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The
Final Trial and Disaster
The third trial started when the ship sailed on 4th August to Gibraltar, was in Vigo on 31st August, and was returning to England, with the Fleet, which included Reed’s own design,
HMS Monarch.
As with earlier trials, Captain Coles was on board as an observer, and he was delighted by the ship’s performance. Also on board was midshipman Leonard Childers, transferred to
HMS Captain on the request of his father, First Lord of the Admiralty Hugh Childers. Neither Coles nor Leonard Childers was to survive.
On the afternoon of the 6th September, Admiral Sir Alexander Milne spent the day on board, inspecting the ship. He was concerned that the starboard gunwale was level with the water and the sea washed along the edge of the deck for its whole length, striking the aft turret to a depth of about 18” to 2 feet.
”Do you think this is right to have the lee gunwale in the water with these sails set?” he asked Coles. Coles’ insistence that it was allowed for in the design did not convince Admiral Milne, who departed back to his flagship.
On the night of the 6/7th September, the ship was off Cape Finisterre, when a south west gale blew up, with stronger squalls. At the same time the current was running against the storm - a most dangerous sea condition. Other ships reported that the waves were in excess of 24 feet high.
Around midnight, Captain Burgoyne came on deck, and at the time the ship was using sail, not
steam. He was aware that the ship was heeling dangerously, and ordered all sail off. Before this could be carried out, however, the ship began to roll, and went from her normal sailing angle to the completely capsized position in a steady, irresistible motion. She settled on the ocean bed, one mile down.
Just 18 sailors managed to scramble into a small boat that had floated free. Captain Burgoyne, although surviving the initial sinking, did not make it to the boat with the others. Through skilled seamanship they survived the night in the storm, and after twelve hours of very tired rowing, made landfall at the village of
Finisterre.
Admiral A.W. Milne, whilst still on HMS Lord Warden
on the 7th September, despatched the following report to the Admiralty
via HMS Inconstant, which arrived at Devonport on the 10th
September.
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"Lord
Warden, at sea off Cape Finisterre,
Sept. 7,
1870
"Sir,
- it has been my painful duty to forward by Her Majesty’s vessel
Pysche to Vigo the following telegram, to be transmitted to
the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty, reporting the sad loss
of Her Majesty’s ship Captain, with all hands.
"`Very
much regret sending painful news, Captain must have
foundered in the night. She was close to this ship at 2 this
morning. Sudden S.W. gale. Very heavy squalls. Daybreak – Captain
missing; this afternoon her boats and spars found; all have
unfortunately perished. Inconstant sails tomorrow with report.’
I beg
leave to transmit to their Lordships full and early details of
this most disastrous event, and I therefore sent Inconstant
to Devonport with the despatch. Yesterday morning, the 6th
inst., I went on board to inspect the Captain, with Captain
Brandreth and my flag lieutenant, and I visited most minutely
every part of her. At 1 p.m. a trial of sailing with the ships of
the squadron (Lord Warden, Minotaur, Agincourt, Northumberland,
Monarch, Hercules, Inconstant, Warrior, Bellerophon, Bristol)
was commenced, and continued until 5 p.m., when the recall was
made. The direction of the wind was S. by W., force about 6. Some
of the ships carrying their royals during the whole time, Captain
included. At 4 o’clock the breeze had freshened, and the trial
of the Captain, which at first was 91/2, increased to an
average from 11 to 13, the sea washing over the lee side of her
deck as she met a swell on her lee bow, the lee gunwale on deck
being level with the water. I returned to the Lord Warden at
5.30 p.m. Being close to the rendezvous, 20 miles west of Cape
Fisisterre, the squadron was again formed into three divisions;
the Lord Warden, Minataur, and Agincourt leading,
the Captain being the last, astern of the Lord Warden.
The signal was also made to take in two reefs, and to send down
royal yards, and the ships stood to the west-north-west under
double reefed topsails, fore topmast staysail, and foresail; top
gallant sails furled; steam ready to be used as required. Force of
the wind about 6 to 7.
