Newport Past
Newport Dock Disaster - timbers supporting the sides of the trench.
Photo reference number: 599
The floor of the trench that was to cave in and fill with water resulting in over 30 deaths.
W C Cooper an engineer gave this account to the newspapers:
'We were going to start concreting tonight. Both sides of the trench were piled with solid timber from 13 to 14 inches thick and the cross timbering was all 11 to 12 inches in thickness. It looked as if nothing could move it. It was a perfect network of timber. As we sank the trench there was no sign of movement at all. It was examined daily by an engineer of the company. I was down at the bottom myself two days ago, when everything seemed to be quite safe.'
