The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1873-09-18

money hunters to quar- el over.
There at once arose a strife for the eX-
elusive permission to dig and delvc after
the million guineas.
In the course of a few wears several
companies essayed the task Of securing
the prize, but in every case the work
proved too expensive, as there was 50
much that was graphic and picturesque
about the whole affair, there was a gen
eral antipathy to investing money in what
looked very much like romance. One
company endeavored to build cotier-dam
entirely about the wreck, hoping to shut
out the river and then pump the dam dry
and thus bring the sunken vessel to light :;
but after eXpending $50, 600 they gave it
up. Another, and in fact almost all the 9th
ers endeavored to raise the hulk entire,
but it was 50 thoroughly water-sodden
that it was too heavy and decayed. An
other company did a more sensible thing ;
it blew away the entire hull OF the frigatc,
and left nothing but her bottom timbers :;
but the sand and mud had 50 packed about
her they had made solid pyramid Of the
debris, and, after striving Il while against
all sorts of untoward circumstances, this
company also gayeup the fight and retired
to make room for another and Il more en-
ergetic one.
This band Of adycnturers organized a
stock company under . charter III due
form, and protiting by the hard expert
ence of their predecessors, SET to work,
and are at this moment engaged upon
their strange and exciting task. Those
who pass up the sound will notice Just
abreast of Flushing Bay, and not far to
the northeast of the ancient homestead of
Gouverneur Morris, Il tlat-decked sloop
anchored short distance from the shore
She is a fixture She is always there, and
She is directly over the wreck OF the liussar.
On the land close beside her may be seen
the old stone hut that has been described,
and one is shown two great cavities in the
earth from whore, it is alleged, the trees
roots We're pulled almost y century ago,
when the gored Ship was struggling for
life
From this sloop there goes down once,
and ottentimes twice a day, a diver clad in
almor Of rubber, lead and copper
The common depth in which a man 50
encumbered can work to advantage is nifty
feet This man goes down ninety. The
current of water is so fierce that he can
only visit the scene of his labors on slack
tide, and even that one visit is only OF an
hours duration. This man hopes to find
the treasure, to place chains securely
about it and then have it hoistcd up from
above, BY various descriptions, ana from
their own discoveries, the dlggers have
fixed upon II spot where the gold should
be, and the diver is, with his shovel and
pick, slowly approaching this spot. Ihe
treasure will be discovered in the form Of
u great number of boxes, doubtless cor
roded and amalgamated by the action Of
the water into a solid mass.
The scene beneath the water is described
as being awful. 1t is nearly dark, and the
remains of the vessel lie in the shadow Of
the overhanging cliff
There are heaps OF black timbers, the
ends Of which iut out from the banks Of
dritted sand Here and there is the stump
of a huge rib projecting from the bed OF
the river, and the glimmers from above
fall upon the silent and motionless place
with in effect which is terrifying. The
diver hopes almost as each Gay goes by ~
conquer his final difficulties and to seize
upon what the water and the sand have
retained so long.
He has sent up III 4 bucket 4 large mum
Der of relies of the ship and her crew, and
there is a store house not far from the
spot III which are heaps of art lies thus
secured.
One sees leather buckets upon which
tlle word 'Hussar" may still be traced;
heaps of twelye-pound cannon balls cor
roded ont Of shape and into little else but
rust number Of shAckies and chains; Il
ships bell marked with the initials G. r.
and the heurdelS. In champagne basket
are a large number of human bones and
skulls Tho floor is strewn with belts,
cartridge boxes, pieces ofbroken mu~kots,
and with u thousand things that are com
monty used on shipboard. The writer has
seen Il number of coins which have been
raised from this strange depth; notably
one lump Of silver money as large as an
egg, upon which was stuck III various
positions y number Of golden gumeas
with their imprints half etf'accd by the ac
ton Of The sea These We're doubtless the
possessions Of some Of the officers, who left
them behind in their haste. A lady's casket
filled with Jewels was brought up three
Years ago, but it was stolen and has not
been recovered.
If the present company succeeds in get
ting the treasure, as it deserves to do,
each member of it need have no more
fears for his livelihood. 1t is anxious
work A single days labor may now
make each one II man or a woman of great
wealth, and on the contrary a days work
may expose the fact that more months
of labor and expenditure must pass over
before the prize may be reached, if it ey yer
shall be