The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1876-01-24
DELVING In THE DEEP.
sUBAQUEoUs sEARcHINes.
The Experience Of a Diver Who
Searched for SUI ken Treasures
in the Pacific Ocean.
RECOVERY OF A STEAMSHIPS
WEALTH.

OF 81 l,0UO,OOO IN COIN AND BULLION-THE
MEASURES TO RECOVER THEM-A PERSONAL
NARRATIvE-THRILLING EXPERIENCES.
The following is obtsined from the coll
umns ofthe San Francisco Chronicle: Many
residents of the Pacific coast will, upon
reading the following narrative, vividly re-
member the thrill of horror through the
community occssioned by the burning of
the steamship Golden Gate, in July, 1862. The
steamer took fire off the west coast of Mexico
and her commander, Captain Hudson. run
her ashore on the beach about eighteen
miles north of the port ut Mar zanillO. The
Golden Gate was total loss, and 22S human
beings perished, either by the flames or by
drowning, a lew, Captain Hudson among
tie number, succeeding in gaining the
Snore and were saved. The remainder died
agoniziDg deaths. Although the Golden
Gate was burned to the waters edge, no
vestiee remaining to mark her grave saving
such of the iron work as had resisted the
flames, the old hulk, by virtue OF concOmit-
For with the Golden Gate 81 500 eco
in gold coin and bullion had gone down.
This treasure was incased in boxes Of
various sizes, the value o. their contents
ranging from S4, 600 to S37, 600. For some-
time after the disaster 1t was supposed that
surf over a territory of a mile in length, but
the subsequent investigation satisfied those
persons interested that the boxes were In a
group, exactly where the Golden
Gate had gone down. OF course
this treasure was not suffered to
remain quiescent under the waves.
Measures were at once iLs.ituted for the re-
covery. In 1868 William Ireland, of San
Francisco, organized an expedition which
proceeded to the wreck in order
TO RECOVER THE TREASURE
on a salvage of one-third. The services of
Sidney Cook, the well known Eastern diver,
were procured, and neither pains nor ex-
perss was spared to recover the vast wealth
beneath the waves. But the task proved
difficult one. The coast is dangerous, and
even in calm weather a tremendous surf
RACES along the beach. In rough weather
no boat can live among the breakers, the
roaring Of which may be heard for miles
speedily drifted ridges OF sand over the
treasure to depth OF from eight to twelve
feet. For 80 days the expedition remained
at the spot, the diver cropping in the sand
every day for seven hours. The result of his
labor was the recovery of S775, ,000 one-third
of which was claimed and obtained ss salvage
by Ireland. In 1864, Cook accompanied an
Other expedition under the mas Sgement OF
T. J. L. Smiley. The underwriters objected
to this proceeding, and instituted suit
against Smiley. The litigation was finally
settled by compromise, Smiley paving the
underwriters $40, 900, and receiving bill OF
sale for the wreck in toto. Smiley made
fine haul, recovering $300,000. The diver re-
turning to his home in the state OF Maine
after this expedition terminated proceedings,
and about S500,00 in gold coin and bullion
still remained buried in the sand at the bot
tom of the sea. From time to time Cook re-
ceived pressing invitations to return and
search for the treasure, great inducements
being held out to him; but his profession is
alike perilous and prostrating, and, having
made large percentage on his recoveries,
the diver declined the offers. However
hopes are entertained of the eventual re-
covery of the remainder of the treasure.
Following is Cooks sworn narrative, writ
ten over decade ago: Having lately seen
an item going the rounds of the papers, that
a company was being organized in Wall
street TO seek for sunken millions in the
hsrbor of Vigo, Spain. it called to mind my
own '-
EXPERIENCE IN TREASURE HUNTING.
The sea has for ages been swallowing the
treasures of all the countries that sail ships.
There are stories of fabulous amounts of
gold and silver lying at the bottom OF the
sea-amongst islands, along coral reefs and
in mid ocean. / will, however, in this ar
ticle speak more particularly of the recovery
of the treasure of the steamship Golden
Gate, wrecked on the west coast of Mexico
on the 2Sth of July, 1862, when on the way
from San Francisco to Panama. As soon as
her loss became known in San Francisco
measures were taken to recover the treasure
which had been on board of her, that
treasure amounting to 81 100000 in gold.
did not succeed in making an engagement
with any company until 1868, three years
after the steamer was run ashore by Capt.
Hudson. She was in flames, with Steam on,
when she was beached about eighteen miles
north of the port OF MaDzanillO. Tbs beach
Isl some ten miles long and half q
mile or more wide, extending back to a
lagoon. There had been two or three expe-
ditions sent down from San Francisco to re-
cover the treasure. They all came back
without finding a single box. All made the
same report-that the treasure could never
be found; that it was scattered and buried
in the sand. The steamer Active, under
command of Captain Waterman, constituted
the last expedition prior to the one accom-
panied, and cost the insurance companies
some $65, 600. Mr.. Tillinghast, OF San Fran
cisco, offered to send me down by steamer
to join Captain Waterman. /, however, on
some inquiries, declined to go, not having
any faith in the men nor their outfit. The
treasure room of the "Golden Gate" was
built of plsnks and lined with boiler plates,
screwed TO the planking. When the steamer
went to pieces the stern broke off bodily and
urllt6u 10 buo DOItnWdIu, bn6 slu6 e6ttlug
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 treasure
was in the stern piece that broke off and
that the boxes had been scattered along in
tine surf for a distance of five miles and all
had sunk In the sand beyond recovery. The
fact, however, as afterward proved, was that
when the stern broke off the break was in
and through the treas Ire room; conse-
quently the treasure dropped where her
bones lay, all in small space, about one
hundred and fifty feet from the shore in or
dinary weather and 800 feet in rough
weather. The heavy seas rolling high on
the beach, in their return would carry the
sand of shore and deposit it over the money.
In calmer weather the waves would carry
a 4. ook fhrro