The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1870-10-01

men. who had lashed himself to grating, but
did not succeed in saving his life. On the
morning of Thursday last, the Monarch, seven
turret ship Captain John E. Commerell, '. G.,
c. B., which had been searching round the
coast, brought intelligence to the flagship that
one warrant officer and seventeen men had
landed from the Captain. The Monarch went
back and picked them up of Cape Finsterre at
noon on that day, and they were transferred
to the Voltage.
James Nay, gunner, says that he was awak-
ened about IL o'clock at night on the 10th by
some marines making q noise outside his
cabin, and finding the ship more than usually
unsteady. he dressed himself to 60 on deck
and see ifthe guns were all right in the t,lr-
rets. When he got up into the turret, the
ship gave a very heavy roll to. starboard, and
continued in that position, gradually heaying
over more and more until he found water
coming into the porl-hole on the top Of the
tunnel, through which he crawled, and then
found himself overheard. He, however, sue
ceeded with five others, Including Captain
Burgoyne, in reaching the steam pinnace,
which was floating bottom uppernost, and
observing the launch passing within 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 endearored
to regain the pinnace to save the captain, but
the sea was running so high that it prevented
them from fulfilling the task, and In the attempt
they were struck by a heavy sea, nearly
swamping the boat and washing one man,
George Meyers. overheard. They then deter
mined to let the boat run before the sea, as
land was known to be to leeward Of them.
Abouttwo o'clock they sighted light on Cape
Finisterre, and afterwards observed land. They
made for It, and succeeded in landing about
noon OF the Tth at Finisterre.
There seems to be but little doubt that the
loss of the Captain is wholly due 10 faults Of
construction. The New York Tribune says:
Although of 1000 tons leas burden than
the Monarch, she had the sam, heavy arma-
ment and thick plating as that great ship, with
enormous iron masts, large spars and an unpre.
ccdentedly extensive area of canvas. The Mon
arch has a freeboard OF fourteen feet; the Cap
tain was built only nine feet above the water,
and was liable to heel beyond the centre OF
gravity. Being struck by squall on the port
OF the turrets we're under water, and the wind
got so powerful purchase against the under
part of the broad hurricane deck which extends
from bows to stern above the turrets, that she
was unable to right herself, and was actually
overset by the weight of her masts. She WAS
q more dangerous vessel than tho Monarch;
first, in having disproportionately heavy spars
and too much canvas; secondly, IN having too
low a seaboard; thirdly, in having wide bur
ricane deck where the Monarch has only Q
bridge; fourthly, in carrying too much weicht
above the water line in proportion to her
draft. Her loss seems to settle the principle
that low freeboard aud heavily armed turrets,
however applicable to vessels of the monitor
class without masts, cannot safely be combined
in sea-going vessels designed to spread canvas.
LONDON, September 80.
On the Captain disaster investigation, let
ter was read showing that Captain Coles was
dissatisfied because his views we're modified in
build-g the Monarch The captain received
a carts-6lanche in regard to the Captain.