Stella was a passenger ferry in service with the London and South Western Railway (LSWR). She was built in Glasgow in 1890, and wrecked in 1899 off the Casquets during a crossing from Southampton to Guernsey. Building and registration In 1890 J & G Thomson Ltd at Clydebank in Glasgow built a set of three sister ships for the LSWR: , and Stella. Stella was yard number 252, and was the last of the three to be launched and completed. A Miss Chisholm launched Stella on 15 September 1890. The ship was completed that October. Her registered length was , her beam was and her depth was . Her tonnages were and . Stella had twin screws, each powered by a three-cylinder triple expansion steam engine. Between them her two engines were rated at 360 NHP and gave her a speed of . Stella could carry 712 passengers and carried 754 lifejackets, 12 lifebuoys and her lifeboats could carry 148 people. Stella was built for the LSWRs Southampton – Channel Islands service. The LSWR registered Stella at Southampton. Her United Kingdom official number was 97219 and her code letters were LWKQ. Shipwreck On Maundy Thursday, 30 March 1899, Stella left Southampton for Saint Peter Port, Guernsey carrying 147 passengers and 43 crew. Many of the passengers were travelling to the Channel Islands for an Easter holiday or returning home there during the Easter break. Stella departed Southampton at 11:25 and after passing The Needles proceeded at full speed across the Channel. Some fog banks were encountered and speed was reduced twice while passing through these. Approaching the Channel Islands, another fog bank was encountered, but speed was not reduced. Shortly before 16:00, the fog signal from the Casquets Lighthouse was heard and the Casquets came into view directly ahead. Captain Reeks ordered the engines full astern and attempted to turn away from the rocks. Stella scraped along two rocks, and then her bottom was ripped open by a submerged granite reef. Stella sank in eight minutes. Four lifeboats were successfully launched, while a fifth capsized. The women and children first protocol was observed, although one stewardess, Mary Ann Rogers, gave up her lifejacket and refused a place in a lifeboat. The capsized lifeboat was later righted by a freak wave and 12 people managed to climb into it. Four of these died of exposure during the night. The eight remaining