Stella
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shipstamps
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Stella
Another steamer to be lost in that Channel scourge, dense fog, is depicted on the ls. Sark stamp. She is the London and South Western Railway Company's Stella, built in 1890 by J. and G. Thompson at Clydebank, one of a trio of sisters ordered from the yard in 1889. She was 260 ft. long and of 1,059 gross tons, her engines developing 5,700 i.h.p. and giving her a speed of 21 knots. The vessel sank on the afternoon of Thursday, March 30, 1899, when during fog she struck the L'Anquiere Rock, one of the Casquets group. She went down in 15 minutes with the loss of 80 passengers and 15 of her crew.
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john sefton
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Re: Stella
The Channel steamship STELLA, Capt. W. Reeks, left Southampton for Guernsey on Thursday, March 30th, 1899. It was the first run of the season and the ship was full of Easter holiday‑makers, as it was the day before Good Friday, there being in all 174 passengers and 43 crew. Soon after leaving England the weather thickened and most of the run was continued in fog. This circumstance did not prevent the STELLA from proceeding at full speed, as Capt. Reeks desired to reach Guernsey before nightfall. The siren was blown at the usual intervals, but otherwise no precautions were taken, the captain being apparently easy in mind as to his course.
At about 4 p.m. the lookout sighted rocks ahead and heard the sound of the foghorn an the Casquets lighthouse. The ship at once went hard‑a‑port and continued on a fresh course for a little distance when she struck on the Black Rock, one of the Casquets group, eight miles from Alderney. She recoiled from the first impact and struck again, being holed amidships on both occasions. The discipline on board was good and much heroism was shown by crew and passengers, but little time was available for the saving of life. Within eight minutes of striking the STELLA foundered.
The STELLA carried five lifeboats and two collapsible Berthon boats. One lifeboat, overcrowded with people, capsized as soon as launched. Four others got away in safety. Two of these boats were picked up at about 8 o’clock next morning by the steamship VERA of the same company, and two by Great Western Railway Co.'s steamship LYNX. The port lifeboat, which had floated away keel upward, was sighted by the Cherbourg tug MARSOUIN. The seas had righted her and eight persons had managed to clamber into her.
A feature of the disaster was that the lighthouse keepers on the Casquets were unaware of the wreck until the steamship HONFLEUR arrived in search of survivors, though some inhabitants of Sark, 17 miles away, heard the muffled, explosion of the STELLA’S boilers when she sank.
The number drowned was 112 included Capt. Reeks.
Information taken from: CERES ‑ European Subaquatic, Database.
The book "Wreck of the Stella ‑ Titanic of the Channel Islands" by John Ovenden & David
Shayer. Hardback published In 1999 by Guernsey Museums and Galleries.
ISBN: 1871560600 Is available from them at £19.99
At about 4 p.m. the lookout sighted rocks ahead and heard the sound of the foghorn an the Casquets lighthouse. The ship at once went hard‑a‑port and continued on a fresh course for a little distance when she struck on the Black Rock, one of the Casquets group, eight miles from Alderney. She recoiled from the first impact and struck again, being holed amidships on both occasions. The discipline on board was good and much heroism was shown by crew and passengers, but little time was available for the saving of life. Within eight minutes of striking the STELLA foundered.
The STELLA carried five lifeboats and two collapsible Berthon boats. One lifeboat, overcrowded with people, capsized as soon as launched. Four others got away in safety. Two of these boats were picked up at about 8 o’clock next morning by the steamship VERA of the same company, and two by Great Western Railway Co.'s steamship LYNX. The port lifeboat, which had floated away keel upward, was sighted by the Cherbourg tug MARSOUIN. The seas had righted her and eight persons had managed to clamber into her.
A feature of the disaster was that the lighthouse keepers on the Casquets were unaware of the wreck until the steamship HONFLEUR arrived in search of survivors, though some inhabitants of Sark, 17 miles away, heard the muffled, explosion of the STELLA’S boilers when she sank.
The number drowned was 112 included Capt. Reeks.
Information taken from: CERES ‑ European Subaquatic, Database.
The book "Wreck of the Stella ‑ Titanic of the Channel Islands" by John Ovenden & David
Shayer. Hardback published In 1999 by Guernsey Museums and Galleries.
ISBN: 1871560600 Is available from them at £19.99
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D. v. Nieuwenhuijzen
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Re: Stella
Yardno.252, Nt:733, length:253'(77,11m.) breadth:35.1'(10,70m.) engine by shipbuilder 2-T3 cil.:360 nhp. 5700 ihp. 2 scr. 19 kn.
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D. v. Nieuwenhuijzen
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Re: Stella
About 120 Years - The Sinking of the SS STELLA
For our first Alderney issue of 2019 we commemorate 120 years since the sinking of the SS STELLA. The luxury liner hit Les Casquets reef north of Alderney and sank on Maundy Thursday, 30th March 1899.
Ten days after the tragedy, news broke of the heroism of Mary Anne Rogers, the Senior Stewardess. Survivors reported that she had marshalled the female passengers up onto the deck, helped them into their lifebelts and into the lifeboats. Mary then gave up her own lifebelt to a lady without one and helped her into one of the boats. When urged toget in herself, she refused for fear of capsizing it.
The SS STELLA sank, stern first in just eight minutes and many failed to make it into the lifeboats. Of the 190 on board, 86 passengers and 19 crew were drowned, including Mary Rogers.
The tragedy generated more press coverage and greater public interest than any other shipwreck of the period and it is often referred to as 'The TITANIC' of the Channel Islands'.
(Alderney 2019, 46, 62, 63, 76, 85 and 94 p. StG.?)
WOPA+
For our first Alderney issue of 2019 we commemorate 120 years since the sinking of the SS STELLA. The luxury liner hit Les Casquets reef north of Alderney and sank on Maundy Thursday, 30th March 1899.
Ten days after the tragedy, news broke of the heroism of Mary Anne Rogers, the Senior Stewardess. Survivors reported that she had marshalled the female passengers up onto the deck, helped them into their lifebelts and into the lifeboats. Mary then gave up her own lifebelt to a lady without one and helped her into one of the boats. When urged toget in herself, she refused for fear of capsizing it.
The SS STELLA sank, stern first in just eight minutes and many failed to make it into the lifeboats. Of the 190 on board, 86 passengers and 19 crew were drowned, including Mary Rogers.
The tragedy generated more press coverage and greater public interest than any other shipwreck of the period and it is often referred to as 'The TITANIC' of the Channel Islands'.
(Alderney 2019, 46, 62, 63, 76, 85 and 94 p. StG.?)
WOPA+
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