The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1879-09-18


her powers % suppress the revolution
in Venexuela, the 1,000-ton ine-of-bat-
tie ship San Pedro Alcartara- was dis
patched from the mother country, laden
with ammunition Of war and treasure
to pay the army in Venezuela and the
navy on the Spanish. main. She had
ON board, as proved by the records pre-
served In the State archives in Madrid,
o., coo. 900 In gold coin packed in iron
chests, and e3. 900, 900 in silver packed
in wooden chests When the vessel n.
rived of La Guayra theinsurgentforces
we're threatening Caraccus, and the
frightened merchants, and clergy fear
ing . Back OF the city. hastened to place
their wealth. In the treasure-hold Of the
San Pedro Alcantara for safe-keeping.
Bullion, gems, church ornaments. and
jewels, roughly estimated at 81 ,000, 900,
were thus added to the riches already
aboard. The San Pedro Alcantara
sailed from La Guayra to OF the south
ern coast Of the. ,fsland, of Margarita,
where she anchored between Cache
and Cubagua, small islands to the south
of Margarita. Outing q revel among
the sailors fire was started by the
upturning Of o bowl sof hiazing punch,
the flames communicating with bar
rel of brandy. 1t is said the dry wooden
weasel was speedily epveloped, and the
nre soon became uncontrollable, until
it reached the powder magaxine, when
. terrible explosion took place, shatter-
ing to fragments the after half Of the
vessel, scattering far and wide over the
waters the wealth Of her treasure-hold
and sacrificing the lives Of 200 out Of
1,0O0 men. All the foregoing is a mat
ter Of history, estab ablished by undoubted
authority; that remaining to Be stated
ID . matter Of knowledge TO living wit
nessea. In 1854 q company i'm Balti-
more undertook to recover the treasure.
They worked three months on the
wreck OF the forward half of the
vessel, and recovered about %, 600 in
coin; the coin found there was only
scattered silver dollars, stuck into the
woodwork by the force of the explo-
sion. Owing TO the slow progress in
recovering any Of the treasure, many
concerned in the expedition became
dissatisfied with the way by which the
wreck was worked, Thomas 81. Fol-
lingsby, one Of the divers, advanced q
theory to the Superintendent that the
force of the explosion had thrown al
most everything on the vessel aft; other
divers .coincided with him in his opin-
ion. After changing the location on
the schooner from which they worked
Q diving-bell to the place indicated by
Follingsby, they succeeded. after six
months; work, in recovering about
$500, 900 in silver coin. However,
much more was recovered, as the divers
secreted about themselves large sums
Of money. They also found Jewels of
which they rendered no account One
man, in particular, picked up q dia-
mond cross, which was subsequently,
sold in New York for @18, 900. Several
of the divers finally stole the longboat
and fed to La Guayra; they were, how
ever, pursued and arrested, but as they
had counter-claims for percentage, and
the manager Of the expedition was quite
unpopular, the affair was compromised
and they were set free, the expedition
returning to Baltimore TO ref1t and set
I out the second time. Owing, again, to
difficulties between the Superintendent
and his divers the expedition was COM
PEELED to return to Baltimore the sec
ond time and again 'refit. The third
.expedition was equally unsuccessful.
Owing to change in the Venezuelan
Government q suspicion OF pretended
sdistrust and deception in the matter of
ROY atty were taken advantages Of to an
null the grant ss.s.aate3 = e..siii.s
/ An expedition from Rroyidence took
some 430. 900, but was believed to be
dishonestly managed and brought up in
q row. Another small expedition got
1f6, 600. Several attempts have been
made since by incompetent aud inefii-
cient expeditions. all OF which have got