London, Brighton and South Coast Railway: Ships
Note: This is a sub-section of the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway
‘Cross-Channel and Coastal Paddle Steamers’ by George Frank Burtt
THE LONDON, BRIGHTON & SOUTH COAST RAILWAY. NEWHAVEN-DIEPPE SERVICE.
IT is not possible to say definitely when this route from London to Paris was first used but, from the fact that a straight line drawn between these two cities passes between Newhaven and Brighton on the English coast and Dieppe on the French coast, it is more than likely that from quite early times - certainly long before the days of railways and steamships - a service of some sort was maintained by sailing boats between these opposite ports.
A regular service from London to Paris via Brighthelmston (now Brighton) and Dieppe, was inaugurated about 1790, a fleet of fine sailing ships performing the sea-portion of the journey. The antiquity and popularity of the Dieppe route to Paris is shown by the following advertisement which was published in 1790: (see image)
By the year 1817 there were nine vessels so engaged.
It is recorded that in 1816, the English Channel was crossed from Brighton to Havre by steam for the first time, by the steamboat MAJESTIC, which was built at Ramsgate, and had engines of 25 n.h.p.
As far as can be ascertained, the first steamship to run from Brighton to Dieppe was in 1824, and in that year it was announced in the Brighton newspaper that the powerful steam yacht RAPID would leave the Chain Pier Head on Saturday, 15th May, at 9.0 a.m. precisely, and continue to do so three times a week.
The first regular trader from Newhaven was a paddle steamer, named the MAGICIAN.
Later, in 1844, another steamer, the SWIFT, of 80 n.h.p., was also running the trip during the summer on Wednesdays and Saturdays from Brighton.
In June, 1825, the General Steam Navigation Company advertised that their fast sailing, first class steamer ECLIPSE, would leave Newhaven for Dieppe, calling at Brighton pier, when weather and circumstances would permit, every Tuesday and Saturday, and from Dieppe to Brighton and Newhaven every Monday and Thursday during the month. A writer, Mr. G. F. T. Merry, in "Sussex Notes and Queries,” published some years ago, in the “Southern Weekly News," said: — "I made my first voyage in the MOUNTAINEER from Shoreham to Dieppe, August 19th, 1835. The vessel stopped at the end of the Brighton Chain Pier to take in passengers, and the chief cabin fare was 15s. 0d. From 1835 to 1838 I was chiefly in Spain, where I served in the Carlist War, but on my return home, found that my friend the MOUNTAINEER had been wrecked in trying to enter Shoreham Harbour in a storm.”
According to the “Career of Don Carlos,” by the Baron de los Valles, Don Carlos crossed over from Brighton to Dieppe on 2nd July, 1834, en route to fight for his rights in the Basque Provinces of Spain, but as the name of the vessel is not given in the book, it cannot be stated with certainty that the MOUNTAINEER was the vessel in which Don Carlos crossed the Channel, though it is very probable.
In 1844 the MENAI, belonging to the General Steam Navigation Company, sailed from Kingston Wharf to Le Havre every Tuesday and Friday, and the same Company’s steamship MAGNET, sailed to Dieppe every Wednesday and Saturday, In the same year there was also a steamer the FAME, running on the Dieppe service, so there was a boat five days a week.
In 1847 the Brighton Railway formed a subsidiary company known as the Brighton and Continental Steam Packet Company, with the intention of starting a new service from Brighton.
Brighton, however, was a very unprotected departure and arrival station; and the Company not being able to come to terms with the Shoreham Harbour authorities, Newhaven was finally chosen as the base for the cross-channel operations.
The River Ouse at that time was little more than a tidal stream, fordable at low water within a mile of its mouth; but, after the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway opened the Lewes and Newhaven line on Sth December, 1847, by the constant employment of powerful dredgers, the channel was deepened and great improvements were made.
This company purchased three paddle steamers named BRIGHTON (I), NEWHAVEN and DIEPPE (I). They were built of mahogany and were fitted with oscillating engines. Cargo was carried as well as passengers. When Louis Philippe was expelled from France in February, 1848, all these three steamers were sent across on his behalf. Their mission, however, was not successful as the honour of carrying the fugitive king fell to the EXPRESS, a paddle steamer belonging to the South Western Steam Packet Company, which brought the king from Havre to Newhaven, arriving at the latter port on 3rd March, having embarked on the previous day.
