Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1876-01-29

200 pounds, and myself $50 pounds.
We reached the harbor of Manzanillo
in due time, procured permit from
the commandant of the port to wreck
on the cost, and next day sailed for the
scene ofrum iof fortune, as many had
their all invested in the expedition.
Arriving off the wreck We dropped an
cbor in twenty fathoms Of water, mile
off shore, and commenced to build
lighter, which was finished and launch
ed from the vessel in few days.
About this time sloop came down
tie coast from Mazatlan with seventeen
native pearl divers, all stalwart fellows,
who afterward gave us much trouble.
Johnson made the first dive. He went
down outside of the surf, and crawled
into shore on his hands and knees, car
rying only ordinary weight that divers
use. He, however, did not accomplish
anything, and was drawn up somewhat
scared, having been roughly handled
by the surf | then dressed myself and
went down, carrying more lead, and by
not displacing 50 much water as john
son, Jared better.
UNDER TIE WAVES.
BY moving around fiat on my abdo-
men to avoid being knocked around by
rollers, l only had the undertow to con-
tend with / examined everything
with which my hands came in contact.
Shortly after reaching the locality of the
broken end of the keel-which was
confined in the sand under the engine
bed plate I was violently forced along
the bottom by the undertow. After
being dashed in shore by huge break
er, | came in contact with two square
ends of wood sticking out Of the sand
about six inches; but before l could
make an examination of them | was
dashed away. When / again found
/. them ] clasped both arms around them,
while the surf and undeltow would
swing me around in circle. | did
not know what l had hold of, whether
the ends of timbers or boxes Of gold,
until the undertow running urder my
arms cut the sand away around the
boxes, so that they tilted over. | then
realized what held in my arms.
shouted and cheered to myself, as !
knew all would do when the boxes
would reach the lighter Now, | did
not know what to do with them; |
, could not handle them both, and was
afraid to leave one, lest the Mexican
divers might find it, or it might become
I Il l.r 7 o4,,1l f,Np
| finally took one in my arms, and gave
a quick, strong pull on my lifeline,
which is the signal of distress, and is
never given except when the diver
wants to be drawn up ~ haste. ! lay
about three hundred feet from the
lighter. The bottom was winrowed
in small waves of sand, running par
allel with the shore. Over these drifts
| was dragged as fast as four men
could haul me with an inch rope around
my waist. On being hauled up under
the end of the lighter, my back came
| out of the water first, my feet being
loaded with loaded boots and the box
of gold in ny arms. | could family
| hear excited words-that | was dead.
In the excitement, the men ceased
pumping air to me. The skiff eane
around where l was suspended, and |
could distinctly hear the men say was
dead. One of them reached under my
head to unscrew my face glass, and
discovered the box in my arms. Then
all was changed.
FROM SADNESS To EXTREME JOY.
And three cheers went up for the diver.
After being relieved of my burden, |
waved my hand to be lowered to the
bottom again, and soon found the other
box. / gave the same signal on the
life lire but received kinder treatment
compared with my first trip to the light
| er / never want another such ride as
l had over these sand ridges with a
box of gold weighing one hundred aud
seventy five pounds in my arms, lying
on my side and dragged at the end of
rope. / thought every bone in my body
would be broken We recovered one
or two boxes the next day, the total
value amounting to 100000. No more
treasure would ever have been recover
ed, as there were some broken planks
under 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 pen
citrate the sand with. Feeling conf
dent that the rest of the treasure was
there in the sand, near the same place,
all hands set their wits at work to de-
wise some means 10 recover it. After !
lying idle week or more, / was talking
one evening with the carpenter, when
he asked me how a stream of water |
would affect the sand. saw at once
that it was just what was needed, and
told him So Then he made a wooden |
force pump, and hose of canvas, with
a nozzle made by rolling piece Of
sheathin metal up. We also built an
other lighter to work the force pump
on. We had small donkey engine
which was prepared to put on the light
er and towed to the shore to be tried.
AS force pump i. was. u failure. How
, ever, thought would try it in the
sand before condemnins ii. | dressed
ard went 10 the bottom under the boat,
with the understanding that if it would |
drill hole in the sand 10 take it into
the surf ard try it. II did not like it
they were to haul the hose up and con-
denim it. Thus Oh my decision hung