LOSS   OF   THE   "CAPTAIN".

TURRET   SHIP.

Nothing shows better how the sad news of the loss of this noble ship was felt throughout the country than the fact that the tidings so stunned us all that we heard not—cared not to hear,—the din of the Continental war.   

The finest ship we had, and the most formidable one probably afloat, gone down in a moment, with her crew of as fine fellows as ever trod a deck, compels us to realise how soon our strength may be turned into weakness.    Gone down, with the brain that designed her on board—with men who could and would have worked her matchless powers to destroy effectually any enemy that would have dared to threaten our coast; gone down, when after the toils and tossings of the day they had signalled "good night," to their companion ships, and folded themselves in their hammocks to sleep—to die!

Brave five-hundred! your country grudges you not the expensive coffin which  winds and waves have lowered into a grave undug and unmarked.    Brave men! we shall not meet you till the sea gives up her dead; but the prayer which the sea waves washed from your dying lips was heard by Him who holds the waters in the hollow of his hand.  

We trust the country will know how to interpret, the last wishes of these men—wishes not committed to any papers in our keeping, and flashed not, as brief and final words, along any wires to "head quarters."   For our poor fellows we can do nothing but—aye, that but is all they meant—viz., "take care of the women and children."   The motive is good, the intended action is kind,—very kind—which would call us by the strains of music to express practically our sympathy with the sorrowing families of our brave men.    But we venture to suggest that it is not the best way to go to work. No doubt in many senses what does best is best; but we don't set a high value on the charity whose heart strings refuse to quiver and respond unless some cunning minstrel can be found to touch them. Really this does not seem to be the thing just at present.

Let us look fairly at the matter. All official technical talk apart, the "Captain" was an experiment; picked men were found to man her, and make her the country’s boast. They have lost their lives in furtherance of the interests of naval warfare, and their country ought to see to their poor wives, and children, and the desolate mothers.

This is no common catastrophe! ordinary war-ships were caught in the same gale, and rode it, with, little or no damage. It is not the fault of their ill-fated comrades on board the "Captain” that she did not survive that night of storm. We repeat it_, they have lost their lives in helping to perfect a national experiment, -  not technically perhaps, but none the less really - and it is not quite the time for "concert" liberality, and house to house contributions. Let the country say that red-tape-regulation money wont meet such a case as this. Let us say to the Government, `these men have given themselves for us; be sure ye look sifter the women and children! Don^’t let them ask in vain for bread ; do the very best you can for those they loved, as a tribute to their memories.^’ That best will be but a poor compensation for the warm hearts which can never return.

The ship was designed by Capt. Cowper Coles, and named after the old " Captain," 74 guns, which was commanded by Nelson at the battle of St., Vincent, on the 14th of February, 1797: from which he boarded and took the "San Joseph,” 112 guns, and the ^“Nicholas," 84 guns. This old ship was what was called a 74 gun 24 pounder, of 1800 tons burden, carrying four 82 pounder carronades on the upper deck; the rest of her guns being 24, 18, and 9 pounders; whilst the new "Captain" carries only 6 guns, four of which are 600 pounders, two in each turret, weighing 25 tons each, and two 7 inch 6½ tons mounted on the poop and forecastle; from which it may be gathered that one of her 600 pounds shot weighs as much as one broadside thrown by the old  " Captain."

H.M.S. "Captain" was designed for a sea-going turret cruiser, and is built in four water-tight com­partments. Each turret has a compartment to itself, containing its engine, magazine, and shot and shell complete. Her armour plates are 8, 10, and 11½ in. in thickness; and her dimensions are—length, 335 feet; breadth, 53 ft, 3 in.; 4_,272 tons, and 900 horse power. She is fully rigged with Capt. Coles’ tripod iron masts, spreading the large area of canvas 33,000 square feet under all sail. She, in company with the ^“Monarch " and " Volage," in her first cruise to the rendezvous, off Cape Finisterre in May, 1870 (where she joined the Channel Fleet, under the command of Vice-Admiral Symonds, C.B.) when firing at a target in a gale, behaved most beautifully. The ^“Minotaur" flag-ship steamed close, to watch the shot. The first shot (1,000 yards) dropped in the water close to the target; and the third knocked it over, when the Admiral made signals—"Well done Captain!”

This noble ship was commissioned at Portsmouth in April last, had a complement of 377 officers and men, 40 boys, and 75 marines; and although some of her crew were in hospital at Stonehouse at the time she foundered, their absence was compensated for by the supernumeraries she had on board. She was built under Capt. Coles’ direction (in order that he might have an opportunity of shewing what he considered to be a real turret ship) in the yard of Messrs. Laird, at Birkenhead.