At that time, it was contrary to law for a railway company to be also a shipowner and the South Eastern Railway in the latter part of 1850, took legal action, with the result that this service was completely stopped for some time and the Brighton Railway Company was mulcted in heavy fines. Further complications ensued when some of the railway company shareholders tested the legality of the advances made by the railway to the steam packet company. The result was that the latter company was called upon to repay the money and, being unable to do so, went into liquidation.
Owing to the suspension of the service, the three boats were sold. NEWHAVEN went to Scotland and the DIEPPE to Bermuda.
After this the General Steam Navigation Company to run a boat from Newhaven to Dieppe. This boat commenced running on 2nd May, 1849, and continued to do so for a short time.
Anticipating a large amount of extra traffic in connection with the London Exhibition of 1851 and unable to run steamers themselves, the Brighton Railway, in conjunction with the Paris and Dieppe Railway, took fresh steps to re-open the Newhaven-Dieppe route. They approached Mr. Maples, a shipbroker, who had boats running between Shoreham and Jersey.
It happened that in 1850, Messrs. W. Denny Brothers, of Dumbarton, had on their hands a lot of old river Clyde paddle steamers, formerly known as the Castle Fleet of Messrs. Burns, of Glasgow. An arrangement was made with Mr. Maples to enter upon a joint speculation in which the paddle steamers ROTHESAY CASTLE and CULLODEN were to be employed on the station, in conjunction with the AYRSHIRE LASSIE, an old Liverpool steamer which had for years been employed as a tug and excursion steamer along the North Coast of V/ales.
The route was opened by this last boat in April, 1851; the two other boats taking up the running in May. The passages were made mostly at night, as the boats were too slow to enable the journey from London to Paris or vice versa to be completed in the day.
The fares being much cheaper than by the South Eastern Railway route, the boats were well patronized, though the miseries endured by the deck passengers were very great, they being often landed more like drowned rats than human beings.
Complaints were continuous, especially from the French side, and it ended in the condemnation of the boats at the end of the season, the Railway Companies insisting on the shipping agents building new boats for the performance of the contract of seven years.
The ROTHESAY CASTLE and CULLODEN were bought back by Messrs. Denny, and the gold mania being at that time in full swing in Australia, they took the wheels off both the boats, rigged them as schooners and despatched them to Melbourne, where the CULLODEN arrived safely and sold for treble her value; but the ROTHESAY CASTLE got no further than Demerara, where she was sold for an “ old song,” and was wrecked shortly afterwards.
In the meantime the AQUILLA was chartered ; this vessel belonged to the North of Europe Steam Navigation Company and later to the Weymouth and Channel Islands Steam Packet Company.
THE PARIS (I) AND ROUEN (I).
In July, 1852, the PARIS, the first of the new vessels arrived at Newhaven, to be followed by the ROUEN, which arrived in September of the following year. The ROUEN was sent direct from London to Dieppe, to go on the passenger run, as she was very much wanted. At the time of her arrival, a strong north-easterly breeze was blowing, and as she was entering Dieppe, she struck one of the piers, and one of her paddle boxes and wheels was carried away. The PARIS was built at Port Glasgow and was fitted with engines of 120 h.p. The ROUEN was built on the Thames and had engines of 100 h.p. Her gross tonnage was 350. These two steamers with the DIEPPE were built to the order of Mr. Maples.
In 1855, these boats had new boilers, due to the bad treatment the first had received. During the Crimean war they were both used for a time in running the blockade.
In July, 1863, the PARIS and another steamer left St. Malo together, bound for Jersey - in those days the boats ran both to Jersey and Dieppe, one trip a week each - and, as a consequence, it resulted in a race. First one and then the other would forge ahead, and when they arrived off Jersey, the PARIS was about ten minutes ahead of her opponent. To enter St. Helier Harbour with safety, two white boards had to be kept in line; the pilot on board the PARIS, although they were a good bit open, thought he could manage to get her in, and kept on his course, but she was not above five minutes off when she struck on a rock ; the speed at which she was going carried her right over it, tearing out her bottom on the way, and she began to settle down head first, and was out of sight in four and a half minutes. The crew and some sixty passengers were, however, saved by her own boats and those of the following steamer.
It has been the misfortune at different times, for captains to mistake Treport for Dieppe, and one night the ROUEN actually went right between the piers before the mistake was discovered, upon which she was backed out again, and proceeded on her passage to Dieppe. The ROUEN was a very unfortunate boat with her paddle wheels, frequently breaking several of her arms, which were of a very light construction.
