, 1879-08-21
Georgo X. Otis, si,0Ol; Chicago. 8. r. Wheeler.
$lA1U0; 81. Louis, Robert T. TanscI, Sll,NU:
Now Orleans, w. q. James, SASH.
WEALTH UNDER WATER.


The Lost Tfeasurea in the CArih!,enn fan
Erchnnps.
In 1916, when 8paih was crcrtfng all her
powers to suppress the revolution In Vcnczuela.
The 1,00O-ton llno-of-hatto ship San Pedro Al.
cantara was dispatched from tho mother coun.
try, iatlon with ammunition OF war and treasure
to pay the army In Venezuela and tllc nnvy On
the Spanish n,atn. Sho hall ou boart, a. proven
by tho records preserved In the Bsato archives
in afntlrid, s.,0O0,00o In roid coin packed In
Iron chests and s3,ooo,Co0 in silver packed In
wooden chests When the vessel arrived OF In
Guayra tho in6urgcnt forcch wcrc threatening
Casaccas, at,d tiio frightened merchants ami
clergy, fearing q sack Of tic city, hastcncd 10
ptnse tlc!r wealth In the treasure hold ot the
San Pedro Alcnntnra for sate keeping Bullion,
uems, church ornaments, ah! lewels, roughly
estimated Mt 81 coo COZ, were this ntiled to tha
Tichcs already aboard. Tho San Pcdro Alcan-
tfs eoas sa' M ss Zen t. qasFs y 70 o e rs
anchored between Cache a.a C,tbagua: small
islauds to the south Of Margarita. During
q rcyc9 atnong the sailors. a lfrc was
blazIng pinch, tliaF ila'ne. communicating;
with bnrrol. Of brandy. 1t is said the dry,
wooden yosscl was speedily enve1oped, and tie
flrc soon bccamc uncomfortable until II rcacheA
took place, statterlng 10 fragments tho after
half Of the ycasel, scattering fur an1 wide over
the waters tho weatll Of llcr treas.lrc.lold, aud
sacr!cing tic lives OF 100 out of LOCO men.
llshed hy Mndonbtcd authority: that remaining,
10 be stated is q matter Of knowledge to Irving
vitnesscs. III 1854 company tu baltimore un.
dcrtooK to recover the treasure. They worried
tl!rce months OIL tile wreck OF tho forwnrd half
Of the vessel, and recovered about $1,0O0 IN
coin; tho coin found there was only scattered
silver lollars, stuck into the wood-work BY tho
force Of the explosion. Owing to the eow
rrnH n rIf f,f I'm
many concerned In tho cxuclltion Geran,o dis
worked. Thomas Il. Folingsoy, one OF the
divers, advanced d theory to the Superintendent
most everything On thu yesscl aft; other dirers
eo'ncdel with him in hs opinion. Alter
changing the location 0n the schooner frolu
which they worked ltvlNg-bcl to the piacc In.
d!rate1 by Fu1lInEshy. tllcy succeeded, after st1
months work, In recovering about 330j,0u1 In
silver coin. However, much moro WINS rucovcscJt
as the divers terretsd about themselves large,
which they rendered no nceount. One man, In
particular, picked up dtamund cross, whIrl,
was subsequently sold fn Now York for Sl8Uoo!
Several Of tle liycrs finally stolc tic loneboat
and lied to Lo duayra; they, wcre however,
purauetl und arrcstul, but rs they had countcr-
ctnlns for percentage, aud the manager OF tho
expedition was quite unpopular. the affair was
compromised aud t''Gy were sot free, the exi,ed-
tlon returning to Baltimore to re1s ar.l set out
between thc:supcrintcndcn and bis divers, tho
| expedition was compelled to return to Baltimore
| petition was equally unsuccessful. Owing to 4
chlngo tll thu Venezuelan Government, a sus-
pecl0n of pretended dfsfrtlst Md deception III
in tie matter Ut roJalty wcro taken advantage
Au expedition from Provljenco took so,ne
f30,00o. but was believed to BE- dishonesty
managed nnl brought up In q row. Al,o:M +
small expedition got S1B,000. Several attempts
efficient expeditions, all of which havo got
ulo,lay: but, owing to various circumstances,
| have nuly been measurably successful, having
hcen stoppcu 0y lncompctcncy or avarcIous
| dishonesty.
The latest was sent nut BY 4 wc1l-known New
York capitalist In 1878. It fnileu, however.
through tic lncompetcncy OF thc Captain: Tho
grant for exclusive working Of the ground for a
tho diver before mentioned. MS directing tllq
movement In 1916, which led to tl'c recovery oi
| $500, ,000 The ground 10 be worked IL 4bout
two nn! one-ha1f miles from al'oro. In m Utmost
la1,l-locked roalsteaa; the water is from fifty
to sixty fect deep; thu bottom Is sand fourteen
to thirty lne'ts deep; Mt both ends OF the road
stenu there is very deep water, preyc'ltfnI
thercfore my accumulation of md III tll' foa.l.
knots, which renders 1t oil easy matter to MorE
at the wreck the who'll year. 1t Is psoposca ID
drcllge the tntrc bottom for sufficient rata!tis
to tukc up ercEytEtng thrown out by thu explu
1T each dip have bcgn tried, aald work we'll. Ex
| pcrts contend TINT tl.p Iron chests containing
ie gold have afforded n solid brenk by the TX
| plosfun forre, aud have consequently bcuI
thrown far oiT; while the silver hurled frum tllr
burst boxes catno down tn a shower w!thlo Q
narrow radius, which accounts for tue fact That
only silver Ias been recovered. Tho last cxpe.
dltlon. under Capt Post, Of tho brlg Gsrsy,waa
compelled to rctlrn tu tho United States. as al
cR,ploygu suffered from The heat and bud drink
inE. .wnter tnscn nhoaril at the island of starga
rita. 80 lin. work wus Impossible. AMI It may he
said that thu Captain was the only QUO VITO es
| caoGd any fIuGss.