The Wreck of the Stella - Titanic of the Channel Islands

On March 30th 1899, the LSWR passenger steamer 'Stella' on her way from Southampton to Guernsey and Jersey ran full speed in thick fog onto the Casquets reef and sank within minutes with the loss of over eighty lives. This was a national tragedy and it remains the worst disaster in the history of the Channel Island steamers.

For over seventy years no one knew where the Stella lay, until two Island divers made a remarkable discovery. The ship was found lying upright and intact in very deep water well away from her estimated position. A detailed film record has now been made of her, and some unusual artifacts have been brought up.

For the first time, this book tells the full story of the loss and finding of the Stella, one hundred years after the disaster. Its authors have brought together historical and diving knowledge to tell this story, and the descendants of saved and lost passengers and crew members have made a major contribution, telling their version of events and supplying a wealth of photographs. The book relates an important event in Channel Island and Southampton maritime history.

John Ovenden was born in Jersey. He began diving in 1989 and has extensive knowledge of the wrecks around the Islands. He specialises in underwater videography and has produced a 52 minute documentary 'The Wreck of the Stella' which has been broadcast by the BBC, the Discovery Channel and German television. In the past few years he has formed his own company specialising in search and recovery and underwater film production.

David Shayer was born in Guernsey. He is a graduate of the university of Wales and Oxford, and has previously published books and articles on literary criticism, education and Channel Island history. He wrote the first extended assessment of the causes of the Stella disaster. He retired recently as a university teacher, and lives in Caerleon in South Wales.

Contents:

Foreword (by Margaret Rule)
Shipwreck
The Enquiry
The Sleeper Wakes
The Ship
Passsenger and Crew Lists
Literary Inspirations
Index
Conversion Table

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