The great peculiarity of the ship, and which caused so much interest to be displayed in her whilst she was lying at Devonport, was that her main deck was nearly open throughout, and the apparently insigni­ficant appearance of the turrets—the portion on which all her capabilities as a fighting vessel depended. The two turrets stood free of everything, and were at either end of the deck-house, being between it and the poop at one end, and the forecastle on the other. Above this, and resting on the poop and fore­castle, was the hurricane deck, which ran the whole length of the vessel, but was many feet narrower than the main deck, The working arrangements of the vessel were carried on on this deck ; and the masts, in consequence of its narrowness, were supported by tripods instead of stays.

When in action, the "Captain" would be sunk until the water was nearly level with her main deck; and then, with the exception of the six feet of turrets, no vital part of the vessel would be seen; for the hurricane deck, poop, and forecastle could be shot away without greatly jeopardizing the vessel. Most of the crew, too, would be safe from shot, being enabled to be below the level of the water, and then be able to navigate and work the vessel efficiently with the steam appliances with which she was fitted for that purpose.

The turrets were each 24 feet in diameter and 20 feet high_, and had (mounted on slides) two huge 25 ton Frazer guns lying parallel, and pointing in the same direction. The sides of the turrets were 2ft. 3in. thick; the armour plates on the port-hole sides being 10½ in. thick and 8½ in. round the other side, which would never (under ordinary circum­stances) face the enemy. The turrets revolved by the aid of steam, enabling the guns to be brought to bear in any direction, taking a range of 240 degrees. The guns fired Palliser's chilled shot of 600 lbs.; Shrapnell shell, 585 lbs., and 14½ lbs. bursting charge; and the common shell, 460 lbs., with a bursting charge of 35 lbs. The charges used were 70 lbs, of powder as a battering charge, 50 lbs, a full charge, and 30 lbs. a reduced charge. Each gun was worked by 30 men, all of whom had separate posts assigned to them.

At 3 p.m. on August 5th, the Portsmouth and Ply­mouth squadrons of the Channel Fleet formed into two columns, which were composed of the following ships :—" Minotaur," " Agincourt," “ Inconstant” "Northumberland," "Monarch,” "Hercules," "Warrior,” ^“Captain,” ^“Bristol,” and "Bellcrophon." At 4 p.m. they sailed for Gibraltar. They were joined by the “Lord Warden” from which was despatched Admiral Milne's telegram and letter, announcing the sad news that the "Captain" had

FOUNDERED.

The despatch of Admiral Milne is dated the 7th inst., "off Cape Finisterre;" and it appears that the great ship was steaming through a gale with the rest of the fleet, under the Admiral's eye, between mid­night and daybreak. There were eleven ships at night and only ten in the morning. “At 1.15 a.m.,” admiral Milne tells us, ^“she was on the `Lord Warden's’ lee quarter, about six points abaft the beam. From that time until about 1.30 a.m. I constantly watched the ship: her topsails were either close reefed or on the lap: her foresail was close up, the mainsail having been furled at 5.30 p.m.; but I could not see any fore and aft set. She was heeling over a good deal to starboards with the wind on her port side. Her red bow light was all this time clearly seen. Some minutes after I again looked for her light, but it was thick with rain, and the light was no longer visible.^” The squalls and rain were at that time very heavy; but in three-quarters of an hour the wind had gone round to the north-west, the stars and the setting moon came out clear, but no large ship was seen where the "Captain" had been, although the lights of some others were visible far­ther off.

At daybreak the "Captain” was nowhere in sight. Search was made, and the wide horizon scanned for information about her, but there was no sign of her existence. Later in the day the Monarch picked up a top-gallant yard of the missing vessel; then the "Lord Warden" picked up another, with sails bent; then some studding-sail booms which had belonged to her; and at length the "Psyche” joined the fleet at sunset, and reported that she had passed two ship's cutters floating bottom upwards, together with the hurricane-deck of a steamer. It was then only then certain that the “Captain” had disappeared when the Admiral first missed her. Between half-past one and a quarter-past two on Wednesday morning the 7th inst, she must have heeled over in a squall and gone down without a sign.

The following composed the officers, as represented in latest edition of the Navy List:—

Captain Hugh Talbot Burgoyne, V.C.
Commander Richard Sheepshanks
Lieutenant Charlca Giffard
            ,,                        F.B. Renshaw
             ,,          R. P. Purdon
        ,,       R.F. Castle
           ,,         E. W. F. Boxer

Chaplain and Naval-Instructor Rev. J.S. Powles

Staff Commander Robert J. C. Grant

Paymaster Julian A. Messum

Assistant-Paymaster Richard Cornish

„                         „         Arnold West
Chief-Engineer George Rock
Staff Surgeon Matthew Burton M.D.
Surgeon Robert Purvis