In 1853, the LONDON came from Glasgow to Newhaven, to the order of Mr. Maples, to take up her running. She was an iron steamer, with a clipper bow and bowsprit. Length 194 feet, 21 feet beam and 12 feet moulded depth, and a draught of 6 feet 6 inches, gross tonnage 341, horse power of engines 126. She did not remain very long on the service, being sold to an Italian firm after the Crimean War, and re-named GARIBALDI, eventually ending her career as a coal hulk in Italy.
Following the LONDON, came the DUNDROON CASTLE in 1853. On one of her return trips from Jersey, she experienced very severe weather and had to put into Portsmouth short of coal.
In 1855 the DIEPPE was added to the service. When, in 1851, the Railway Company arranged with Mr. Maples to run the steamers, it was for a period of seven years, and in the meanwhile the company endeavoured to obtain powers to own steamers. Not being successful, at the expiration of the contract, it was extended for another four years. During the second period powers were obtained—in 1863—to own steam vessels, and the old agreement with Mr. Maples (afterwards the firm of Maples and Morris) was terminated.
During the summer season of 1863, the PARIS, ROUEN and DIEPPE ran to the Channel Islands and St. Malo.
In 1856, the BRIGHTON was put on the service. She was a very fine boat, having been built at Jarrow. Over the forecastle, a hurricane or turtle-back deck was provided, which was considered a great innovation at the time. The BRIGHTON had five bulkheads. In 1858, she was sold to the Weymouth and Channel Islands Steam Packet Company.
This vessel was 193.5 feet long, 20.9 feet beam, and to feet deep; she was fitted with oscillating engines of 140 n.h.p., the two cylinders being 44 in. and 48 in., and carried a boiler pressure of 20 lb. to the square inch. Her registered tonnage was 180 net and 286 gross. At this period, the BRIGHTON was considered to be one of the fastest steamers running on the cross-Channel service.
Whilst the two following steamers were being built by Mr. J. Scott Russell, of London, he lent a boat named the WAVE QUEEN. This vessel had been built in 1852 for a gentleman in Belgium, but for some reason or other did not give satisfaction, so came back to England. She was an iron boat 210 feet long, having a 15 feet beam and engines of 80 n.h.p.
On one occasion she collided with the pier at the entrance to Newhaven Harbour, and had to remain there till the next tide, when she got off none the worse.
THE LYONS AND ORLEANS.
In 1856, Mr. J. Scott Russell built on the Thames two very fine iron paddle steamers named the LYONS and ORLEANS to the order of Messrs. Maple and Morris.
Their length overall was 189.2 feet, beam 21.8 feet, and depth moulded 9 feet 9 inches. Their registered tonnage was 170 tons and the gross 244 tons. The passenger accommodation consisted of thirty berths in the saloon, twenty in the first-class ladies cabin, twelve in the fore-cabin and twelve in the ladies’ second-class cabin. These vessels were built for speed, and frequently performed the passage in 4 hours 15 minutes. They were fitted with three bulkheads. The fastest passage then on record was made by the ORLEANS in 4 hours 8 minutes. The engines were of 160 n.h.p. and 455 i.h.p. The cylinders—two in number—were 48 inches diameter, and the stroke of the pistons 4 feet 6 inches; they were diagonal oscillating, working on one crank and fitted with one slide valve to each cylinder, one set of eccentric sheaves working tlie link motions of both engines. This arrangement was designed to economise space, but it was not a success in these boats. The paddle wheels were 15 feet diameter, having ii floats 7 feet 6 inches long.
They had two square boilers, the mean length being 8 feet IO inches, height 12 feet 3 inches, and the width 15 feet 9 inches. These boats cost ^12,314 each. As regards the hull, engines and wheels, they were of the same model as the famous GREAT EASTERN, built on the wave line theory, as were all Mr. Scott Russell’s boats. These two steamers were noted for their fine entrance.
In January, 1885, the LYONS was sold for £2,000, and the ORLEANS, in December, 1878, for £700.
There were no Sunday sailings at this time, but on a certain Sabbath in the summer of 1862, unprecedented excitement and activity reigned at Dieppe. The entire fleet of “padtilers” assembled there, ready to leave on the same tide to convey across to Newhaven a mammoth excursion comprising members of various French choral and musical societies. These travellers, gathered round their respective banners, crowded the decks of the steamers, and the weather being fortunately fine, and rival Sunday entertainments being non-existent in Newhaven, all the townsfolk turned out and thronged the river bank and pier to witness their arrival.
