Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1881-12-03
A Big Fortune Under the Sea.

The International Submarine Diving
Company, whose vessel, the Mary d.
Leech, has been quietly engaged in
searching for the location of her Britain
mic Majesty's brig De Brook, which
foundered June 10, 1893, off Lewes, has
been rewarded with unmistakable evil
dences of the lost vessel. During the
past eighty-three years no effort, with
the exception of that made by the Brit
ish Government, in 1910, has been made
to recover the fabulous treasure which
is known to have been sunk. 1t has been
abandoned as being irrevocably lost,
because the depth of water is so great
that all appliances heretofore invented
for raising heavy bodies were useless.
The International Diving Company,
which was organized in Philadelphia
for no other purpose than to raise the
abandoned treasure, is fitted up with all
that ingenuity can devise. The most
wonderful piece of mechanism on board
is an immense diving-bell, in which
diver might live comfortably for week.
He has communication with the upper
world by telephone wires. He is sup
piled with the means of making his own
air, and for light in his exploration he
is provided with powerful electric
flame, which, when in operation, re-
veals to him every outside object with
vivid distinctness. At the side of the
bell is q mechanical arm, with ma.
chinery so perfect that in every move
ment it resembles the action of the hui
man arm, even unto the picking up of a
pin.
According to the papers in the pos.
session of Samuel S. McCracken, a
pilot, whose grandfather was the only
survivor, and who was engaged in pilot
ing the vessel in the harbor, about $751;
100000 of specie and jewels went down
with her. The money was taken by the
De Brook from an intercepted Spanish
fleet while on her way to Halifax,
England, from successful cruise or
the Spanish Main. With the specie
were taken 200 prisoners. When the
vessel foundered the prisoners were il
irons on the lower deck, and were al
lost. Capt. James Drew, who com
manded the vessel, and whose body wa
recovered two days afterwards, lies bu
ried in St. Peters churchvard, in Lewes
Two years after the wreck the British
Government sent two frigates to rails,
the De Brook, but without success
Forty years ago, while McCracken wa
on a cruise, circulars were posted aroun'
Sussex County offering the sum of $50,
/, 600 for information that would lead +
, the discovery of the sunken vessel.
, had been supposed up to the presen
q that the hull had been swept away b
the action of the tides. The Interna
tional Company, to keep its real objeC
/ from view, had been since Septembe
;, working at another sunken vessel, nea
q where the De Brook was supposed
y have foundered. McCracken, who is
4 receive n majority of whatever treasur
is discovered, in an interview says this
J, the De Brook lies in fifteen fathoms {
If water. The divers, in going dow
f found long, irregular ridge, about fl
teen feet high, eighteen feet wide, an
q about sixty feet long. On each side al
II piles of loose stones, supposed to be I'll
~ ballast thrown from the frigate in Il
!, effort made to raise the wreck in Il
q year 1900, Rough weather interferir
4 with further operations, the compar
n was compelled to postpone further i
= vestigation, and on Wednesday the di
% erS returned to Philadelphia. The wor
Is however, will be vigorously pushed TO
n ward rs soon rs favorable weather Sc
70 in.-Rcading Pa Times.