The Sun.
London, England, 1870-09-17 00:00:00

I'HE CONSERVATIVE LAND SOCIETY.
The Society's rate of interest for investors rests at five per
cent. per annum on shares, and four per cent. per annum for
the Deposit Departments, the privilege of withdrawal being ex-
tended within limited periods. Prospectuses sent free of
charge,

CHARLES LEWIS GRUNEISEN, Secretary.
Offices, 83, Norfolk-street, Strand.

THE LOSS OF TEIE CAPTAIN.

Mr. William Nichols Thomas, R.N., has sent the
following letter to the Western Morning News. It is one
which he received on Thursday from Mr. May, late
gunner of Her Majesty's ship Captain. It will no doubt
be read with interest by the relatives of those who went
down in the ill-fated ship :

" I cannot give you the least hope of your ever again
seeing your old friends and messmates. All on board must
have perished except the eighteen in the launch. Mr.
Goodfellow was the only midshipman known to be on
deck;. he was mustering the watch. Lieutenant Purdon
was officer of the watch. Those named in your letter,
Lieut. Giffard, Sub-Lieut. W. Glanville, Sub-Lieut.
Kirkness, Lieut. Boxer, Assistant-Paymaster Cornish.
Assistant-Paymaster West, Sub-Lieut. Hume, Mr. Allan
C. T. Mann, Midshipman, Mr. S. W. Curtis, assistant-
engineer, must have been in bed, and it was not possible
for any to get on deck, as the whole time from her gal.-
over until sinking did not occupy ten minutes. Thee
published accounts are nearly correct. Sub-Lieute-
nant Glanville (W. W. Glanville) was signal mate,
I last saw him about 8.30 p.m. in the gunroom, and
the others about the same time. At midnight I felt
myself in the finest ship in the world, at 12.15 she was
gone. My escape is most miraculous, as lam the only
one that came up from below. The men saved all
belonged to the watch on the deck. There must have
been nearly 150 persons on the upper deck when she
capsized, turned bottom up, and immediately disap-
peared.'!

We also insert with pleasure the following letter from
Captain Sherard Osborn :—" Sir,—May I ask your kind
assistance in apealing to the public for contributions to
the fund established at Portsmouth for the relief of the
widows and families of the officers and crew who
perished in her Majesty's late ship Captain on the
morning of the 7th September, 1870. At a time when all
classes in Great Britain are generously and rightly contri-
buting to alleviate the sufferings of the wounded of other
nations, I feel we shall not appeal in vain on
behalf of our own countrymen who have perished
nobly in the execution of their duty. lam glad to
see that the improved administration of the funds of
Greenwich Hospital admits of the Admiralty granting
a small pittance to the many widows left by the
crew of the Captain, but without some further aid,
there is no resource for hundreds of women and children
except the workhouse when that pittance is expended.
Subscriptions to the ' Captain Relief Fund' may be paid
in London, to Messrs. Glyn and Co., 67, Lombard-street;
Messrs. Coutts and Co., Strand, and the National Pro-
vincial Bank of England : or Messrs. Hallet and Co., 7,
St. Martin's-place, Trafalgar-square.—Yours very truly,
SHERARD OSBORN, Captain, Royal Navy. •119, Glouces-
ter-terrace, Hyde Park."