In 1863, Messrs. Caird & Co., of Greenock, built a paddle steamer named the ALEXANDRA, SO christened in honour of Princess Alexandra. Unlike the two previous paddle boats, she was built very much fuller forward, with a consequent decrease in speed. On 13th August, 1872, she made the run from Newhaven to Dieppe in 4 hours 52 minutes, which is about the fastest passage with which she was credited. Her tonnage was 369 gross and 99 net; her length was 204.5 feet, beam 23.7 feet, and depth it feet. Her engines, which were of light construction, had two oscillating cylinders 52 inches diameter, with a piston stroke of 57 inches; the n.h.p. was 170 and the i.h.p. 872. The engines made 28 revolutions per minute, and her speed was 11.25 knots.
She had two boilers and funnels, one forward and the other aft of the engine room, the boilers being of the rectangular type 9 feet o ’T inches long, 15 feet 10 inches high and 16 feet 9 inches wide, and carried a working pressure of 30 lbs. per square inch. The paddle wheels which were 16 feet diameter had nine wooden floats 7 feet 4 inches long by 2 feet 8 inches wide.
The passenger accommodation was 78 berths, having 25 in the saloon, 24 in the first class ladies’ cabin, ii in the fore cabin, and 18 in the second class ladies’ cabin. Her cost was ,£16,193.
The ALEXANDRA was tried on the Clyde in March, 1863, when she made two trips between the Cloch and Cumbrae lights, a distance of 15.74 miles. The first run was done in 57 minutes, giving a speed of 16.57 miles per hour. The time taken on the occasion of her trial trip between Newhaven and Dieppe, a distance of 74 nautical miles, was 4 hours 30 minutes; this time including a stoppage of several minutes due to a slight defect in one of the feed pumps.
The ALEXANDRA was a tolerably good sea boat, and one of the most handsome models afloat, having very pretty paddle boxes.
On 7th September, 1865, the ALEXANDRA ran ashore on the French coast at Pointe d’Ailly, a sharp and rocky point eight miles to the west of Dieppe. Fortunately no lives were lost, and after several weeks on the rocks she was got ofl and towed round to Havre, where a very large hole in her bottom was repaired. She was registered again in England in May, 1867.
In August, 1872, she was re-boilered and in August, 1883, was sold for the sum of £1,465 and put on the excursion traffic from Liverpool; in 1891 she was running from Milford Haven, and at a later period was purchased by the Hastings and St. Leonards Steam Boat Company, and ran from Hastings on excursion trips, when she was again registered at her old port of Newhaven. In 1893 the ALEXANDRA was again fitted with new boilers and also a new set of compound engines having cylinders 32 inches and 52 inches diameter, the piston stroke being 57 inches. The n.h.p. was 170. These alterations were carried out by the London and Glasgow Shipbuilding Company. When she was sold and put on the excursion traffic, a very spacious saloon was added to the main deck.
The illustration shows the ALEXANDRA in Newhaven Harbour, as she was when running as an excursion steamer from Hastings.
THE MARSEILLES AND BORDEAUX.'
In 1864 the fleet was increased by the arrival of the MARSEILLES, a boat built by Mr. C. Lungley, of Deptford. She was an iron ship, 213.9 ^^et ^3-4 beam and 11.3 feet deep. She was fitted with two-cylinder oscillating engines of 820 i.h.p., the cylinders being 52 inches in diameter, with a piston stroke of 57 inches. The engines drove a pair of feathering paddle wheels 17 feet diameter and made 32 revolutions per minute; her speed being 13 knots. Steam was supplied by two tubular boilers, one forward of the engines and the other aft, both 9 feet 2 inches long, 15 feet high and 16 feet ioj4 inches wide, the boiler pressure being 35 lb. per square inch. Each boiler had five furnaces and 434 tubes, giving a heating surface of 2165.72 square feet.
In September, 1865, the BORDEAUX came round to Newhaven from Deptford. She was practically a sister boat of the MARSEILLES, except that the lines were made rather finer forward in order to obtain greater speed, but there was very little difference between them. The BORDEAUX was one foot less in depth. When she was re-boilered in 1877, her two new boilers were slightly larger, being 9 feet 6 inches long, 15 feet 27^ inches high and II feet 10 inches wide, but the boiler pressure was decreased by 5 lb. Each boiler had four furnaces and 400 tubes, the heating surface being 2,228.10 square feet.
In the design of these two boats, carrying capacity and increased passenger accommodation was the prior consideration rather than high speed; nevertheless, they were fairly fast boats in all weathers, and were dry on deck and comfortable.
The trial trip of the MARSEILLES from Newhaven to Dieppe took place on the 17th December, 1864, ^nd time occupied in running the distance was 4 hours 35, minutes, there being a strong wind and a heavy swell.
