The New York herald., 1876-07-31

To the memory OF 81 persons
: chiefly cmgrants from England and Ireland
! being the only remains Of ll5 souls,
tho passengers and crew OF the American bark
Mexico,
Captain Winslow,
wrecked on Hampstead Beach
January 2, 1887.
srbc few survivors Of the Mexico that camc ashore
stated that time that the and captain had lost
their reckoning; were out OF provisions, having been
n long time in passage, and the crew was thoroughly
exhausted with hard work. There were pilots TO be
found and light was seen, and thus the vessel
driving and ,umrlng ashore in the breakers that
awful night OF the New Years day. many years ago.
This was the minister's sooquy, spoken aloud, as he
looked while copied the poetry intended by its au
thor embalm the drowned passengers in immortal re-
mcmbrance. ''And am told" said Mr.. Huschart,
.'that these two mournu accid 'nts were the Of
the repeal OF tho then unwse and inefficient pil0age
laws"
The verses were as tollows:-
{ In this Grave from the Wide Ocean doth Sleep.
{ The bodies of those that hath Crossed The Deep,
! And Instead of being Landed Safe On The Shore
In Cold Frosty Night They All We're No More.
ssThere was proposition believe, madc to erase
those verses remarked the pastor. walked
slowly and thoughtulIy from the mound thinking of
the long procession OF naked and frozen bodies they
carted in The January storm forty years TO
their last resting place there to whit for resurrection
The minister was probably thinking OF his Sunday
mon and he added, 'But something nterered TO pro-
vent their and there they will remain long
the stone stands, suppose
at is rumored that there was treasure Of $500 900
the Mexico. Did you ever hear anything OF that Z"
l asked.
81 have heard all kinds of rumors about the disaster
but know nothing OF It. There is an old lady down
the road, Aunt Peggy Coombs who was present, and
she might know something of tho matter, replied the
village minister as | babe him goodby | made in
quires Tor Aunt Peggy Coombs, who was quito
aeecp' and n%.rs,oos s,ons DEAL and found that
that up as a bad job as Tar as any IN
formation concerned. In making inquiries
as the supposed treasure that said
TO have gone down with the Mexico l ascertained
that was computed all the way up from $50 600 to
$500 600 by the country people some said that there
large number OF bars Of solid silver consigned
privately 10 firm OF Spanish merchants in Philadel
phia Others said that there copper aud bell
metal OF great value aboard and others again declared
that copper had been recovered from the Bristol AT
the depot at Rockville Centre | previous oc-
casion an old weather-beaten nerant fish pedler who
remembered the wrecks as a boy, and he volunteered
this statement-
.Its nigh onto forty ycar now, guess, since them
vessels KUN ashore. Tho bodies all layin' old
Mr. Ackerman's barns and they brought 'em down
from the beach in wagons, and there was a pile OF
them ero wagons tell you, and no mistake Tho
Coroner old Danil Mott of Rockaway, and guess
the allowance was $40 body or some thing like that
500 for a-settin' on 'em. dOnt know there
wos any of the bodies robbed spose the waluables
taken from them, as nobody knew who the dead
bodies wos or who wos their friends And so they
adiggin' ior the money down somewhere out in tho
ocean, are theys WALL mebbe they'll find lots OF tin
il old Bill Merritt Is In II Hos smart, tell you
This sort of information was of SO vague character
that 1t did not further my object In any sense, and yet
it seemed to be the general impression At Freeport
BabylCS Rockville and other places along the south
side OF the island that the hull OF the Mexico mbedded
in tho sand contained large amount OF treasures and
that divers were at work upon 1t secretly and would
not give any information for fear that he claim of pos
might DO disputed b. interlopers who could
only obtain information through the press, and
especially was the HERALD dreaded by the trends and
relatives OF the wrcckcrs No Information could be-
obtained therefore, from these sources and accord
ingly determined to find the wreckng schooner, which
l was informed had been shifting up and down along
the southern coast of the island for month more
THIS created difficulty. but George Boyden said he
would find her or ''never call him boatman again"
1.-TWO CAT
In an hours walk from tho village reached the
creck-Scow Greek, IL is callcd-an estuary of Hemp
stead Bay, and George and the lad aud the writer
aboard OF the catboat The wind fresh
and uncertain, and the waters OF the bay rough
that two old boating men tho margin of the marsh
which stretched away Tor miles, heading tho waters
OF the bay, prophesicd disaster, at least
capslzed boat, for our pains Bu. young Boyden was
not daunted and he sat in the stern, took the
tler in one hand and the sheet in another, while Wil
the fearless little navigator, held fast to the centre
board in case OF grounding. 1t was dead beat for
miles 10 the inlet where IT was deemed probable that
we might find the wrecking schooner. Every few
moments the washed over the boat and drcnched
all to the skin, and there constant lodging whom
the little craft went about TO avoid being
board by the boom, the sail having thee reefs in IL
for safety. Boydcn, in bis blue flannel shirt his dark
face intent on every blow OF the wind displayed great
skill and the Little lad Will Griffin, with his Keen face
and sharp eyes, never lost his for single
mont Soon we began to leave the long marsh grass
entrance 10 Jones' Inlet away far on our bow, with
miles OF white breakers roaring for their prey and
the 'harbor bar was moaning" Boydcn watched
his opportunity and secred for channel
between the long line of breakers and the shore Of
Raynor's Island There was sullen sky above and
the prospect did not at all look favorable. The wreck
ing schooner was lying some distance of at anchor
and we were hailed by the cook board OF her The
crew and captain were on tho mainland, he said. To
the lccward Of her was fishing sloop, at anchor Also
with 100 bushels OF clans weather bound the captain
bong afraid 10 venture iorth aud having been forced
TO remain where he was Tor two days After some
hard work the catbost headed for the and
ran up creek that pierced the island far the old
night, eating fried CLANS and killing the time until the
of the wreckng schooner should come In sight TO
board her from the mainland some six miles away.
THE wRzcKING SCHOONER
Early next morning aiken out 10 the wrockng
vessel the weather being nnc and she found lying
III shallow water. Frank the cook, aboard, but
the captain, the and diver were to be seen on
distant bench In their bare fec. digging hard clans
to make a chowder. The schooner was named the
d. H. POWERS, had two masts, and looked rather worm
eaten and dinpdated. Tho officer in charge OF tue
schooner was Henry Merritt, In the absence oCapta
"bl" MERRITT, ana the wrccking venture was purely
private speculation. was informed by the cook who
declined further particulars. The wreck OF the Mexico
lay urthcr 10 the eastward, but whether they had
dug iOr her or had found her. mad gotten any
treasure from her hull. Frank VINO was quito a pleas
ant, shrcwd looking fellow, declined answer. Frank
showed me over the wrcckiug schooner which was
OF about ten tons and was shown the hosting and
lowering wheel TOR the diver ascend and descend by
This freshly coated with blnc pant ana wo
creased all over. In short time a little s.sharpyr
boat put from the glisicnng sand beach and the
crew ana first officer came aboard and lnoked r,ther
suspciousy for a moment at the HERALD nau but an
understanding WAS had. "Hen" Merritt is a solldly
built, medium sized looking blonde, and besides him
there was OF the crew John Haegcry. the dvcr OF
the celebrated OF his craft the coast AMI Jim
Mcmillan, the DIVERS attendant, who wore
huge black mustacne. and who was quite wiling
talk on any subject but that of the treasure
in the mold OF the Mexico Hen Merritt renamed
silent while the talking lasted and smoked pipe but
Hagger,y kept up conversation with the writer IN a
guarded way | asked haggcrty IL he knew anything
OF the Mexico her reported treasures aud a1ult
ted that they had worked on her but had not found
Lor He SAID that the Coast Wreckinu JomuaDy had
been to work her IN April and May AT the olice OF
this company In Wall street. New York was in formed
that they knew nothing OF such wreck that they
have not looked for IT, There seemed to be a Niger
the Ience somewhere Haggcriy the diver, spoke
as ioows;-
THE DfvrR's STORY.
''Ihcrc two schooncrs down here wrecking
about The last part OF Mayihc Post Captain Pete Rus
sell, and the John CGrtln Captain WilhAms. We have
been up and down tho coast here. oil and on,
OF Jones' Inlet aud we havo picked nr lots OF anchors
and such stun Won these huls alter
hnl