Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1878-07-03
NUMBER SO.
TREASURE TRovE.
Recovery Of Silver from an Old wreck
A Perilous but Successful Under
taking.

ferAlous out SuccesofuI Under
taking.
Some time ago an expedition ".
fitted out by J. J. Winant and others, q
this city. for the purpose of recnverin
treasure lost on the wreck of the Pacifi
mail steamer City of San Francisco
The schooner Carolina Mills was pul
chased and dispatched to TarGar shos
and, after undergoing all manner o
risks and hardships, the treasure-seeker
returned to this city with nearly all tn
silver and other valuable material los
on the wreck. A libel for salvage wa
filed against the treasure in the Unitet
States District Court, and, after hearin,
the statements of the parties, Judg,
Hoffman rendered the following opinion
last Thursday:
J. J. Winant ct al. Va. Seven Bar
Silver Bullion, etc. But one element 4
wanting to the salvage service perform
ed by the lbellants to give it the very
highest order of'merit, viz, riak incurred
in saving human life. The treasure
which has been recovered was taken
from the wreck of the City of San Fran.
cisco, lying on Tartar shoal, eighty miles
south Of Acapulco. No less than three
previous attempts had been made to
recover it by parties provided with all
the appliances for diving, blowing up
the wreck, etc. All had abandoned the
undertaking as impracticable and even
desperate. The last Of these parties,
conducted by very prominent engineer,
with a complete outfit, on their return
reported the task hopeless. Under these
discouraging circumstances the libellants
undertook to fit out an expedition. For
this purpose they employed schooner,
owned by two of them. and valued at
$1,000, and fitted her out at an expense
of about 81, 400. TwOexperienced divers
were engaged, AID complete crew, and
they proceeded to the wreck. From the
time of their arrival until their depart
ure, the vessel was exposed to constant
peril, and on the last day narrowly
escaped destruction through a change in
the wind, and the dragging of her an
chors. Nothing but courage, coolness,
decision aud presence mind, united to Z
high degree of nautical skjll, averted
disaster, to all appearances inevitable.
But the greatest danger was incurred by
the divers 1t would almost seem that
nothing but the desperation of absolute
poverty could induce any one for the
mere hope of gain, to confront the risks
to which the divers were exposed. The
schooner was liable at any moment to be
dashed to pieces against the wreck, part
of which was visible above the surface
of the water, and other parts being Just
belowit. The water was muddy and there
was strong current. Under these circum.
stances the divers descended into the
wreck, under portions Of the deck which
were swaying and swinging with the mo-
tion of the sea, into the treasure room,
where there was barely room to crawl,
in utter darkness and with their life line
and air hose leading under iron plates
and over timbers in the form OF a letter
s, and liable at any moment to be chafed
of, while if the breast lines of the
schooner parted the destruction of the
diver was almost inevitable. 1t is not
to be wondered that other divers of cour-
age and experience had declined SER
vice 30 perilous, if not foolhardy. From
the time of the schooners departure until
her return was period of eleven weeks.
Including time consumed in prepare
lions, ETC., she was in the service about
four months. No persons interested in
the treasure or the steamer Furnished
any portion of the outfit, or were in any
way connected in the adventure, The
vessel and cargo had long since been
to the underwriters, by whom
the loss had been paid. No claimants
nave appeared in this Court, and it is
not easy to ascertain who are the true
owners of the silver bars which consti-
tute the chief part of the property
recovered. They probably belong to
foreign underwriters, but to whom and
in what proportion is not known. The
gross amount realized is 4l9, 9,821.55. Uf
This, according to agreement, the ship
was to receive 40 per cent; the master
and mate 10 per cent; the two divers 10
per cent; the remaining 20 per cent 10
be divided among the crew at percent
ages varying from q to 5 per cent. l
hall allow the sum of $l5 900 for salvage
compensation, to ts paid to the salvors.
The expense Of outfit, less the sum rea-
ized on the sale Of surplus stores, the
costs, commissions, etc, together with
counsel fee of $3.50, to be charge on
the balance Of the fund. Fsdncis-
60 Call.