The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1880-11-11
SUPPOSED DISCOVERY OF
KIDD'S SUNKEN TREA.
SURE.

The realms of dreams, of fortune tel.
lers and of the spiritualist. have been
urged in vain to give up the secret burial
place of the tabled sums OF gold and
gems which the bold pirate hid beyond
! the ken of mortal man
AS 1 sailed, as 1 sailed"
and it has been left to science to unearth
the mystery Of century aud half
Those familiar with the well known
| picnic grounds on Iona island, in the
| Hudson, will remember Round island
separated from the former by marsh
which may be crossed at low water by
| pedestrians. Round island is three miles
and half from Peekskill pier. The
! New York Times gives fuller account
of all the surroundings, than we have
time or space for here. Let it suffice,
that Mr.. ID. ID. Chaplin has invented a
| wonderful instrument, called ''marine
compass" by which he can detect metals
under water. 1t is in shape like the end
oi skyrocket, two inches in diameter.
II has been thirty five years, according
to the account given by Mr.. Chaplin
since he and others visited Round island
to search. for the sunken ship OF Captain
Kidd. With his compass he discovered
| the location of the ship, and at low
| water, saw her bows; ascertained her
length to be one hundred and sixty feet.
Marking the spot, and leaving directions
With the tenants of the island not to per
NIT dumping upon this spot, he left, in
tending to return soon, to make further
| Investigations in regard to the sunken
vessel and its contents, but until recently
| he has done nothing. He finds the wreck
lost to sight; passing steamers having
covered her with mud. To prove his
theory correct, in regard to the amount
of gold or silver which the ship contains,
Mr.. Chaplin sunk five hundred dollars in
gold, one mile away from the wreck, ad-
iusted his compass, and, though so near
the bag he had sunk, it pointed to the
| wreck. This, with other tests, convinces
him that there is at least one hundred
thousand dollars in gold upon the vessel,
and many times the Quantity in silver.
The international Submarine Company,
of Connecticut, has been engaged in
clearing the deck of the ship. The hy-
draulic ce-pumps remove two hundred
| gallons of water per minute. There was
u depth of seventeen feet of mud, and
| over this twenty three feet of water, at
| high tide. Already, some of the rotted
woodwork has come to the surface.
There is no doubt in the minds of the
enthusiastic workers, but the pirates
ship has been discovered. Mr.. Chaplin
| says, that once when at Gardner island,
| he saw statement in book, made by
the first mate of Kidd's ship, which
| proves that they sailed up the Hudson
to evade pursuit; they, supposing they
| we're in the channel in the centre of the
river, ran into al island and sunk. An
I'D cannon was found on Round island,
such as was used about this period on
war vessels. There are many other cir
| cumstances which seem to distinctly
point out this as the island referred to in
the book We have mentioned.
The story of Captain Kidd has been
told in tragic prose, and sung to doleful
measure, for as many years as We can re-
| member. The tale comes to the surface
as often as the Flying Dutchman," and
has about the same effect upon the cred
ulous and superstitious. When all other
| themes fail, we refer to Kidd who
! Murdered William Moore,
As sailed, as l sailed
He is held up as the crowning villain
amongst the bearers of the black flag
| with its skull and cross bones.
Under excitement, nations, as well as
| individuals, commit many indiscretions
and crimes which time, nor change, nor
rivers of tears can efface or cleanse
! Now, in the light of the present age, is it
| possible that We may use our cooler
| Judgment, and conclude that the Salem
| slaughter was almost as creditable as the
execution of the desperate piratea The
best history, and most authentic, is con-
| densed for the benefit of the readers of
our new weekly, and they may each de
eide for himself as to the merits or de-
merits of Captain Kidd.
William Kidd was native of Scotland,
as hardy and brave as the bravest of her
| Highland mountaineers. He is said to
bo the son of 8 non conformist minister,
| whose name was John Kidd. William
devoted himself to sea fsring life from
his early youth. We find him near the
close of the seventeenth century, skill
full, intrepid, bold ship master, sailing
from the port of New York. AS pri-
vateersman, he distinguished himself
against the French in the West Indies.
In 1851, he received one hundred E
from New York, for protecting the col
ony against pirates.
il 1875, in England, a company was
organized to suppress piracy, which, at
that time, ruled the seas with its CHASTITY
banner of no quarter. At the head was
the Earl of Bellamont. This company
hoped to reap harvest by retaking such
merchantmen as the pirates had captur-
ed. A new ship of PSI tons, and "a guns
was purchased. 1t was called -4duent,.re
Galtey, and the command was given to
! William Kidd.
The Adventure left Plymouth, April
/ %. 1896. The first capture was Of a
French fishing vessel off the coast of
Newfoundland, with which he arrived in
New York about the 4th of July; here
/ he remained until September 9th, when