Volume Eleven - Pre-Victorian to the Present Day - some more aspects - The Explosives Pier at Penarth Dock . . .

◊ March 1883 - A Dynamite Importation - 'The first consignment of dynamite directly imported into Cardiff has just been received by Messrs. Williams and Sons. This firm having been granted a special license by the Home Office to import dynamite, the steamship Carl arrived in Penarth Dock a few days since from Rotterdam with 200 cases, containing an aggregate of five tons, this being the largest quantity which is permitted to be imported at any one time.

This explosive is to be utilised for blasting at the working of the Penarth Dock Extension and at the Severn Tunnel Works, and it is the intention of Messrs. Williams and Sons to receive periodical consignments, as it is expected that dynamite will supersede.' - Engineering [627] [716] 30th March 1883.

Newspaper reports of 7th June 1884 record a dynamite explosion which caused extensive damage to the police headquarters at Scotland Yard, London. Coincidently, dynamite featured with reference to the Penarth Dock extension works under the contractor, Mr. T. A. Walker, during the previous month. I wonder if these events are linked?

◊ May 1884 - The Penarth Dynamitard - 'On Tuesday morning, at the Shifnal Police Court, Thomas Sutton, described as a navvy, of Stratford-on-Avon, was charged on remand with unlawfully having explosives in his possession. On being apprehended prisoner said he bought the packets from a man named John Ellis, at Nelson's New Docks, Cardiff, and that he himself had worked at Walker's Docks at Penarth. The prisoner had been remanded in order that the police authorities might communicate with the Treasury.

On Monday a telegram was received from the Solicitor-General, informing the police authorities that they did not propose to proceed in the case under the Explosives Act. As there was not sufficient evidence to warrant a committal on the charge of larceny, the prisoner was now set at liberty.' - Weekly Mail [067] [361] 10th May 1884.

Further evidence of explosive imports to the Penarth Dock / Ely Tidal Harbour 'Explosives Pier' appears within the following newspaper report of 1898 : -

◊ April 1898 - A Danger to Cardiff -  The Carriage of Dynamite Through the Town - 'A short time ago we called attention to the danger to which Cardiff is periodically exposed by the carriage of dynamite and other explosives through the town. . .