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

side of the surf, and crawled into shore on
his hands and knees, carrying only the
ordinary weight that divers use. he,
| however, did not accomplish anything,
| and WAS drawn up somewhat scared, hav-
| ing been roughly handled by the surf. l
then dressed myself and went down. car
| rying more lead, and by not displacing 80
l much water as johnson, Jared better
| under the waves.
| By moving around fiat on my abdomen
| to avoid being knocked around by rollers,
| only had the undertow to contend with.
1 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 violent
~ forced along the bottom by the under
tow. After being dashed in shore by q
huge breaker, I 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 l again found them clasped
both arms around them, while the surf
| and undertow would swing me around in
| a circle. did not know what had hold
| of, whether the ends of timbers or boxes
| of gold, until the undertow running under
my arms cut the sand away around the
boxes, so that they tilted over. I then
| realized what I held clasped in my
arms. I shouted end cheered to my
| self, as / knew all would do when
the boxes would reach the lighter. Now.
l did not know what to do with them;
could not handle them both, and was
afried to leave one lest the Mexican divers
| might find it, or it might become 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, and is never given except
when the diver wants to be drawn up in
haste. I lay about 300 feet from the
lighter. The bottom was winrowed in
small waves of sand, running parallel
with the shore. Over these drifts l 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 my arms. /
could family hear excited words-that
was dead. In the excitement, the men
ceased pumping air to me. The skiff
came around where 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, I
waved my hand to be lowered to the bot
tom again, and soon found the other box.
l gave the same signal on the life line,
bY1t roooivod hind rod
with my first trip to the lighter 1 never
want another such ride as I had over these
sand ridges with box of gold weighing
IT'S 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 !
next day, the total value amounting to
S10O,0 600. No more treasure would ever |
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 pene-
trate the sand with. Feeling confident
that the rest of the treasure was there
in the sand, near the same place, all
hands set their wits at work to devise
some means to recover ii. After lying
idle week or more, was talk
ing one evening with the carpenter
when he asked me how stream OF water
would affect the sand. saw at once that it !
was just what was needed, and told him 50.
Then he made wooden force pump, and
2 hose 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 put on the shore to be
tried. As force pump it was failure.
However, thought would try it in the
sand before condemning it. I dressed and
went to the bottom under the boat, with
the understanding that if it would drill
hole in the sand to take it into the surf
and try it. If did not like it they were
10 haul the hose up and condemn it. Thus
On my decision hung the fate of 81, 500, 600
gold, worth s3,0OQ00O at the time in
greenbacks. l found on forcing the noz.
zle into the sand that it confined the water
IN the hose, and gave it force to cut into
the sand and with that rude pump we
recovered over $500, 600, making $775, 600
IN all.
A little while after gale came on in the
night which piled our lighter in ruins
high on the beach, and sunk the engine
in the sea, which SO crippled US that we
had to leave for San Francisco. As the
working season was far spent, We could
not return until another winter. In the
meantime made as perfect preparations
IS possible, and, when the season arrived,
was early on the ground with two YES
sells, one small schooner having twen-
y-horse power boiler in her hold and
steam pump throwing 700 gallons of wa
er per minute. AS I had control Of the
expedition, with everything needtul,
procured 500 feet of six-inch rubber hose
md about the same of two and one-half
nch hose. l had variety Of nozzles
made, some for boring in the sand and
'ome for working ahead when down in the |
'and. l also fitted up twelve section
Groves battery for blasting purposes. II
will here state that went with new par
les the second time, not liking the
Of the first parties in settling
he salvage; consequently there were two
the second trip. The old
parties arrived at the wreck soon after I
lid with large and well-ftted expedi-
ion, with four old and experienced div
rs in common kinds of diving. They,
however, met with trouble they little ex-
'ected. 1t was such perilous work that I {
lad to take my life in my hand and risk
with perfect recklessness; and sup
,ose the opposition that existed between {
hose two expeditions was as bitter as {
ould be. The old parties were sorely
exed because had left them, so we ex-
'ected no help from them in case of acct
lent or troubles Of any kind. Both par