, 1872-10-15
BORING FOR WHlSKEY.
A Search for the Wreck OF q Steam.
Sunk In 1S60-Six Hundred Barre
of WhiskeY md Two Hundred Cas-
ofBrandy Buried In q sand Bar-T

From the Memphis Appeak
In the fall Of 1850, or early IN 1861, the steN
er South Bend, bound from Cincinnati to t
Arkansas River with 3 valuable cargo Of iquc
and general merchandise, WAS sunk in the NJ
sisaippi. She was the property Of Thomps
Dean and John D. Adams and was run into
steamer fifty miles from Memphis, q
sunk. A wrecking boat shortly afterward we
to the place, and succeeded in recoTe1i
some Of her upper works; but e heavy riee c
away, having lost her anchors and apparatC
The South Bend WAS therefore abandoned +
the time. When the stage OF water again {
lowed Of the resumption Of work the count
WAS troubled with civil wer, and mems mini
we're turned to different things. The undd
pursue the search, for the location OF the wre,
Was lost The buoys were swept away, a3
everything WIS in state OF uncertainty. j
the time s'the disturbance had ceased i
thought Of the South Bend WAS lost; only q ID
old river men allowed their minds to range orl
the vast surface Of the deep and speculate up1
the hidden treasures contained therein. |
Several OF thesd thought it worth while to .
tempt to find the South Bend, but did not ado|
any rational methods in their search. They hl
recourse to witches, spiridsts, clairvoysuf
dreams, and weak-minded people Of all son
rather than to reason and experience Ifr
very naturally failed. Captain John Cowdon,+;
old river man; and 3 person Of great intelle
and experience, man who has been acquainN
with the Mississippi River since his infancy, ii
knows all about its peculiarities and its open
tions from Cairo to the Ba1ize, had the idea
searching for the South Bend in his capacio3
mind for q long time, but could not find 1eian]
to pursue his Investigations until recenf4
Before making move, he reasoned out II
location Of the wreck, his great experience:
river matters enabling him to do this with u
tonishing accuracy. He knew that eddies /
sand would be formed and deposited below Il
boat, and that the bar would grow like q tail tc33
comet down the stream, and that the boat wou3
be found, II at all, near the head Of the new Sal
formation. The wreck, however, was sunk on]
bar that had been already formed. e1tendi1}
from the Arkansas shore several hundred Tar4
into the river, the channel running between
and the Tennessee shore. This would cau]
tions that required the head and experience
Captain Cowdon to understand and unravel.
The difficulty Of finding the wreck may be q
timated from the fact that 5000 boats might I
sunk and hidden in the area within whose imii
it was generally thought the hull Of the Sou9
methodical way, it might take five year'a regul;3
labor to strike the hull ! and if good luck d
not attend the searchers it might tGke ::
years. The expense OF such pursuit won ]
deter the most sanguine, particularly when it
recollected that no one can say for certain wh.
IL Id1t LII IHe LUZ, VI WaAt LIS wreck nay
worth when brought to the Light Of day. It
thought that the 500 barrels Of liquor whit
were shipped on the South Bend In Cincinna.
and the vast quantities Of cognac brandy,
untouched, and even much more valuable tht |
when they we're sunk beneath the wave- Tly
value Of the cargo is estimated at 500, 900, b-f
it may take much Of this Sum to bring it
market. :.-~-
The following letter will show that the indo4
liable CoWGen has discovered the treasure:
SAND RAH, M1ss1ssHPI RTvKR,
.. NEAR ISLAND 36 Oct. 9. 81
EDr1oas APPEAL: To-day, at Il O'Clock, after
seven weeks' search, have struck the wreck OF ii
steamer South Bend, in boring our eleven hundr4
and twent5-ffth hole. The boat lies perfectly lesf
and straight as II On docks. The decks are sound II
@ppbroksn twenty-fonr feet deep under the sand, ri
!. Ihe catgo consists principally Of liquor, which
oi great 'a11e, ana Eith appliances Lean get It out
r.nt.;, Hespsc.. TesPsea1n, n yours, JoHR CowDoH
helping him in his search H 2ursred ifStta
oughly, and succeeded in finding Tlle o,.4nna
OF the boat and measuring her dlmeneions St&
is one hundred and fifty feet long aud thirty fed
beam, capable Of carrying two hundred tom
The captain, having great faith IN his own eagae
the sunken steamer some months ago.: He mad
8 contract with the underwriters at Cincinnati
which protects them az well az himself in theB
respective rights. The underwriters, havi1
paid all the insurance on the property, were 4
the loss, and still retain the right to profit Il
whatever may be recovered BY the herculese7
efforts OF Captain Cowdon- Under this contrac
trouble. Now that be is sure Of bis game, +
will pursue his object with redoubled viGo1 IL +
assiduity. He will have to construct q cof. !
dam, and hare steam engines, derriekB, at !
other apparatus, which will enable him to resc
The wreck before high water comes: