Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1876-08-03
suNKEN-.yREAsJRE:
NEAHLY FIVE MILLION DOLLARS, AT THE
DorroM OF EAST RIVER, New York.

Work upon. the wreck of the British
frigate Hussar. says the New York
Herald Of July s., sunk in, the East
River during the Revolutionary war,
has been resumed, after suspension OF
three years. On Thursday last the
sloop Tent was moored over the wreck,
which lies short distance below Port
Morris, aud within a stones throw OF
the shore. In. a frame STRUCTURE on the
deck of the sloop is a steam. engne and
other machinery used in Submarine
work. The diver is lowered to the
wreck from a platform on the shore
side of the vessel. He made his first
descent on Saturday morning for the
purpose of making general survey OF
the wreck He found but little left
Of the old frigale.. All that remains is
the woam>eaten. keelson, knees and.
plansisg below the copper line The
wreck is covered with heavy dep' t
of sand and mud, and several large
boulders have lodged in her hull.
fFhe Hussar was 206 feet in length,
fifty>eight feet beam and carried thirty
two guns. She arrived in this port
with tie frlgate Mercury and a feet of
merchant vessels on November %,
f7S0. In the Hussar's treasury we've
$3.50, 900 in gold and on the Mercury
were f2sO,O00, making nearly $5,O00,-
900 in all This treasure was sent over
BY the British Government to pay the
forces engaged in waging war on the
eolonists. Two days atterward the
gold brought over by the Mrrcvry was
transferred to the Hussar, with which,
after taking OH board seventy American
prisoners from the over-crowded, hulks
in the. W allahout, she set sail for New
London, Connecticut Paul Jones was
at the time cruising along the American
coast. His feat off Marlborough Head
year before had inspired the comman,
der of the Hussar with healthy re-
spect for his powers, and it was, there
tore, determined to make tire voyage
by the way of Hell Gate. 1t was a
hazardous undertaking for vessel OF
her tonnage, but negro pilot had sues
ueeded a short time before in taking
through another frigate. The Hussar
attempted the passage with favorlng
wind and a high tide and safely passed
the most dangerous points in the chan
mel, but with a smooth course already
in view the frigate struck heavily on
Pot Rock. The swift current swung
her around and she drifted helplessly
up the stream past Wards and RAN
dall's Islands, making water rapidly
When the vessel once more obeyed her
helm she was filing SO fast that the
commodore determined to beach her at
the entrance to a marshy cove below
Fort Morris. This was done and the
crew, with the assistance OF farmers at
work near by, held her to the shore by
passing hawsers around the large trees
there. A more dangerous point could
not have been selected, for the frigate
from amldsbips hung over precipice
nearly 100 feet high. When the tide
began to fall the strain upon the cables
was tremendous. Some parted. others
pulled from the ground the trees 10
which they were attached. when the
ship gave lurch and went bodily over
the ledge. Worst of all, she carried
down with her the seventy haPless
wretches chained to her gun-deck. The
officers and crew escaped.
In 1894 the British Government sent
over two briggs, and for two summers
unsuccessful efforts were made to raise
the sunken frigate. One of the briggs
foundered while engaged in this work,
and now lies in thirteen fathoms OF
water, a short distance below the hull
of the Hussar The other was driven
off BY the American Government.
Twenty five years elapsed before anoth,
effort was made. A company was
formed and work was begun in the
spring Of 1919; but with the clumsy
appliances then i'll vogue no progress
was made. One enterprise succeeded
another, but with like result. Over
$4,000 was expended in constructing
y Golfer dam, which proved too weak to
resist the force of the tide. Over
twenty years ago company was form-
I'd in Worcester, Massachusetts, called
the New England Submarine Company
With Horace Barnes as superintendent
This company and its successor, the
Frigate Hlssar Company, have prose-
cuted the work since, except during the
three past summers. They have now
resumed operations and hope by the
use OF improved machinery AND new
process to get possession of the golden
treasure buried in the frigafe's hull.
Dir Barnes still superintends the work
but little money has thus far been
taken from the wreck, and the sums