FOUNDERING OF A BRITISH IRONCLAD.

Otago Witness, Issue 987, 29 October 1870, Page 16

FOUNDERING OF A BRITISH IRONCLAD.

The British ironclad Captain, on return* ing from a naval review, encountered a storm on 7th September, and foundered at sea. There were five hundred persons on board, and but one boat's orew has yet been heard of. New York, September lOfch.— The World's special has a talegram that Admiral Nnllva, j on board H.M. ship Lord "Warden, off Cape j Finisterre, on the 7th instant, received, via Lisbon, says the Captain must have foundered during the night. He was oloso to the ship at two o'clock this morning. A sudden gale came up from the souh-east, with very heavy sea j at daybreak the Cap* tain was missing. We found one of her boats adrift, and several of her spars floating. I fear all on bourd of her perished, to the number of 500 souls. London, September 10. — Experts believe that the Captain was rua down by some unknown vessel. Her steam power was so great that the story of her having gone ashore is scarcely credited. As the fragments of the Captain thus far found do not belong to vital parts of the ship, it it is thought her hull may have drifted seaward. From the accounts given of the storm, it seems that the gale increasing on Wednesday morning, »he signal was given to " wear ship." The Cap. tain's responsive signal waa not seen. The rest of the fleet ran before the wind until out of Bight of the Captain, when at seven o'clock a heavy squall came up, which perhaps proved fatal to the ironclad, laying her on her beam-ends, or driving her bows under. The bodies found were those of the men whoae duty it was to " wear ship." It is possible the vessel was driven to sea, and the bodies of the men found were washed from the deck. The names of the officers and the seventeen men who are said to be saved are unknown.

London, September 11.— Admiral Milne makes the following report of the circumstances attending the disappearance of the iron-clad Captain : — I was on board the Cap* tain on the evening of the 6th. Everything was in good order. A tacking trial began in the afternoon. The breeze was moderate and the ships carried the royal at (he fore. In the evening the breeze freshened, the Captain making from 11 to 13 knots. It was observed that the sea breached over her lee deok, her gunwales sometimes being level with the water-line of the Captain. At 5.30 p.m, when she was 20 miles off Finisterre, the evolutions were resnmed, and continued from 8 to 10 p.m, the ships being at their designated positions. A westward coarse was taken. At 11 p.m. the wind freshened, tl» barometer fell, and a gale sprung up. Oar sails were reefed. Tne Captain was olos* astern the flagship, steaming steadily and gaining on us. I noticed at 11.15 p.m, that .Bhe waß six points abaft our beam, keel 'over very much. Her light, a few minutes later, was still visible j alter which the rain I think shut her out. At dawn ten ships of the fleet were to be seen, but the Captain was missing. Vessels scattered to setroh for her, when fragments of the wreck were found, bat so survivors could be discovered. Another telegram of the same date says : —Eighteen of the orew of the Captain were saved off Cape Carribede. They report that another boat fall of people was stove in and upset, and all on board lost.

The unfavourable news received by the mail seems to have had little or no effect on the flax nulls in the West Taieri diatriot, »»