The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1877-11-15
New York Times.

A treasure-hunting expedition nov
being organized in this city, and des
tined to start from here the coming
month, has for its object the acquisi
ton of a long-hidden store Of wealth
! by comparison with the magnitude o.
which the much sought treasure Of thu
piratical Capt. Kidd sinks into utter
insignificance. For more than sixty
years the waves and sands of the Span
ish main have concealed in one spot
over $6,000,000- in gold and silver
coin, rich jewels, ingots Of bullion, anC
massive plate of the precious metals
the rich freight once of one of Spain's
proudest men-of-war, the San Pedro
Alcantara. Several attempts, each at
tended with more Or less success, have
been made for the recovery of that
treasure, but the sums tished out of the
deep have been exceedingly small in
proportion to the enormous wealth re-
manning. Now, it is believed by the
projectors Of the present enterprise,
the time has come when patience, skill
and the appliances for submarine ex-
ploratiOn invented in late years Will
reap their rich reward in retaining
those long-lost millions. In the year
1915, during the reign of Fernando VII
of Spain, the mighty three-deck man
OfWar San Pedro Alcantara was dis
patched from Spain as the convoy Of q
number of professionalism vessels des-
tined for the supply of the feet then in
the Caribbean Sea engaged in subjugat-
ing to the Spanish rule the states on
the Spanish main. Thirteen hundred
men, recruits for the navy and land
forces, were on board, and in the treas
ure-chests were $3,0O0,O0O in silver.
When the San Pedro Alcantara reach
ed La Guayra, Venezuela, q fierce reyo-
luton was found to be in progress, and
the so-called Spanish citizens Of Cara
cas-. believing their property unsafe,
transferred their gold and jewels to the
man-Of-war. The gold alone amounted
to over $1,OOO,000, and the value of the
jewels has been represented as enOr-
nous, though it has never been def
nitely ascertained. The churches Of
Venezuela also awaited themselves of
this opportunity to secure their treas
ures on board the San Pedro Alcantara
during the unsettled condition of the
country. AS to the aggregate Of the
riches thus deposited from this source
there is also u lack of definite inf0rma-
ton, but the chroniclers of tins i'll
starred cruise aver that there were a
number OF great heavy chests filled with
gold and silver altar plate and gold coin
put aboard by the priests.
From La Guayra the San Pedro Al
cantaTa went up the coast to the island
of Margarita, where the troops debark-
ed and achieved signal victory over
the Venezuelan forces stationed there.
The revOlted towns OF Asuncion, Pom
patar, Por-la-mar, and Norte, were
then plundered by order of the com
mander Of the man-Of-War, and reduced
to ashes after their WealCh had been
carried on board the vessel and stored
in her tre9sure-hold. Here again the
records are defective. Some say that
only about $1,O00,O00 were obtained
from the towns sacked and destroyed,
While others estimated the loot" in the
precious metals alone at nearly three
times that amount. 1t is, at all events,
known that there was a great store OF
riches in those towns, and the presump-
ton is strong that, owing to the sud-
denness Of the descent upon them, little
WAS saved from the grasp of the con-
quer0rS.
Unfortunately for the San Pedro
Alcantara and all on board, the exultt>-
ton of the soldiers and sailors over
their successes found expression in a
huge revel on board. Casks of wine
and stronger beverages were preached,
and it is a matter Of doubt if there was
one sober man on the vessel Oh the
night when the terrifying alarm of
"fre" was given. The flames started,
no one knew how, happened quickly to
reach cask Of brandy, which burst,
deluging it's vicinity with liquid fire,
and spreading the conflagration SO rap
idly that nothing could have been done
to check it even had cool and sober
men been menaced by the danger, in
stead OF q wild mob half crazed by
drink and fright. The fire was soon
darling up through the matches and
tapping the sails. AT the same time it
was making swift Roadway in the old
and dry woodwork between decks. The
sea was calm and the boats were low
erred without difficulty, but they could
hold only small portion of the NUM-
bers on board. Men fought to reach
them, jumped into them from the deck
when they were launched, and battled
with each other in the water to clutch
their sides. Two boats were capslzed
and one was stove in. Nobody thought
Of saving the treasure. The common
purpose was simply escape from hor-
rible death. Meanwhile the fire made
it's way aft to the well-stored powder
magazine. Suddenly a terrible explo-
Ision rent the air, an eruption Of lurid
light that reached the sky, momentari-
Ily banished night from about the
doomed vessel, and the air was filed
with the fragments Of the ship and