Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1881-06-15
MILLIONS UNDER MUD.
A WRECKER CAPTAINS FEATS.
a GOLD-LADEN SPANISH MAN-OF-wAR
THAT WENT TO THE BoTToM-sAILING
AFTER THIS TREASURE.

, THAT WENT 10 THE BOIIOM-hAlLlNN
AFTER THIS TREASURE.
From the Philadelphia Sunday Times.
An enthusiastic crowd sail out OF thil
port tomorrow, June 9Th. They are
Captain Charles A. Jones and the crew
of the steamship Fortuna" Mention
has already been made of the Captain.
intentions. He goes out to the Mon
tevidian coast to search for lost gold
The story and the circumstances OF the
fitting out of the party remind one oi
the mythical Argonauts and their ex
pedition for the Golden Fleece. The
Captain is a New York boy. Fifteen
years ago he sailed out Of the port
Of Philadelphia on a vessel in charge
of Captain Wilkie as a common sea.
man. In the last fourteen years he has
been engaged in the wrecking business
on the South American coast, In that
time he has made hundreds of thou.
sands ofdollars. He is regarded as one
of the most successful wreckers that
ever braved the sea. 1t is said OF him
that he has never missed bringing up
any wreck that he has undertaken.
Among the natives and others engaged
in the business on the southern part of
the coast of South America he enjoys
the title of "King of the Wreokers."
He monopolizes the bulk of the trade,
having secured permission from the
Uruguayan, Argentine Republic and
Chilian Governments TO operate upon
their coasts for three years. Among
the most important and profitable work
he has had to do was the raising of
three large vessels in the Straits of
Magellan someyears ago, one Alderman,
the other an English and the third an
American all merchant ships. Alto
! gether he is said to have raised about
one hundred and fifty vessels, large
and small. He has also assisted nu.
merous disabled ships and in some in.
stances received heavy salvage. He it
was who some months ago assisted the
disabled Georgia, "ofNew York, into a
South American port, and aflorward
instituted proceedings against the yes
sci on account, as it was charged, of
her trying to get away without paying
him salvage money. The case has
only recently been settled, Captain
Jones receiving fair compensation for
his services on this occasion
THE HIDDEN TREASURE.
The Captain, although in possession
Of a large fortune acquired in his bust.
ness, is not yet satisfied. He has now
reached the eliminating point of his
life. In his goings here and there along
the South American coasts he became
familiar with all the wrecks that had
taken place along there within the last
century. With natural inclination
for prying into the secrets OF the deep
ocame to know by heart, from search.
ing old records and in some instances,
from the talk of the inhabitants in
others and from his own discoveries in
more, all about the vessels that had
gone down at different times, their 10.
cations, nationality, what they were
aud where bound for, what they were
loaded with, and in short all the infor-
nation that it was possible to obtain
about them.
Among them all there was one that
loomed up in monumental proportions
over the heads of the others so far as
value was concerned This was
Spanish man.oi-war sunk near the
mouth of the Rio dc Ia Plata in the
year 1900, 1t was vessel sent out to
collect tribute from the different Span.
ish possessions, and was returning to
Spain with nine million dollars gold
when a storm arose, After briei spell
the ship sprang leak and went to the
bottom with every one on board. The
money at the time was contained in a
strong iron tank or safe, and is, it is
supposed, to this day lying at the bot
tom of the sea undisturbed. Captain
Jones and his crew, six months ago
located the wreck and put buoys around
it to mark the place, and, having made
arrangements with the Uruguayan
Government toward the protection of
the wreck during their absence, sailed
for America to prepare for the work of
recovering the money. The Captains
first step was to como to Philadelphia
and contract with Noafe 4 Levy TO
construct him steamship for tho cs.
pecial business of wrecking, and the
vessel is now completed She is pro.
nounced by experienced engineers and
who have been engaged in wreckage
all their lives as one of the best vessels
for the purpose ever turned out on the
United States coast. She has cost $751;
000 The deck house has been con.
structed Of the thickest plank, and is
calculated, as its chief engineer said
yesterday, TO withstand "the heaviest
sea that ever was" The craft is broad
and heavy-about half as large as the
decks OF one Of the American Line
steamers. Breadth is one Of her chief
points as it is calculated to give plenty
Of leverage for all the work connected
not only with the raising of the treas.
urc, but with the clearing away of tho
enormous amount of mud that lies on
the top of it, This part Of the work !
will be done with heavy pumps. There
is every appliance for the successful
operation Of this part Of the machinery.
There are several large engines for
working the pumps alone. There are
other small engines for supplying air
to the divers,
sANGUINE CREW.
To remove twenty feet of mud from
the top Of the wreck would seem at
casual glance to bo an almost impossi.
bic undertaking, But the engineer and |.
crew Of the "Fortuna" laugh at the
idea, "Why, my heavens |" said the
Steward, on impulsive little French.
man, "we've got pump here attn |
pump brickbats, We've got en- 80
strong of pressure that we can raise
chunks o. coal with EN- an clear out a
whole coal bin in no time. We've got
'cm 80 strong that one pump'll pump a
hundred tons Of water an hour"
The Chief Engineer, Charles j.
Marsh, OF Now York, formerly In the
employ of the American Coast Wreck.
ing Company, corroborated these state
mcnts "Pumps !" said he, in answer
TO remark that the obstacle might bc
surmounted by human skill and ingcn.
pity, "why VIC can pump a mans farm
up If necessary. We've got pump
there that will pump an acre of land a
day"
The engineer further illustrated the
power of the pump used for such pur.
pose by saying that ho himself had