At 8 and
10 p.m. the ships were in station, and there was no indication of
a heavy gale, although it looked cloudy to the westward. At 11
p.m. the breeze began to freshen, with rain. Towards midnight the
barometer had fallen, and the wund increased, which rendered it
necessary to reef; but before 1 a.m. the gale had set in at
south-west, and square sails were furled.
At this
time Captain was astern of this ship, apparently closing under
steam. The signal "open order" was made, and at once
answered; and at 1.15 a.m. she was on the Lord Warder’s lee
quarter, about six points abaft of 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 starboard,
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 no longer
visible. The squalls of wind and rain were very heavy, and the
Lord Warden was kept by the aid of the screw and after trysails
with her bow to a heavy cross sea, and at times it was thought
that the sea would have broken over her gangways. At
2 15 a.m.
(the 7th inst.) the gale had somewhat subsided, and the
wind went round to the north-west, but without any squall; in fact
the weather moderated, the heavy banks of cloud had passed off to
the eastward, and the stars came out clear and bright, the moon,
which had given considerable light, was setting, no large ship was
seen near us when the Captain had last been observed,
although the lights of some were visible at a distance. When day
broke the squadron was somewhat scattered, and only 10 ships,
instead of 11, could be discerned, the Captain being the
missing one. We bore up for the rendezvous, thinking she might
have gone in that direction, but no large vessel being in sight
from the masthead I became alarmed for her safety, because, if
disabled, she ought to be within sight, and if not disabled in
company with the squadron, and I signalled the following ships to
proceed in the direction indicated to look out:- The Agincourt,
to the south-west; the Monarch, south; the Warrior,
south-east-south; the Inconstant, south east; the Bristol,
north-east; the Bellerophon, to the north-by-east; the Minotaur,
also north-east. These vessels proceeded about ten to fourteen
miles, but nothing could be seen of the missing ship.
The
greater part of the ships were recalled and formed in line
abreast, and steered at three to four cables apart to the south
east, looking for any wreck. The Monarch first picked up a
top-gallant yard of the Captain, the Lord Warden
another, with sails bent, then some studding sail booms, and on
the Psyche joining me from Vigo at sunset she reported
having passed two cutters painted white, bottom up, with a large
amount of wreck, apparently the hurricane deck, among which was
found the body of a seaman with "Rose" marked on his
flannel.
I have
thus stated all that occurred under the eyes of the flag-captain
and myself, and I much regret to say that I can come to no other
conclusion than that the Captain foundered with all hands
on board, probably in one of the heavy squalls between 1 30 and 2
15 a.m. of this morning (7th instant), at which time a
heavy cross sea was running, but how the catastrophe occurred will
probably never be known. I had the most perfect confidence in
Captain Burgoyne, Commander Sheepshanks, and the executive
officers with whom I had come in contact. Captain Burgoyne himself
was a thoroughly practical seaman, and it is impossible that the Captain
could have been better commanded. The service will mourn the loss
of an officer of such ability and promise. I regret, also, Captain
Coles should have shared the same fate. He had been several
passages in his newly-constructed ship, and took a deep interest
in all that concerned her.
I greatly
deplore the sad event, which has cast a deep gloom on the whole
squadron.
I have,
&c,
A. W.
MILNE, Admiral.
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In his book
Náufragos de Antaño, Juan Campos has included his own photographs
of a cemetery that was erected on the Costa de la Meurte, primarily for
the English sailors lost in a later shipwreck when HMS Serpent
foundered in 1890. In 1990 a stone was erected in memory of all shipwreck
victims on this coast, including, of course, HMS Captain.
These
are reproduced with his permission.
 
Juan Campos also confirms that the Royal
Navy placed a buoy to mark the exact location where HMS Captain
sank. This buoy, now gone, was still in place twenty years later when HMS
Serpent was also lost in the same area. For many years, Her Majesty's
ships, when passing through the area would fire their guns in salute in
honour of the victim of Coles's ship, whilst in 1874 the English Channel
Fleet gathered in the area to pay their respects.
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HMS Captain
1870