fairway, and though slightly dangerous to navigation she will not interrupt it. - The Cardiff Times [019] [361] 1st December 1906.
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