Acting-Assistant-Surgeon John Ryan
 Engineer  Henry H. Mothersole
,        Wm G. Moreton
„        Peter Baldwin

,,    George H. Barnes

,,     John H. Willis

Sub-Lieutenant Edward P. Hume
_1t             Lord Lewis Gordon
„              H. F. Murray
„             Douglas E.D. Curry
„             Alex K. B. Granville
_ft             Arthur O. R. B. Tornan
„             Chas. E. Goldsmith
Nav. Sub-Lieutenant Arthur G Tregaskis
Midshipman Gerald W. Trevor

„                     Leonard G. E. Childers
„           W. S. Taylor
_n            Allan C. T. Mann
_ff           Honorable Arthur T. N. Baring
„           Henry W. Gordon
_t>           Alfred A. Ashington
„           Honorable Wm. R. Herbert
Assistant Engineer 1st class George P. Gardiner

Assistant Engineer 1st class Fredk. J. Baon
„                                               Thos. W. Curtis
Assistant Engineer 2nd class Alfred Parkis
Second Captain R.M.A. Richard A. Gorges

Naval Cadet Emund D. Rydcr

_n         Edward G. Goodfellow
Gunner 2nd class James May
Bosun 2nd class Robert Davie
Carpenter 2nd class Charles Dyer
Assistant Clerk Wm. V. R. Heugh
„                                       Alfred W. Glanville

The official list of survivors, as furnished to us by the courtesy of Admiralty authorities at Devonport.

James May, gunner second class

James Ellis, gunner's mate

 Lewis Werry, captain fore top

James Harvey, second captain of  forecastle

George Bride, coxswain of Pinnace Charles Tregenan_t leading seaman John  Heard, A.B,

Robert Herd, A.B.

Wm. Lawrence, A. B.

David Dryburgh, A.B,

John Walker A.B.

James Freeman Ord.

Hcnry Grange_t Ord.

Richard Tomlinson, Ord

Thomas Kernan_t Ord.

Francis Merryman, first-class boy James Saunders, ditto

John Gribble, ditto

Among the officers and men who have perished is Mr. Arthur Gilbert Trcgaskis, sub-lieutenant, who belongs to the ancient West Cornwall family of that name. Mr. Tregaskis took part in the Abyssinian expedition whilst serving on board the screw frigate Octavia. His principal duties were to pilot transports up the intricate and unsurveyed parts of the Red Sea,

About one-third of the crew of the Captain came from Devonport, and James Ellis, gunner’s mate, Lewis Werry, captain of the foretop, and George Bride, coxswain of the pinnace, who are saved, all served on board the gunnery ship Cambridge, at Devonport, Francis Merryman, first class boy, who was also saved, hailed from Devonport as well. But there are in this neighbourhood many relatives of officers or men who have fallen a sacrifice to Captain Coles’ noble but ill-fated experiment. Among them are near relatives of Commander Sheepshanks and his cousin Lieutenant Castle.

The storm in which the Captain foundered appears to have been one of unusual danger, on account of its suddenness as well as its severity. Heavy weather there had been all the evening, but of those who perished probably few had any serious apprehensions as to their safety, and in all probability a large pro­portion were asleep when their fate came upon them as a lightning stroke, The captain of a mail steamer, which must have been within a few miles of the Captain at the time of the accident, thus describes the storm:—"On the 5^th_, off Cape St. Vincent, she spoke her Majesty’s ships Prince Consort, Royal Oak, and another war vessel, name unknown, all bound south. On the 6th she experienced a very severe S.W. gale, increasing towards midnight. At 2 a.m. on the 7th, a gale suddenly shifted to N.N.W., in­creasing in violence to 3.30, the barometer falling to 29.38. At daybreak the weather moderated, when the Tanjore passed through the British fleet of ten sail, and hove to for the Agincourt, which vessel sent a lifeboat alongside, to which were transferred the Admiralty despatches. Although the weather had moderated, there was still a heavy sea on, and the skip was rolling heavily.”

STATEMENT  OF  MR.  JAMES  MAY.

Mr. James May, gunner, second class, states that he was awoke about 12 o'clock on the night of the 6th, by some marines making a noise outside of his cabin : and, finding the ship more than usually unsteady, be dressed himself to go on deck and see if the guns were all right in the turrets. When he got up into the after turret the ship gave a very heavy roll to starboard, and continued in that position, gradually heeling over more and more until he found the water coming into the point hole on the top of the turret, through which he crawled, and then found himself overboard. He, however, succeeded, with five others, including Capt. Burgoyne, in reaching the steam pinnace, which was floating bottom uppermost; and observing the launch passing within a few yards of them, he cried out "Now jump, men ! this is your only chance,” He and three others did so, and suc­ceeded in getting into the boat. They in vain endea­voured to regain the pinnace to save their captain, but the sea running so very high prevented them fulfilling their task; and in the attempt they were struck by a heavy sea, nearly swamping the boat and washing one man (George Myers) overboard. It was then determined to let the boat run before the sea, as the land was known to be to the leeward of them. About two o'clock they sighted the light on Cape Finisterre, and afterwards observed land. They made for it, and succeeded in landing, about noon of the 7th, at Finisterre; and at four o’clock, after making all necessary inquiries and drying their clothes, pro­ceeded to Corcubion.

