Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1878-11-07


water passing over my head and pointing
10 shore. l was in an easy position. but.
peing packed SO solidly, could not make
an euort to clear myself, or make signal.
OF receive one. expecting every moment
tnat the escape OF air would be stopped.
thus bursting the air-hOse. which would be
tue end or all. l remained In that position
over Two hOurs-it seemed ages-when a
nu2e roller came crashing In, straighten-
ing the water-hose, kedge anchor. and all
ih-shore beyond We. and pointing the
stream OF water directly against me, thus
washing me out"
with his crude hydraulic machinery he
was enabled to recover s675, 900 more in
gold, making total OF $4,000. Then.
one night furious gale swept the lighters
IN runs on the beach and sank the engine,
= y oisaster which compelled return to San
francisco TO rent, and as the season was
lneh advanced. nothing could be done on
'he wreck until the next Winter (lS64-5.) }
When Mr.. Cook returned to the wreck
OF the Golden Gate that succeeding Winter.
ne accompanied an expedition under anOth-
er MANAGEMENT, and was much better fitted
Win hyuraulic apparatus. IL was still ear
~ Ior the WORK, the sand was 10 feet deep.
ana the SURF was terrific. The expedition
ne had ueserted-'n consequence OF diff
cuity over the settlement Of salvage-was
On tue ground. ana very bitter feeling
existed between that party and the new
one ne WAS with, so much so that both
were armed with cannon. rifles and revolt
vers, 10 expectation OF a naval engage
ment, which fortunatelynever took place.
BUT Mr.. COOK had gone there to dive. not
10 hsht, ana calmly went ahead with his
preparations TO meet and conquer the enor
nous dimculties created by Nature
rinoln2 MS india-ruboer dress too buoy
Aut; he substituted Tor It one OF canvas,
ann a.", p,o,Iu ., tns. .. closing 'ne air-escape
-. 80 )" t.s n,s "e tue a., Noulu Io'ce
-. 80. ".n eu,'c'en. pressure
- ~. no n ,, oeo" ,t nis alnP'.s ',i MS
80, ,t' "e 'oHueu n'n.eh Win icau.
.o""u VI, oo'y, 'Ioui h'ps 10 a'mpts' ne
80 a as oe', WIN i've PoeAe's,
hoiu'"s - Pounu oi shol' hrouuu
.ne anAie ne 'asteneu aioth-
g o'S "oiu'hS - - poonus Oh snot. Two
'"'ke P'"'es VI 'eau' each "eigninS oo
Pouhus' were fastened rrc.iy 10 MS heaSy
helmet. front ana oack. his feet were
covered oy the canvas dress, but his hands
were pare. Ihus accoutred, he was rolled
IRON tue ueck oil the vessel into the water
"a LOU pouhu man. iauen with 2oo pounds
OF metal 10 make MS gallant hght against
tue incaicuiaoie forces ready 10 overwheim
and destroy him that moment In which the
slightest accident should happen TO the
nose through winch his supply OF Air was
forced. or those by which the scarcely less
necessary supply OF water was kept up.
n TWO and hall inch water hose he fast
ehed 10 one OF MS legs, SO that II would
discharge downward steady stream. y
hose directed hands
Those were at once his weapons OF attack
and defense in the sand. How he farcd
with them he graphically tells. lie says:
Nv hen In the sand, there we're from 600
to 800 gallons OF water per minute coming
up out OF the hole around me. thus making
me very buoyant. Even had the hole been
large enough for me TO bend over, | could
not have done SO with the air In my he'll
met, against that current. SO all my feel
ing aud searching had TO be done with my
toes. Then again. though fastened my
hose TO kedse-anchor 10 feet from me. SO
as 10 leave me only that much TO handle.
the big rollers would sometimes seize that.
tesr me OUT OF the hole and whirl me over
Ihe bottom Ike a playthlng. When got
down IL or more feet reached The contents
OF the steamers coai-ounkers' bar, aud
pantry-oroken glass, ana crockery, iron
RODS, coal, boiler plates. gold, aud thous-
ana aud one things. all buried together.
Inc hydraulic stream would send every
thlns whlZzlnS and whrling In all direc-
tlons with such velocity as to cut my hands
anu ieet. sometimes loose gold pieces
would ny into my hands, and often
would orlhg up bottles OF wine and liquor
tied TO my dress. In making examinations
with the feet, II anything was found which
hal square corners ! would force down
beside II a long steel hook. which l carried
tied to my dress. Hit should prove to be
box OF gold, would come to the sur
lace ot the sand and signal by the He line
Tor set OF long steel spring hooks-which
l Invented for the purpose-to be sent to
me. The surf-boat would bring them as
near me as possible, and then they would
be throwp In my direction until they struck
my helmet. by that time the hole would
be filled up, or nearly so. ! would rede-
scend' cut my way TO the box with .he
hydraulic stream, spring on the hooks,
aud signal to pull AS they pulled on
the hookline would work the nozzles so
as to let the sand settle gradually under
the box, until 1t got within Two or three
feet OF the surface OF the sand, without
any very great trouble. But Just there
would come the tug OF war. The boat
could not lit IL out OF the hole, because
Il had to lie too far OIL. l would be about
knee deep in the sand just where the
breakers would break over me. One
wsuld hurl me head down 10 shore. and
perhaps jerk the hose out OF my hands.
Then the SAND would instantly close IKE
vice upon my legs Again and again that
would often be repeated, until | would be-
come exhausted, and have to lie down ior
rest, with my legs pinioned last. Ihen
would get hold OF the nozzle wash my
self free, ana begln the struggle again.
That would De Kept up one or TWO hours
sometimes, the box meanwhile going up
an inch at time. AT last the box wonlu
be clear ana l would give the signal To
"haul up IL was hard work. often
came out OF the sand with the feet OF the
dress all worn on oy my paving ana dig
slhs III ane coais' siAss' anu sahu WIN & aiy
toes NY ice. oecane 80 sure anu % oau'y
u