The Loss of the Steamer Llanarthen - The Peninsular and Oriental Company's steamship Shannon, which arrived in Plymouth Sound on Tuesday from Australia, brought from Gibraltar Edward Miller, late a fireman of the steamer Llanarthen, of Cardiff, which foundered at sea.

The Llanarthen belonged to Mr Chas. E. Stallybrass, of Cardiff. She left Penarth on January 13th, with coals, for Colombo, in charge of Capt. Curtis, with a crew of 23 all told. She encountered the late severe weather, and was much strained. By Feb. 4th she had only reached to 15 miles N.E. of Cape St. Vincent, when at 4.25 a.m. on that day she suddenly sprang a leak on her port side about amidships. The water rushed in so rapidly that the fires were extinguished within half an hour after the leak was first discovered. Rockets were at once fired, and the steamer Rathaven, of Newcastle, came to the rescue, and remained by the Llanarthen until the latter foundered.

During the day her pumps were kept going by hand labour, but the water gained on the pumps rapidly, The crew got out three boats and left her. Captain Curtis was the last on board, and a few minutes after he left the Llanarthen sank, at 4.30 p.m. The Rathaven took the shipwrecked seamen into Gibraltar, - South Wales Daily News [325] [361] 20th February 1884.

The Loss of the Steamer Llanarthen, of Cardiff - Admiralty Inquiry - An inquiry, ordered by the Admiralty, was held on Tuesday in the Grand Jury Room at the Guildhall, Bristol, concerning the loss of the steamer Llanarthen, owned by Messrs. Stallybrass and Co., Cardiff. The wreck commissioner was Mr. T. H. C. Rothery, the nautical assessors being Captain French and Captain Davies. Mr. Macdonald (instructed by Messrs. Brittan, Press, and Inskip) appeared for the Board of Trade; Mr Ingledew, of the firm of Ince, Ingledew, and Vachell, at Cardiff, was for the owners, and Mr. Clifton, of Bristol, was for the captain.

After hearing the evidence, the court retired, and on their return Mr. Rothery gave judgment. In answer to the first question, the Court was of opinion that the ship was properly overhauled and repaired in 1883. In reply to Questions 2 and 3, they found that the seacocks were properly examined and placed, and the vessel was in good seaworthy condition, and well found when she left Penarth. Questions 4 and 8 were dealt with together. In answer to Questions 5, 6 and 7, they found that prompt and proper measures were taken to ascertain the cause of and stop the leak, and that the vessel was not prematurely abandoned.

Then, as to the cause of the casualty, they had no positive evidence. It had been suggested that she ran against some floating wreckage, but the assessors were not disposed to adopt that theory. In that case she would probably have received such a blow as would have fractured her plates, and it seemed probable that someone on board would have felt it. The only reasonable theory in the case seemed to be this: The vessel had been knocked about almost ever since she left the Bristol Channel in crossing over to the Bay of Biscay, and it was quite possible that during that time she might have strained in some way or other so as to have started one of her plates.

The evidence of Miller, the fireman, showed that, this was possible, and that she might also have I fractured the pipe leading from the boiler to the blow cock on the port side, and, if so, such a volume of water would have come in as to account for the accident. This, however, was only conjecture; there was no positive evidence with regard to it.

Then as to the ninth question, relative to the insurance. The assessors did not, think she was assured at an extravagant price, £23,000, and they had no hesitation in saying that the insurance did not exceed her value. With regard to the last question, they exonerated the master, officers, and crew from blame. An application from Mr. Ingledew for the owners' costs was refused. - Weekly Mail [067] [361] 22nd March 1884.