The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1879-10-09
WEALTH UNDER WATER.
LOST TREASURES IN THE CARIBBEAN SEA.

Venezuela, the 1,000-tcn lineof-battle
ship San Pedro Alcantara was dispatched
from the mother country, laden with
munitions 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 preserved in the
state archives in Madrid, $2,O0O.000 in
gold com packed in iron chests, and
S3,000,000 in silver packed in wooden
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, fastened 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 $1,000, 900, were thus added to the
riches already aboard. The San Pedro
Alcantara sailed from La Guayra to of
the southern coast OF the island of Mar
garita, where she anchored between
Cache and Cubagua, small islands to the
south of Margarita. During a revel
among the sailors fire was started by
the upturning of bowl of blazing punch,
the flames communicating with barrel
OF brandy. 1t is said the dry wooden
vessel was speedily enveloped, and the
fire soon became uncomfortable, until it
reached the powder magazine, when q
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
rifcing the lives of 700 ont of ], 900 men.
All the foregoing is matter of history,
established by undoubted authority; that
remaining to be stated is a matter of
knowledge TO living witnesses. In 1864
company in Baltimore undertook to
recover the treasure. They worked three
months on the wreck of the forward half
of the vessel, and recovered about 50, 600
in coin; the coin found there was only
scattered silver dollars, stuck into the
woodwork by the force of the explosion.
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.
Thos. II. Follingsby, one Of the divers,
advanced theory to the superintendent
that the force Of tho explosion had thrown
almost everything on the vessel aft; other
divers coincided with him in his opinion.
After changing the location on the vessel
from which they worked of diving-bell
to the place indicated by Follingsby, they
succeeded, after six months work, in re-
covering about $500, 900 in silver coin.
However, much more was recovered, as
hedivers secreted about themselves large
sums of money. They also found jewels
of which they rendered no account. One
man in particular, picked up diamond
cross, which was subsequently sold in
New York for $4,000. Several of the
divers finally stole the longboat and fed
to La Guayra; they were, however, pur-
sued and arrested, but, as they had
counter-claims for percentage, and the
manager Of the expedition was quite un-
popular, the affair was compromised and
they were set free, the expedition return
ing to Baltimore to reft and set out the
second time. Owing, again, to Difficult
ties between the superintendent, and his
| divers the expedition was compelled to
| return to Baltimore the second tiloe and
again refit. The third expedition was
equally unsuccessful. Owing to change
in the Venezuelan Government a suspen-
sion of pretended distrust and deception
in the matter of royalty were taken ad-
vantage of to annul the grant.
An expedition from Providence took
some $4,000, but was believed to be
dishonesty managed and brought up in
row. Another small expedition got
$4,000. Several attempts have been
made since by incompetent and inefi-
cient expeditions, all Of which have got
money; but, owing to various circum-
stances, have only been measurably sue
cessful, having been stopped by incom-
potency or avaricious dishonesty.
The latest was sent out by we'll known
New York capitalist in 1878. II failed,
however, through the incompetency Of
the captain. The grant for exclusive
working of the ground for term OF six
years is now held by MIR. Follingsby, the
diver before mentioned as directing the
movement in 1864, which led to the
recovery of $1,000 The ground to be
worked is about two and one half miles
from shore. in an almost land-locked
roadstead; the water is from fifty TO sixty
feet deep; the bottom is sand fourteen
to thirty inches deep; at both ends oi
the roadstead there is very deep water,
preventing therefore any accumulation
of sand in the roadstead. The current
is never more than two knots, which
renders lt an easy matter To Work at the
wreck the whole year. It is proposed
to dredge the entire bottom for sufli
cient radius to take mp everything thrown
out by the explosion. Dredges taking
twenty-four square feet at each dip have
been tried, and work well. Experts con
tend that the iron chests containing the
gold have afforded solid break by tht
explosion 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 the fact that only silver ha:
been recovered. The last expedition
under Capt. Post, of the brig Gypsy
was compelled to return to the United
States, as all on board suffered from th.
heat and bad drinking water taken or