Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1877-04-17

The FIRST expedition I accompanied
Vas under the command OF William
Ireland Of San Francisco, veteran in
the wrecling business. We left San
Francisco in q schooner OF $50 tons,
with all the appliances that could be
thought Of to experiment in digging
sand under water We had working
crew OF twelve men, with two divers
one, Duncan Johnson, a muscular
man weighing 200 pounds, and myself,
Weighing $50 pounds.
We reached the harbor OF Manzanil-
10. in due time. procured u permit
from the commandant OF the port to
wreck on the coast, and next day sailed
for the scene OF ruin or fortune, as
many had their all invested in the e1-
pedition.
Arriving of the wreck we dropped
anchor in twenty fathoms OF water,
mile off shore, and commenced TO
build lighter, which was finished
and launched from the vessel in few
days.
About this time sloop came down
the coast from MaZatlan, with seven
teen native pearl divers, all stalwart
fellows, who afterward gave us much
trouble.
johnson made the first dive. He was
down about half an hour. He went
down outside Of the surf. and crawled
into shore on his hands and knees,
carrying only the ordinary weight
that divers Ese. He, however, did not
accomplish anything. and was drawn
up somewhat scared, having been
roughly handled by the surf. then
dressed myself and went down, carry
ing more lead, and by not displacing
so much water as johnson, l Jared
better under the waves.
BY moving around fat on my abdo.
men 10 avoid being Knocked around
by rollers, only had the undertow to
contend with. / examined everything
with which my hands came in con-
tact.
Shortly after, reaching the broken
end OF the ksel-which was confined
In the sand under the engine bed
plate-I was violently forced along
the bottom by the undertow. After
being dashed in shore by huge
breaker, l came in contact with two
square ends Of wood sticking out OF
the sand about six inches; but before
/ could make an examination OF them
| was dashed away. When l again
found them, / clasped both arms
around them. while the surf and I'M
dertow would swing me around in
circle. did not know what l had
hold OF, whether the ends OF hmbers
or boxes OF gold, until the undertow
running under my arms cut the sand
away around the boxes so that they
tilted over. l then realized what l
held clasped in my arms. | shouted
and cheered TO myself, as knsw all
would do when the boxes would reach
the lighter.
Now. I did not know what 10 do
with them; l could not handle them
both, and was afraid TO leave one lest
the Mexican divers might find it, or 1t
might become buried before | could
| return for il. l finally took one in my
arms. and gave q quick, strong pull on
nv lifeline. which is the signal OF dis
tress. and is never given except when
the diver wants TO be drawn up IN
haste. lay about three hundred feet
from the lighter. The bottom was
winrowed in small waves Of sand, run
ming parallel with the shore. Over
these drifts / was dragged as fast as
four men could haul me with on 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. l could family hear excited
words-that was dead In the ex-
citement the men ceased pumping air
to me. The skifr came around where
was suspended, and | could dis
tinctly hear the men say was dead.
One OF them reached under my head
TO unscrew my face glass, and discov-
cred the box in my arms. Then, all
was changed from sadness 10 JOY. And
three cheers went up for the diver.
After being relieved OF my burden, /
waved my hand TO be lowered TO the
bottom again, and soon found the
other box. Igave,the same signal on the
lifeline, but received kind treatment
compared with my first trip to the
lighter. I never want another such
ride as had over these sand ridges
with box Of gold weighing one hun
dred and seventy-five 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
100000.
No more treasure would ever have
been recovered, as there were some
broken 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
Feeling confident that the rest oi
the treasure was there in the sand
near the place, all hands set their wits
at work to devise some means TO re-
cover il.
After lying idle week or more,
was talking one evening with the car
penter, when he asked me how stream
OF water would affect the sand. l saw
at once that il was just what twas need
ed. and told him so. Then he make q
wooden force pump, and hose ol
canvas with a nozzle was made by roll
ing up a piece OF sheathing metal. We
also built another lighter TO work the
force pump on. We had u small don