The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1884-01-12
SUNKEN TREASURE.
THE WRECK OF THE BRITISH HvssAa
-. -. rsI8 ri. .-.H, ,IfA.. sANrtt'-. y. tt.
ssorI o. the Ship Which Went Down With Sixty
Non aad hAf Million DOllArss-Ths yarIOus
En'rts nads 10 Rtcovsr the Trssaure.
"NE Pro'ptcta Of SPEEDY Bueesis.

From our Special Correspondent. y, a
WASHINGTON, January 1l.-Mors or less
Interest hts been excited In varioua sec.
tions Of the country on account OF the
publicity recently given to the Efforts now
making to recover from the wreck OF the
British vessel Hussar, which lies under
sixty feet OF water at He'll Gate. Solicitor
Raynor, Of the Treasury Department gives
the following account OF the work and the
interest oi the Government In the money !:
during The revolutionary war the
British line Of battle ship Hussar, was dis
patched to The colonies with the necessary
funds to pay oil the British forces. These
funds conBisted Of 1,000,0 900 British sov.
erigns. The vessel was moored 10 O large
tree near Norris Point, and was. used as q
prison ship for the American captives. For
some unexplained reason she sank with
seventy prisoners and all the money.
1T seems IRON the indications that now
exist that In sinking the Hussar uprooted a
huge oak tree to which she had been made
last and that huge quantity Of those
boulders which abound in the vicinity OF
New York fell upon and nearly covered
the deck Of the vessel. u! ~ ..I r
-Four or five years after the close OF the
war the British Government fitted out an
expedition with all appliances necessary
10 raise the golden freight. But the United
States Government declined to allow the
expedition to accomplish It's object and the
attempt was abandoned. Some time early
In the present century other efforts were
made by private indiyiduals, but each
effort proved fruitless. 5i t5ag e
~ THE HuzzAR COMPANY. .s5
"Finally about thirty years ago company
was formed under the title Of the 'Husssr
Company and work was begun in
earnest Then the work Of this company
began to flag and nothing was done for
some years, until three or four years ago a
gentleman named Thomas bought out the
interest OF the concern and began work
again. lie first came 10 Washington and
entered into q contract with the Govern.
ment by which it was stipulated that he
should pay into the Treasury ten percent
Of all money recovered and all OF the guns
and other relics. Thomas has aince been
at work upon the wreck. u :
HE found thatthe mud has settled upon
it to the depth Of many feet. This has
been removed and the boulders partly
drilled through. Thus far 2s guns known
as 32.poundcrs, besides several bushels Of
musket balls, a quantity Of copper and nu-
merous cannon balls have been brought to
tho tu'flce, but no money. Thomas, in
the course Of his operations, has borrowed
large Sums Of money promising to-; pay
seven CT eight hundred percent for the use
OF the same. Now the parties who have
advanced tho money come forward and
claim that he has not used due diligence
in the prs 'cution Of the work, and they
allege that he bus used the money adyanc-
ed for his own individual advantage and
that he intends to deiraud bis creditors BY
keeping tue result OF his labors. Thomas
will be heard before anything is done, and
l expect to hear; him this week." IL