PS Normandy

PS ''Normandy'' was a British paddle-wheel mail steamer operating on the Southampton - Guernsey - Jersey route which, on a night of dense fog, sank 20 miles from The Needles in the English Channel in the early morning of 17 March 1870 after colliding at around 03:30 with steamship ''Mary'', a propeller steamer carrying 500 tons of maize from Odessa to London via Gibraltar.Annual Registe
March 1870, XVII Fatal accident to a Channel Islands Steamer
Dodsley, 1871, p. 26-29

The PS ''Normandy,'' built in 1863, was operated by th
Steam Packet Company
at the time a subsidiary of the London and South-West Railway Co. On the night of 16 March 1870, she shipped anchor in Southampton just before midnight being due in Jersey some 12 hours later. The ship was operating under an agreement between the Steam Packet Company and the British government for the carriage of Her Majesty’s mail to the Channel Isles. The agreement stated that vessels undertaking this duty were to make ‘the best of their way’ on the run and stop only for ‘the saving of life’. Late arrival was penalised by a charge £50 an hour. Until the night of 16 – 17 March 1870, the PS ''Normandy'' had never defaulted on its contractual obligations.

On the bridge of the ''Mary'' at the time of the collision, were Mr Griggs, the first mate and the captain of the vessel, Captain Stranach, together with the helmsman.

Incident summary

''Normandy'' was captained by Captain Henry Beckford Harvey and carried 28 crewmen, including chief mate J. Ockleford, an experienced officer with more than 16 years in the employ of the Company, the stewardess, Mary Charlotte Wilson and 31 passengers, of which 12 were women.

The principal cause of the collision was that the ''Mary'' was covered by the edge of a dense bank of fog and was hidden from the view of the officers on the bridge of the ''Normandy'' which was, until the moment of the collision, under a clear sky. ''Mary'' was moving at less than 2 knots and was sounding her fog-horns, her crew conscious of the precariousness of the situation.

Just after 0339, the officers on both ships became aware of each other’s presence. It was, however, too late to change course and, despite the rapid and almost simultaneous orders issued by Mr Ockleford on the ''Normandy'' and Captain Stranach on the ''Mary'', the ''Normandy'' passed in front of the ''Mary'' which connected with her side just astern of her starboard paddle wheel causing extensive damage and carrying off the starboard lifeboat. As the momentum of the two ships was lost, the ''Normandy'' immediately began to take on water.

After the collision, Captain Harvey ordered the two remaining portside lifeboats to be launchedNautical magazine, Volume 39
Nautical topics of the day
Brown, Son and Ferguson, 1870 p.215-217 and ensured that all the women were placed on board first. There was no more room for those who remained onboard the ''Normandy''.

One of the rescued passengers was later to comment, ‘The Captain behaved with the greatest coolness and judgement under such trying circumstances.  All the gentlemen stood back and made no attempt to get into the boats until the ladies were in them. During the whole occurrence extraordinary order and quietness prevailed, and the greatest fortitude was shown. I last saw Captain Harvey on the bridge, giving orders for the management of the boats and engines.’

One lifeboat was launched from the ''Mary'' but did not reach the ''Normandy'' as Mr Andrews, the second mate of the ''Mary'' who was in command of the lifeboat sent to search for those left on the ''Normandy'', did not continue for fear that the ''Mary'' herself was in danger of sinking.

Although the ruling of the official enquiry was that the ''Normand''y was at fault, the actions and the heroism of Captain Harvey, who died after having ensured that the passengers would be first to abandon the ship, was strenuously defended and praised by Victor Hugo, who also recommended that London and South Western Railway equip its ships with watertight bulkheads, sufficient life jackets, and floating lights.

Court ruling

The Greenwich Police Court judged on 11 April 1870 that ''Normandy'' was found to have infringed Articles 14 and 15 of the Regulations for Preventing Disasters at Sea and "noted with dissatisfaction" the conduct of the second mate of ''Mary'' for returning to ''Mary'' with a lifeboat without reaching ''Normandy''.

Monument in St. Helier

A monument to the crew of ''Normandy'' stands at Saint Helier on Jersey. The inscription on the monument reads:

Harvey

To noble heroism
Normandy
Lost by collision in Channel in a fog

H. B. Harvey - Commander
J. Ockleford - Chief Mate
R. Cocks C. Marsham - Engineers
P. Richardson - Carpenter
J. Coleman H. Hoskins
J. Wadmore - Seamen
A. Clement - Boy
J. Allen G. Cadick J. Head
W. Stairs H. Waller - Firemen
G. Rolp W. Rolp - Trimmers
Giving up boats to passengers
stood by their sinking ship and
sank with her at early morn
March 17.1870
Erected by the
Foresters of JerseyAccording to the Nautical Magazine, Captain Harvey was a member of the **Ancient Order of Foresters

Notes

{{DEFAULTSORT:Normandy
Paddle steamers of the United Kingdom
1863 ships
Maritime incidents in the United Kingdom
History of Guernsey
Shipwrecks in the English Channel
Maritime incidents in March 1870