The ALEXANDRA had left Newhaven ten minutes previously, in order to give an opportunity of comparing the merits of the two steamers. The MARSEILLES passed the ALEXANDRA in about mid-channel and arrived in Dieppe ten minutes before her, thus beating her by twenty minutes on the trip.
The return voyage was made on the day following in 5 hours IO minutes, the MARSEILLES leaving Dieppe at 9.50 a.m. and after having a very rough trip, arrived at Newhaven at 3 p.m.
The trial trip of the BORDEAUX was on the 5th September, 1S65, when she made three runs over the measured mile from Tilbury Pier to the Mouse Light, a distance of 24 miles. It is recorded that her speed on the first run was 12.85 knots, on the second 15.78 knots and on the third 12.08 knots. On the occasion of her trial trip from Newhaven to Dieppe on the 9th September, 1865, she left Newhaven at 11.15 a.m. with 18 lb. of steam in her boilers, the engines making about 38 revolutions per minute. With the exception of one of the trunnions running hot, which caused a delay of about 10 minutes, the engines worked remarkably well and the boilers gave a good supply of steam. The BORDEAUX reached Dieppe at 3.54 p.m., the time from pier to pier being 4 hours 39 minutes, notwithstanding a loss of IO minutes. The LYONS left Newhaven about five minutes previous to the BORDEAUX, and was passed in 25 minutes, and although the above mentioned stoppage was made by the BORDEAUX, which gave the LYONS a start of between two and three miles, the latter was again passed and beaten at Dieppe Pier by 15 minutes.
The BORDEAUX returned the next day, leaving Dieppe at 11.52 a.m, with 12 lb. of steam in her boilers and the engines making about 30 revolutions per minute. Throughout the return trip, there was some difficulty in keeping up the steam, owing to some of the furnaces leaking. The vessel arrived at Newhaven Pier at 4.56 p.m., the time occupied being 5 hours 4 minutes.
Mr. J. Scott Russell, the builder of the LYONS and ORLEANS, was disappointed with the result of the trip, and to settle the matter a second race was arranged a week or two afterwards between the ORLEANS and the BORDEAUX.
The two boats were taken outside the harbour at Newhaven and started fairly together. They kept almost level the whole way across until they got into smooth water the other side, when the ORLEANS went ahead and made Dieppe first by about five minutes.
In May, 1877, the BORDEAUX, as previously mentioned, was sent to Messrs. Maudslay’s on the Thames, and was fitted with new boilers, paddle wheels and cylinders, and also had a hurricane deck placed over the forecastle. She continued to run for some time, but prior to being purchased in 1890 by Messrs. J. H. Bull & Co. of Newhaven, she stood for some years above Newhaven Bridge. In December, 1894, she was broken up.
The MARSEILLES had new boilers put in in 1874, but she retained her original cylinders until she was sold in May, 1885, to a firm that employed her on the Liverpool excursion traffic; she was finally broken up in 1891.
During the summer of 1867, a two-deck Scotch boat, the STAFFA, fitted with oscillating paddle engines, ran on the service, to cope with the extra traffic caused by the Paris Exhibition. She was originally chartered from Glasgow in January, 1867, to ^^n on the Honfleur and Jersey trade from Littlehampton.
THE PARIS (II).
In 1875, the Brighton Company received the PARIS from Messrs. J. Elder & Co.; she was what might be termed the forerunner of the more modern type of boat. Her cost was ^25,796.
Her length was 220 feet, beam 25.2 feet, and depth II feet. Her registered tonnage was 282.68 tons and the gross 483.47 tons.
The engines were compound oscillating, the piston diameter of the h.p. cylinder being 41 inches and that of the l.p. cylinder 72 inches diameter, the piston stroke being 60 inches. Her indicated h.p. was 775 and her speed 13 knots, the engines making 31 revolutions per minute. She had two circular boilers 13 feet 7 inches diameter and they were 8 feet 3 inches long with a surface condenser. The Working pressure was 60 lb per square inch.
At that time the PARIS was superior to anything at Newhaven and was a splendid sea boat, but was very deficient in speed. Numerous alterations were made to the paddle wheels, but all to little purpose. The wheels were 17 feet in diameter and had, when new, flat floats. About 1883 they were replaced by steel curved ones, similar to the subsequent steamers.
On the 3rd March, 1888, the PARIS, when thirteen years old, made the passage in 4 hours 50 minutes, that being the only occasion she ever accomplished it under five hours.
