Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1881-11-24
Fab UIOUs WEALTH.

rHaken ship with s52, ,O0e. 600 In Nancy
sns Jewels IN Board-EaoFts 20 Recover
the Treasure.
The international Submarine Diving
company, whose vessel, the Mary ID.
Leech, has been quietly engaged in
searching for the location of her Britain
mic maiesty's brig De Brook, which
foundered June 10, 1898. off Lewes,
Del, has been rewarded with unmistak
able evidences OF the lost vessel. Dur
ing the past eighty-three years no effort,
with the exception Of that made by the
British government in 1880, 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
30 great that all appliances hereto
fore invented for raising heavy
bodies we're useless. The Inter
national company, which was or.
ganized in Philadelphia for no other
purpose than to raise the abandoned
treasure, is fitted up with all that in.
genuity can devise. The most wonder
full piece Of mechanism on board is an
immense diying-bell, in which a diver
might live comfortably for week. lie
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 a powerful electric
flame, which, when in operation, re-
veals to him every outside object with
vivid distinctness. AT tho side OF the
bell is a mechanical arm with machinery
so perfect that in every movement il re.
sembles the action of the human arm,
even unto the picking mp of a pin.
According to papers in the possession
OF Samuel $. McCracken, pilot, whose
grandfather was the only survivor, and
Who was engaged in plotting the vessel
into the harbor about so, 900, 900 Of
specie and jewels went down with her.
The money was taken by the De Brook
from an intercepted Spanish feet while
on her way TO Halifax, England, from a
successful cruise on the Spanish Main.
With the specie were taken two hun
dred prisoners. When the vessel foun.
derei the prisoners were in irons on the
lower decks, and were all lost. Captain
James Drew, who commanded the
vessel, and whose body was recovered
two days afterward. lies buried
in ST. Peters churchyard in Lewes.
Two years after the wreck the British
government sent two frigates TO raise
the De Brook, but without success.
Forty years ago, while McCncken was
on a cruise, cir,ulars were posted around
SUSSEX county Offering SEQ, 010 for in.
formation that would lead to the discov-
cry of the sunken vessel. 1t had been
supposed up TO the present that the
hull had been swept away bv the action
Of the tides. The international com
pany, 10 keep its real object from
view, had been since September work
ing another sunken vessel, near
where the De Brook was supposed to
have foundered. McCrackcn, who
is to receive a majority of what
ever treasure is discovered, in an
interview, says that the De Brook lies in
fifteen fathoms Of water. The divers.
in going down, found long, irregular
ridge, about fifteen feet high, eighteen
feet wide and sixty feet long. On each
side are piles of loose stone, supposed
TO be the ballast thrown from the frigate
in the effort to raise the wreck in the
year 1900. Rough water interfering
with further operations, the company
was compelled to postpone further in
veetigation, and the divers returned to
Philadelphia. The work, however, will
be vigorously pushed forward as soon
as favorable weather sets in.-Rea ling