Builders: Thames Iron Works Co, London 1882
Propulsion type: Paddle, simple diagonal oscillating
Owner: London Chatham & Dover Railway, Northern Railway of France.
Service dates: 1882-1899
Tonnage: Gross 1197
Comments: .
PS Invicta was the last of the Thames built channel steamers and boasted an operating speed of 18.5 knots from her Maudsley, Son & Field engines. In 1896 she was chartered by the Northern Railway of France for whom she sailed for two years before being broken up in 1899. Whilst this does not seem a long time for her to be in service, there was such a fast pace of development in shipbuilding at that time that this was not unusual for a cross channel steamer.
The picture above comes from the Illustrated London News of 5 May 1888 and records an incident suffered by Invicta a few days earlier. The "ILN" records:
An incident, which has proved, happily, less disastrous than was thought for some days, occurred on Monday, April 23, to the mail-packet Invicta, one of the London & Chatham Company's fleet of steamers, running between Dover and Calais. The Invicta, one of the fastest and best boats in the service, was taking her turn in running the Brussels express, or mid-day service between London, Paris and Brussels. She crossed from Dover to Calais at mid-day, and after the arrival of the Brussels and Paris mail-trains, a little before four o'clock, proceeded with 143 passengers and the mails to steam out of the harbour. She had only just cleared the mouth of the harbour when she took the ground, and every effort of the captain and his crew to move her was unsuccessful. The vessel had struck upon the sand bar which forms rapidly along the shore with an easterly wind. The tide had not been long flowing, and as it rose she drifted further in-shore and to the westward. Fortunately there was very little wind; but a rolling sea was on, and it broke through some of the port-holes on the starboard side and dashed over the deck, making it very uncomfortable for the passengers. Several attempts were made by the mail-packet Wave to tow the vessel off. A life-boat belonging to the Invicta and containing five of her crew was overturned by the sea while they were rowing with a tow-rope to the Wave. Life-buoys and lines were thrown from the ship, but unfortunately one man was drowned. Shortly after mid-night, the tide left the vessel sufficiently to enable the passengers to walk ashore across the sand, a mile or a mile and a half, to another steamer, and this conveyed them in safety to Dover with fatigue parties, and efforts were made to tow the vessel off as soon as she had been overhauled. She was lying a long way in, and rolled about a good deal on the sand. At last, on Sunday, April 29, the Invicta was got off and floated, and it was found that she had sustained no material damage. She was towed into the harbour, and would be able, in a few days, to recommence her ordinary trips between Dover & Calais.