In 1888 she was purchased by the Fairfield Shipbuilding Company and re-conditioned, having new boilers pressed to 80 lb. per square inch. Two years later they sold her to a Mr. Barnwell, who ran her on the North Wales excursion traffic from Liverpool as the FLAMINGO. In 1892 she was again sold—this time to Herr Ballin, the shipowner of Hamburg—and then traded between that port and Heligoland.
In 1895 Mr. Barnwell bought her back and re-sold her in 1897 to Mr. W. M. Rhodes, who re-named her LA BELGIQUE and ran her for a season from Tilbury to Ostend. Even then the vicissitudes of this veteran had not come to an end for in 1902 she was purchased by D. MacBrayne & Co. of Glasgow and christened for the fourth time GLENDALE. In 1905 this interesting boat was wrecked.
THE BRIGHTON (III) AND VICTORIA.
Expecting a considerable amount of extra passenger traffic with the Paris Exhibition of 1878, two sister ships, the BRIGHTON (III) and the VICTORIA, were ordered from Messrs. John Elder & Co. of Govan, both boats arriving at Newhaven in the early part of that year.
The design of these boats embraced a radical departure from the prevailing practice of that date. They were the first boats to be built of Siemens-Martin steel, and the boilers also were of the same material. The following were the principal dimensions: —Length between perpendiculars 221.3 feet, breadth 27.7 feet, and depth 10.6 feet. The paddle wheels were 17 feet in diameter, and the engines were on the diagonal compound principle; the high pressure cylinder, 48 inches diameter, being in a horizontal position, while the low pressure one, 83 inches diameter, was inclined at an angle of 67 degrees; both had a piston stroke 5 feet, the two cranks being 18 inches apart, connected by a drag link. They were fitted with a steam and oil cylinder reversing gear. Steam was supplied at 80 lb. pressure per square inch by four single-ended two-furnaced circular boilers, two placed before and two abaft the engines. Their tonnage was 566 gross, and 197 net.
The BRIGHTON and VICTORIA were the first boats running out of Newhaven with steam steering gear fitted on their bridges. They were handsome boats, and had hurricane decks forward of the engines.
The BRIGHTON, on her introduction to die port of Dieppe, was rather unfortunate, as on entering she ran into the pier.
One of the BRIGHTON'S fastest passages was on 22nd November, 1891, when she made the run in 3 hours 45 minutes, after having had new boilers fitted. One foggy night in 1893 she, for the second time, ran into the pier at Dieppe, and this time she sank just inside the harbour. She was then sold to a French broker, who repaired her and sold her to a British firm. In the summer of 1896, the BRIGHTON was trading between Swansea and Ilfracombe and Lundy Island, still under her old name, being then owned by Pockett’s Bristol Channel Steam Packet Company,
During the Great War she was used as a mine-layer near the Dardanelles.
The VICTORIA had a rather unfortunate career. On her first arrival at Newhaven, after coming down from Glasgow, she ran into the pier and then, when setting out on her first trip across the Channel, she ran aground just after leaving Newhaven on an ebb tide and had to remain there until lightened. On a later occasion she ran aground off Rottingdean.
On the 13th April, 1887, the VICTORIA v/ent ashore in a fog at Pointe d’Ailly, within forty yards of the spot where the ALEXANDRA ran aground about twenty years earlier.
How the officers successfully navigated these crossChannel services in foggy weather was a continual wonder to all who made the trip under those conditions.
Excepting the Southampton-Havre route and, of course, Dover, all the harbours from which the Continental traffic was conducted were bad. The vessels crept out when the tide had risen high enough to permit their exit, then steamed fair across the most crowded marine highway in the world until they gained the opposite coast, where they had to grope for the narrow entrances of the shallow basins that served as harbours. In the case of the Dieppe boats a captain had to steer by the compass for some four hours across the fickle Channel currents and, if he did not sight the correct lights immediatelv he made the coast, he had to run parallel to the shore until he did.
The VICTORIA had left Newhaven the previous evening and, the weather becoming foggy, the question arose as to whether Dieppe lay to eastward or to westward of the ship. To the west of Dieppe is the light of Pointe d’Ailly, but the fog was so dense as to entirely obscure its beam; at the lighthouse, too, there was a fog-horn which could be heard at a considerable distance but, owing to some mischance, it was not heard and the captain, consequently, concluded that he was not in the vicinity of the lighthouse. He, therefore, proceeded slowly, instructing the chief engineer to notify him when she had made 8,800 revolutions, as by that time she should be making the coast. The engines having made the requisite number, the chief engineer reported to the bridge, when almost immediately the ship struck the rocks and water poured into the fore-stokehold through a hole in her bottom. The boats were swung out, and soon loaded with passengers, but in lowering one of them, a shawl caught in the davit gear, capsizing the boat, and precipitating its occupants into the water, with the result of the loss of 19 lives. The other boats were successfully launched and landed their occupants at St. Marguerite, Various attempts were made during the following weeks to refloat her, but they were unsuccessful, as rough weather set in, and she gradually broke up.
