New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1876-01-30
GOLD UNDER THE SEA.

GOLD UNDER THE SEA.
Many residents of the Pacific coast re
member the thrill of horror through tn
community occasioned by the burning o
the steamship Golden Gate, in July, 1862
The steamer took fire off the west coast O
Mexico, and her commander, Captain
Hudson, run her ashore on the beacl
about eighteen miles north of the port O
Manzanillo The Golden Gate was tota
loss, and 226 human beings persisted
either by the flames or by drowning.
few, Captain Hudson among the number
were saved.
Although the Golden Gate was burned
to the waters edge, no vestige remaining
to mark her grave saving such of the iror
work as had resisted the flames, the old
hulk, by virtue of concomitants, was
worth large fortune. For with the
Golden Gate 81, 500, 600 in gold coin and
bullion had gone down. This treasure
was encased in boxes of various sizes, the
values of their contents ranging from
$4,000 to $4,000.
Of course this treasure was not suffered
to remain under the waves. Measures
were at once instituted for the recovery.
In 1853 William Ireland, of San Fran
cisco, organized an expedition, which pro-
! ceeded to the wreck, in order to recover
the treasure on salvage Of one-third.
The services of Sidney Cook, the well
known Eastern diver, were procured, and
neither pains nor expense were spared to
recover the vast wealth beneath the waves.
But the task proved a difficult one. The
coast is dangerous, and even in calm
weather tremendous surf RACES along
the beach. In rough weather no boat
can live among the breakers, the roar
ing of which may be heard Tor miles.
This continual Asrce action of the
waves speedily drifted ridges of sand
over the treasure to depth Of from eight
to twelve feet. For fifty days the expedi-
ton remained at the spot, the diver crop
ing in the sand every day for seven hours.
The result of his labor was the recovery
of $4,000, one-third of which was
claimed and obtained as salvage by Ire
land. In 1864 Cook accompanied another
expedition under the management of T.
J. L. Smiley. The underwriters objected
to this proceeding, and instituted suit
against Smiley. The litigation was finally
settled by compromise, Smiley paying
the underwriters $4O.0 900, and receiving q
bill of sale for the wreck in toto. Smiley
made a fine haul, recovering $500, 900.
The diver returned to his home in the
State of Maine after this expedition ter
minated proceedings, and about $500, 600
in gold coin and bullion still remained
buried in the sand at the bottom of the
sea. The following is Cooks sworn mar
rative, written over decade ago:
When the steamer went to pieces the
stern broke off bodily and drifted to the
northward, the tide setting that way
about three miles an hour. The stern of
the steamer rolled over in the surf until it
went to pieces. The few passengers who
reached the shore alive, including Cap
tain Hudson, were satisfied that the treas
ure was in the stern piece that broke off,
and that the boxes had been scattered
along in the surf for distance of five
miles, and all had sunk in the sand be-
yond re ,overy. The fact, however, as
afterward proved, was that when the stern
broke off the break was in and through
the treasure room; consequently the treas
ure dropped where her bones lay, all in q
small space, about $50 feet from
the shore in ordinary weather and 300
feet in rough weather. The heavy
seas rolling high on the beach, in
their return would carry the sand off shore
and deposit it 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 it
had lain there. The sand in the water is
extremely hard and solid, consequently
with the treasure lying from four to twelve
feet deep in the sand, many obstacles were
to be overcome in order to secure the
prize. Then. again, the divers had to
work right in the surf, which was always
quite heavy from the southwest swell, and
at times would completely envelop the en-
CINE frame and paddle wheels, which stood
erect in the sand about forty feet high.
There are only three months in the year
when a vessel can lie at anchor off the
coast with any safety-January, February
and March.
The first expedition accompanied was
under the command of William Ireland,
of San Francisco, q veteran in the wreck
ing business. We left San Francisco in a
schooner of $50 tons, with all the appli-
ances that could be thought Of to expert
ment in digging SAND under water. We
had a working crew of twelve men, with
two divers Duncan johnson, mus |
cular man weighing two hundred pounds,
and myself, weighing $50 pounds. We
reached the harbor of Manzaniilo In due |
time, procured a permit from the COM
of the port to wreck on the coast, |
md next day sailed for the scene of ruin |
or fortune, as many had their all invested |
n the expedition. Arriving off the wreck
We dropped ANCHOR .S in twenty tive fathoms Of
'uild lighter, which was finished and
aunched from the vessel in few days.
About this time sloop came down the
coast from Mazatlan with seventeen ma
i've pearl divers, all stalwart fellows, who
'fterward gave as much trouble. john