The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1879-10-10
WEALTH UNDER WATER.
THE lost TREASURES IN THE CARRIE
BEAN SEA

In 1915, when Spain was eNerting al
her powers to suppress the revolution in
Venezuela, the 200 ton line-Of-battlC
ship san Pedro Alcantara was dispatch
ed from the mother country. laden with
munitions of war and treasure to pay the
army in Venezuela and the navy on the
z Spanish main. She had on board, as
proved by the records preserved in the
state archives IN MadIiG, 81 600, 600 in
gold coin packed in iron chests, and 81
100000 in silver packed in wooden
I chests. When the vessel arrived off La
Guayra the insurgent forces were threat
ening Caracas. and the frightened mer-
chants and clergy. fearing a sack OF the
city, hastened TO place their wealth in
/ the treasure-hOld of the san Pedro Al
/ cantra for safe-keeping. Bullion. gems,
church ornaments and jewels, roughly
/ estimated at 81 ,O0O, 900, were thus added
TO the riches already aboard. The san
. Pedro AlcantaTa sailed from La GUayra
TO off the southern coast OF the island of
AIargaTita. where she anchored between
Cache and Cuhagua. small islands TO the
south of MargaTita. During a Tcyel
among the sailors q fire was started by
the upturning of bowl Of blazing punch,
the flames communicating with a barrel
of brandy. It is said the dry wooden
vessel was speedily enyeloped. and the
fire soon became uncomfortable, until
it reached the powder magazine, when a
terrible explosion took place, shattering
to fragments the after half Of the vessel,
scattering far and wide over the waters
the wealth of her treasure-hold and sac
rificing the lives of 700 out Of / 600 men.
All the foregoing is a matter of history.
established by uHdOUbted authority !;
that remaining to be stated is a matter
of knowledge TO living witnesses. In
1864 4 company in Baltimore undertook
to recover the treasure. They worked
three months on the wreck of the for
ward half of the vessel. and recovered
about $4,000 in coin the coin found
there was only scattered silver dollars.
stuck into the woodwork 10y the force Of
the explosion. Owing TO the slow pro
grcss in recovering any of the treasure.
many concerned in the expedition became
dissatisfied with The way by which the
wreck was worked. IhOS. IL. EOIuga-
by one of the divers. advanced a theory
TO the superintendent that the force of
the explosion had thrown almost every
thing on the vessel ait other divers CO.
iucided with him in his opinion. After
changing the location ON the schooner
from which they worked OF a diying-bell
TO the place indicated by Foliiugsby.
they succeeded. after SIN months work.
in recovering about 800, 1000 ia silver
coin. However, much more WAS recOy-
cred, as the divers Secreted about them
selves large sums Of money. They also
found Jewels. of which they rendered 10
account. One man, inparticular. picked
up diamond cross. which was subse-
qUeutIy sold in New ! 0Tk for cl3- 600.
Several OF the divers finally stole the
lOngbUat and fled 10 Ia Guayra they
were, however. pursued and arrested.
but. as they had cOunteI-clalmS Tor per
centage, and the manager OF the eNpcdi-
tiOn was quite unpopular, the affair was
compromised and they were set free, the
expedition returning TO Baltimore to re-
fit and set out the second time. Owing
again 20 difficulties between the super
mtendent and his divers the expedition
was compelled TO return to Baltimore
the second time and again reht. The
third expedition was equally uuSucccSS-
full. Owing to d change III the NeneZu-
elan Government suspicion OF pretend
ed diStTuSt and deception in the matter
of ROYALTY were taken advantage of to
annul the grant.
An expedition from Providence took
some $4,000 but was believed TO be
dishonesty managed and brought up in
a row. Another small expedition got
$4,000. Several attempts have been
made since 10y incompetent and lEelhc-
lent expeditions. all of which have got
money but, owing To various circuIn-
stances. have only been meaSuUbiy she
cessful. having been stopped 10y iucum-
potency or avaricioUs dishonesty.
The latest was sent out bE u we'll
known New York capitalist In 1873. Il
failed. however. through the incompe-
tcncy of the Captain. The grant ior
exclusive working Of the ground Ior q
term of six years is now held by Mr..
Fullingsbv. the diver before mentioned
as directing the movement in 1916. which
led to the recovery OF Sj0o,tJu. The
ground to he worked is about two and
One-half miles from shore. iu an almost
land-lOcked roalStea8 The water is from
fifty to sixty feet deep; the bottom is
sand fourteen to thirty inches deep aj
both ends of the rOadstead there is very
deep water. preventing therefore any
accumulation of sand in the rCadStcau.
The current is never more than two
lleOts, which renders it an easy matt cr
to work at the wreck the whole year.
1t is proposed to dredge the entire bot
tom for a sufficient radius to take up
everything thrown out by the explosion.
Dredges taking twcnty-fOuT square feet
at each dip have been tried. and work
well Experts contend that the iron
chests containing the gold have afforded
a solid break to the explosive force and
have consequently been thrown far off ;
while the silver hurled from the burst
. boxes came down in a shower within a
narrow radius. which accounts for tie
fact that only silver has been recovered.
The last expedition under Captain Post,
of the big Gypsy, was compelled 60 re-
turn to the United States, as all oa board
suffered from the heat and bad drinking.
water taken aboard ut the island of Mar
garita. so that work was impossible. ant
it NAV be said that the Captain was tn.
only one who escaped any Illness.