A singular incident occurred in connection with this disaster. There was a cargo of crepe on board, which washed out of the holds, and the rise and fall of the tide spread it all over her until the complete boat was draped in black from stem to stern, as well as the masts.
THE BRITTANY AND NORMANDY.
The longer sea journey between Newhaven and Dieppe as compared with that of the rival routes between London and Paris made it desirable to provide boats with increased speed and better passenger accommodation; and in 1882 two paddle steamers named BRITTANY and NORMANDY were ordered from the Fairfield Shipbuilding Company, the successors of the late John Elder & Co. at Govan. These vessels were again sister ships and were very similar to the BRIGHTON and the VICTORIA, except that they were a little longer. They were 231 feet long, beam 27.7 feet and a depth of 10.6 feet; the gross tonnage was 579. They were a decided improvement on their two predecessors, their engines developing a higher power, as the working steam pressure was 110 lb. per square inch instead of 80 lb. and the revolutions 48 in place of 36 per minute. Although the h.p. cylinders were two inches less in diameter, namely 46 inches, the l.p. cylinders and stroke remained the same. Each engine drove a separate crank, being coupled at right angles by a drag link. The n.h.p. was 445.
Although the paddle wheels were the same diameter (17 feet) as the two previous boats, an increased speed of 1.5 knots was obtained, largely through die use of a new type of paddle wheel designed and patented by Mr. W. Stroudley, the Locomotive and Marine Engineer of the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway.
Mr. Stroudley’s feathering paddle wheel, as fitted to the Newhaven steamers, is shown on a folding plate. It had the floats arranged to move so that they could enter and leave the water in a nearly vertical position. The floats were hung, and turned on pins fixed on the side of the wheel, to which arms were attached, connected by radius rods, to an eccentric strap, which worked loose on a feathering stud fixed in a position eccentric to the wheel, on the outer sponson on the side of the ship. All the radius rods were jointed by pins to the boss except one, the driving eccentric-rod, which was bolted rigidly to the eccentric strap and drove the strap round the feathering-stud. By this arrangement the floats were so governed by the eccentric that their faces, while immersed, were nearly at right angles to the surface of the water, and very little power was lost, as the force applied to the float was nearly all expended in direct fore-and-aft thrust on the water.
The centre of the eccentric-strap and the feathering-stud was placed forward, or in advance of the paddle shaft, and a little below a horizontal line with the centre of the paddle shaft, in which the feathering-stud was 1.75 inches below the line of the paddle shaft. A special feature of the Stroudley wheel was the curvature given to the floats, which enabled them to enter at a better angle and tended to prevent the back action on leaving the water—thus reducing the evil effects resulting from the circumstance that every part of the wheels below the centre-line of the shaft had a different forward velocity.
These paddle wheels did not lift the water at the back when running at full speed; thus the paddle box was kept free of water, the box only containing a slight mist. There were three floats immersed in each wheel, giving an area of 206.64 square feet. The floats were curved to a radius of 8 feet 6 inches and had angle flanges 4 inches deep at each end.
In 1880, the BRIGHTON and VICTORIA had new paddle wheels fitted with these patent floats. Also the PRINCESS ELISABETH and subsequent boats of the Zeeland Company were fitted with these curved floats, with the result that the PRINCESS ELISABETH, which was the first of the Zeeland boats to be so fitted, attained a speed of two knots per hour in excess of the contract speed.
The BRITTANY and NORMANDY had four boilers, two forward and two abaft of the decks forward.
The fastest trip of the two boats was made by the NORMANDY in July, 1885, in 3 hours 20 minutes, the BRITTANY having accomplished the trip the previous month in 3 hours 37 minutes.
During a dense fog on the 24th June, 1891, the NORMANDY went ashore on the Holywell Rocks off Beachy Head within 150 yards of the shore and had to remain there several hours. After being refloated at high tide, she was brought into Newhaven and patched up, and was then sent to London for repairs.
In 1893 the BRITTANY was sent to Glasgow and was fitted with new boilers.
In March, 1902, the BRITTANY and NORMANDY were purchased by a company known as the Liverpool and Douglas Steamers, Limited, which was formed in 1899 to run in opposition to the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company. This opposition company was run at a heavy loss, and came to an end in December, 1902.