STATEMENT OF  JAMES   ELLIS.

James Ellis, the gunner's mate, states:—"I was awoke just before 12 o'clock by the ship making a heavy lurch to starboard, but she presently righted again. The middle watch, to which I belonged, was then called, and I went on deck. While the watch was being mustered, Captain Burgoyne called me on the bridge and desired me to take a steady and trust­worthy man with me, and put the iron covers on the turrets, and report to him when it was done. I then heard him ask how much the ship was `heeling' I did not hear the reply, but afterwards heard that it was 18 (it was generally only 8), Captain Burgoyne then gave the order to lower the foretopsail and clap plenty of hands on the `down-haul.’ Directly after he gave the order to lower the main topsail; but the yard, being braced sharp up, did not come down, whereupon Captain Burgoyne ordered the lee topsail sheets to be let go. These orders were all rapidly given, while I was preparing to cover the fore turret.

I called James Frost, A.B. to come with me, but I never saw him afterwards. I walked forward in the weather gangway, and finding a lower sail on the turret grating to windward, went round to leeward of the three foremost boom-boats stowed inside of each other, and endeavoured to lift off the grating. While doing so the ship gave a tremendously heavy lurch, throwing her quite on her beam ends, the water com­ing over the sea-nettings and up through the iron grating which I was endeavouring to lift. I thought then that the ship must be sinking, and, holding on to the grating, felt the boom-boats graze my back. I went down some distance with the ship.”

CAPTAIN HUGH   TALBOT   BURGOYNE

Was the only son of Field Marshal Sir John Fox Burgoyne, by Charlotte, second daughter and co- heiress of Lieutenant-CoIonel Hugh Rose, of Holme in the county of Nairn, North Britain, He was born in 1833, in Dublin, where his father held, for some years, the chairmanship of the Board of Public Works. Capt. Burgoyne entered the royal navy in 1847, and was made a Commander in 1856. He commanded the "Wrangler" gunboat at the taking of Kinburn; and, in 1857, be was one of the first recipients of the Victoria Cross. He married, in 1864 Evelyn Laura, daughter of Admiral Sir Baldwin W. Walker. Captain Burgoyne wore the Baltic and Crimean medals, and the Azoff clasp ; he was also a Knight of the Legion of Honour, and received the Order of the Medjidie of the 5th class.

CAPTAIN   COWPER   PHIPP8  COLES

The inventor of the principle on which turret-ships are constructed, was the third son of the late Rev. John Coles, of Ditcham Park, Hampshire: and was born in 1819. He entered the navy in 1831; and, having served with ability on various stations, took an active part on board H. M. Ship "Agamemnon," in the assault on Sebastopol, for which he was especially mentioned in the despatches of Lord Lyons. He subsequently distinguished himself by his zeal and ability at Kertch, and in the operations in the Sea of Azoff.

In the following year his name was brought prominently before the nation by the appoint­ment of a board by the Commander-in-Chief to report upon a plan devised by Capt. Coles for the construction of shot-proof rafts, with guns and mor­tars; and so favourable was the report of the board that, in the expectation of the continuance of the war, he was ordered to England and placed in communication with the Surveyor of the Navy and the authorities of the Dock-yard at Portsmouth.  

The cessation of the Russian war, however, for a time stayed further proceedings in the matter; but subsequently the question was taken up by successive Governments, and eventually, as the naval authori­ties expressed their approval of the principle of the “shield-ship,^” orders were given that the "Royal Sovereign” should be adapted (under the superintendence of Captain Coles) to this method of construction. It was, we believe, in  1862 that this change to the “turret system^” was effected in the "Royal Sovereign;” and it was stated that it was the late Sir I. K. Brunel who first suggested to Captain Coles the idea of placing the shield and gun upon a turn-table in preference to having to move the raft in order-to point the gun.   The principle having been once adopted, other vessels of the royal navy, as our readers are aware, have since been constructed on a greater or less- modification of Captain Coles' plan.

He was a Knight of the Legion of Honour, and had received the Syrian, Crimean, and Turkish medals,— the Crimean with the Sebastopol and Azoff clasps.

Subscriptions in aid of the Parents, Widows, Orphans, &c. will be thankfully received by the Publisher of this Pamphlet.

W. WOOD, PRINTER, DEVONPORT