Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1876-01-29
GRAPHING FOR GOLD.
Divers Thrilling Experience on
The Mex lean laa.t

AS soon as her loss became known in San
ran cisco, measures were taken TO recover
the treasure which had been on board OF her,
that treasure amounting 10 81 $50, geo in gold.
did no; succeed in making an engagement
with any company until 1868, three years
after the St amer was run ashore by Captain
Hudson. She was In flames, tn steam on, ,
when she was beached about eighteen miles
north OF the port OF MauzaUi.lo. The bee Oh
is some ten miles long and half a mile OF
more wide, extending back, 10 a lagoon.
There had been TWO or three eX petitions sent
down from San Francisco 10 recover the
treasure. They all came back without find
ing single box. All made the same report
that the treasure could never DC found; that
Ii was scattered and buried I'm the sand.
The treasure room OF the Golden Gate"
was built of planks and lined with boiler
plates screwed TO the planking. When the
steamer went TO pieces the stern broke OF
bodily and drifted 10 the northward, the tide
setting that way about three miles an hour.
This stern OF the steamer rolled over In the
SURF until IL went TO pieces. The few pas
sengers who reached the shore alive. includ-
Ing Captain Hudson. were satisfied that the
treasure was in the stern piece that broke Off
and q at the boxes had been scattered along
Oh The surface for "A distance of ii sc miles,
and all had sunk ia the sand beyond recov-
cry.
The fact, however, as afterwards proved
was that when the stern brOSe OF the break
was Ia and through the ;r1a ,ure- room; con-
stquently the treasure dropped where ner
bones lay, all In a small space about $50 feet
from the shore In ordinary weather, an 4 800
ieet IN rough weather. The heavy seas roll
ing hlgh on the beach, IN their return would
carry the sand of shore and deposit il over
the money. In calmer weather the waves
would carry the sand back TO the beach
again; and thus through alternate changes
the treasure had worked itself deep into The
sand in the years 1t had laid there.
we lett San Francisco in a schooner of 80
TONS, with ali the appliances that could be
thought of TO experiment in digging sand
under water. We had carpenters, black.
smiths, caulkers, stock of iron, endless
"a IA IN haaa lFs
elevators from the top of the engine frame In
convey the sand ashore to be worked over
Tor loose money. We also had "a cargo OF
lumber TO build lighters. in which we were
TO work when diving. We had "A worlxing
crew OF Twelve men, with two dIvers-one
duncan johnson, a muscular man weighing
200 pounds, and myself, weighing $50 pounds
We rt ached the harbor OF ManzauiIlo In due
time, procured permit from the command
alt OF the port To wreck on the coast, aud
next day sailed for the scene OF ruin or for
tune, as many had their all invested IN the
expedition.
Arriving of the wreck, we dropped anchor
In twenty fathOms of water, a mile OIL shore
and commeuced to build "A lighter, which was
nrlshed and launched from the vessel in a
lew days. About this time "A SlOOp came
down the coast from MaZatIan with seven
Teen native pearl divers, all stalwart fellows
VINO afterwards gave us much trouble. John
son made the first dive. He was down about
half an hour. He went down outside OF tue
SURF, and crawled In shore on his hands and
knees, carry only the ordinary weights that
divers use. He, however, did not accomplish
anything, and was drawn up somewhat
scared. having been roughly handle 4 by the
surf then dressed myself and went down.
carrying more lead, and by not displacing
so much water aS Johnson Jared better.
by moving around fiat on my a bdomen 90
avoid being Knocked down by rollers 1 only
had the uhdeItOw TO contend with. / eX-
lined everyJhiu with which my hands
came In contact. shortly after reaching the
locality of the broken end OF the keel-whicll
was co.fined in the sand under the engine
Ded plate-l was vioienty forced along the
DotIom by the unGeriow. After being dashed
IN shOre by huge breaker, came in con
tacS with Two square ends OF Wool sticking
out of the sand about six inches; but before
L could make an examination of them was
dashed away.
When 1 again found them | clasped both
arms around them, while the surf and un-
dertOW would swing me around in a circle
idld not know what L had hold OF, whether
The ems OF IlInDrrs or boxes, so they tilted
over. then realized what held claspal i'm
my arms. shouted and cheerad To myself
as knew all would do when the boxes would
reach the llghter. Now, Ibid not know what
10 do with them; could not handle them
Dotn, and was afraid TO leave one lest the
Mexican divers might find it or ii might be-
come buried before | could return for it.
finally took one in my arms and gave a
quick, strong pull on my lifeline, which Is
the signal OF distress, aud is never given ex-
cep! when the diver wants to be drawn up in
haste. lay about.30O feet from the lighter
Inc bottom was wInrOwed in small waves
OF sand, running parallel with the ,hore.
over these drifts / was dragged as fast a.
Iour men could haul me with an inch rope
around my waist On being hauled up un-
der the end OF the lighter my back came out
Oh the water nrst. my feet being loaded with
leaded boots and the box of gold in my arms
could family hear excited words-that |
was dead. In the excitement the men ceased
pumping air to me
The SIX fl came around where I was sus-
erded, and could distinctly hear the mea
say was dead. One of them reached under
my head 10 unscrew my face glass and dis
covered the box in my arms. Then all was
changed from sadness TO extreme low and
three cheers went up for the diver. After
being relieved of my burden, l waved NV
hand TO be lowered TO the bottom again and
soon found the other box. gave the same
signal on the lifeline, but received kind
treatment, compared with my first trip to the
lighter. never want another such ride as
had over those sand-ridges with a box OF
gold weighing 1l5 pounds in my arms; lying
on my side and dragged at the end OF a rope.
1 thought every bone I'm my body would be
We recovered one or two boxes next day,
the total value amounting to SIO0.OO No
more treasure would ever have been recov-
ered, as there were some broken planks I'M
der these boxes which prevented them from
sinking In the sand with the rest, had IT not
been for an invention of our carpenter. We
had nothing to penetrate the sand with
Feeling confident that the rest of the trea-
sure was there in the sand, near the same
place, all hands set their wits at work to de-
Wise sO1le means 10 recover IL. After living
idle week or more, / was talking one even
ing with the carpenter, when he asked me
how stream of water would affect the sand,
saw at once that II was just what was
needed, and told him so.
Then he made wooden force pump, and
nose OF canvas, with nozzle, was made by
rolling up piece of sheathing metal We
also built another lighter to work the force
pump on. We had a small donkey engine,
which was prepared and put on the lighter
and lowed In shore to be tried. As force
pump 1t was failure. However, Thought
L would try 1t in the sand before condemn
ing II. 1 dressed and went TO the bottom
under the boat, with the understanding that
II IL would drill hole IN the sand TO take
IL into the surf and try ii. III did not like il
they were To haul the hose up and condemn
ii.
Thus on my decision hung the fate of
Sl,5OO,O00 gold, worth IS, 600, 600 at that time
In greenbacks. / found on forcing the nozzle
into the sand that IL confined the water IN
the nose, and gave IL force to cut Into the
sand; and with that rude pump we recovered
over 100000, making S775 900. At this time
gale came on in the night, which piled our
lighters In ruins high on the beach, and SUNK
tne engine In the sea, which so crippled us
mat we mad 10 leave for San Francisco.
BERLIN'S ASTONISHING FIRE DrpApr-