In June, 1904, the BRITTANY was sold to Messrs. T. W. Ward and dismantled; the NORMANDY at this date was owned by Mr. J. R. Richards,
THE ROUEN (II) AND PARIS (III).
In preparation for the Paris Exhibition of 1889 and with the desire to further shorten the time taken on the Dieppe route, the Brighton Railway Company placed another order with the Fairfield Shipbuilding Company for two more sister ships, the ROUEN and the PARIS, the former arriving in June, 1888, and the latter in July, 1888. These two ships were the last paddle boats constructed for this service.
In 1891, the Western Railway of France, being a joint owner of the boats on the Newhaven-Dieppe route, added to the service a twin-screw steamer named the SEINE, the first French built boat on this route.
The ROUEN and PARIS, like their predecessors, had two pole masts and two rakish funnels (the latter being much larger in diameter than the previous boats), long hurricane decks forward, and—like the four previous boats—very commodious saloons on deck. They were considered to be very handsome craft, eminently typical of the high-speed ship, and they held their own with any steamer crossing the English Channel. They were licensed to carry 706 passengers each.
Both boats were 250 feet long, 29 feet beam and 15 feet deep, fitted with compound diagonal engines, having h.p. cylinders 46 inches diameter, l.p. cylinders 83 inches, and piston stroke 72 inches. The diameter of the paddle wheels was retained at 17 feet; and making 50 revolutions per minute gave them a speed of 19.25 knots. Steam was supplied by four cylindrical boilers, 13 feet diameter, working at a pressure of no lb. per square inch.
Amongst the chief features in the two boats were the use of forced draught, the promenade and saloon decks were continuous, the officers were berthed on the main deck, and there were very great improvements in the cabin arrangements.
A feature peculiar to the later Newhaven boats was that they did not have what is generally known as the navigating bridge, the wheel house being situated on the promenade deck and a portion being roped off for the navigating officers when entering or leaving port.
The BRITTANY in 1893 was altered and brought into line with the PARIS and ROUEN.
One of the fastest trips made by these boats was when the PARIS, on the 11th September, 1888, accomplished the run in 3 hours 25 minutes, and on the day following, the ROUEN made the run in 3 hours 20 minutes.
It is worthy of record that the late William Stroudley, the Locomotive Engineer of the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway, was largely responsible for the design of the engines of these two very fine steamers.
The Newhaven boats, like most cross channel steamers, had their mishaps. The ROUEN on coming round from Govan in 1888, unfortunately had to put into Holyhead with her paddle wheels damaged. After repair, she got under weigh and had to put into Plymouth with a similar mishap. When she reached Newhaven, her wheels were taken to pieces and sent to Glasgow for alterations to the floats.
On her first trip across to Dieppe, she encountered very bad weather and instead of doing the passage in just over three hours, it took her nearly five hours.
In January, 1890, during a very severe gale, the PARIS met with a rather serious mishap to one of her paddle wheels on a run home from Dieppe. Some of the floats broke away and hung loose, striking the hull of the ship. The captain, fearing that grave damage would be done, gave orders to stop the engines, with the result that the PARIS gradually drifted towards the coast; but by skilful seamanship she was kept clear, drifting up the Channel for a considerable time, and eventually being brought into Dover, having been approximately sixty hours adrift in the Channel.
On an occasion in 1897, the ROUEN, bound for Newhaven had the misfortune to run ashore. During the trip across the Channel, the weather was not very tliick, lights being discernible nearly a mile off. On nearing the English coast, however, the ROUEN ran into a very thick, impenetrable fog. Captain Banks, one of the most experienced and careful captains in the service, immediately slowed down and gave instructions for taking soundings with the lead. Knowing that he was nearing land, he was on the look out for Beachy Head and stopped his vessel: soundings were taken and a depth of only fathoms was indicated.
Captain Banks then proceeded to steer the ROUEN off the land and in doing so she grounded near Crowlink, a spot three or four miles to the east of Seaford.
The ROUEN, however, floated ofl with the flowing tide and she steamed into Newhaven four hours late. She was leaking badly, but the pumps kept the water down.
In March, 1903, the ROUEN was sold to Messrs. J. W. and R. P. Little, of Barrow, and re-named DUCHESS OF BUCCLEUCH and ran between Barrow and Douglas (I.M.); in December, 1912, the PARIS was purchased by the Shipping Federation, and in 1924 was broken up.
As previously mentioned, subsequent boats for this service were of the twin-screw type.