The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1884-10-04
TREASURE TRovE.
Dredging for Millions IN Tfgo b,

us lHe flBO Day IIetsuIe Company
has been formed for the purpose of re
!. covering a5vast amount of treasure sup
, tposed to be lying at the bottom of the
Bay of Vigo on the northwestern coast
of Spain. The projectors of the com.
pany expect to begin operations within
month or two, and they express nc
doubt but that three. months will be
sufficient in which to raise a portion OF
the sunken treasure the amount OF
4 which is attractiyeH put at from twenty
to forty millions.
Every one has read~ of the vast
amounts of gold and silver that were
drawn from her American dependencies
by Spain during the era of her greatest
prosperity. One-fifth of all the pro-
ducts of the mines was due the King as
ROYALTY. This treasure was sent both in
coins and gold and silver barssa 1t is
portion of this tribute lost through dis
aster that this company expects to re-
cover by the outlay OF comparatively
small sum of money.
In the year 1902, during the war of
the succession, in which England and
Holland were called against France and
Spain, fleet of over twenty Spanish
galleons, laden with treasure from the
| Spanish American colonies, sailed for
CaeizunderSthe protection of a convoy
of French and Spanish VESSELS Owing
to the danger of capture by the English
fleets shipments of treasure had been in
terrupted for four years, and this fleet
is described by different historians to
have been one of the most richly laden
that ever sailed from the Antilles.
The English Government learning
of the immense. shipment of treasure
dispatched fleet to watch the coast of
Spain, with the view of intercepting the
galleons. To escape this fleet the gal
icons and their escorts put mat Vigo,
and were there attacked BY the combined
English and Dutch fleets. Six fof the
treasure galleons were secured, and they
proved to be valuable prizes, The amount
of treasure on board being. estimated at
about $4,000, 000.s The commander of
the French fleet, to prevent more of the
treasure from falling into the hands of
the enemy, sank the remaining galleons,
said to number seventeen, with their
precious eargoes; and there, buried be-
meath. the Waters of the inner Bay of
Vigo, it is claimed they remain undis-
turbed to this day, awaiting resurrec-
ion by some enterpfslng persons. A
more fascinating undertaking than the
'ecoverv of this treasure can.scarcely be
imagined. and the enterprise has not
allied to attract The attention of several
persons ambitious o. fortune.
Several concessions have. been grant
ID by the Spanish Cove rnment for the
ecovery. of the treasure. Inc eHrst Sc
ious attempt was made in the year 1870
y Dickson, an EnglisbInan, who eXper-
with diving bell, but was I'M
uccessful The next attempt was u
SOY, by an English engineer, who Sc
ured from the Spanish ,Goyernlmeht
authorizing him to search
u and recover the treasure, He sue
eeded in locating nine of the 'gaHeons;.
nd marked their position ,F'ysmeans VI
uoys.. He was unable to s, cure sum
ent capital to proceed with the "oin
raising them, and the sche. me was
oandoned. " RI" -'i'N '''@ ,'Ne
In 1869 another concession was 'tan ~
to French company ON a royal y ~
e Spanish Government. They C, III; =,
enced operations and succeeded III
lrtlally unloading one of the galleons >
1t the Franco-Prussian war breaking
1t their engineer was summoned to
in his corps. The, head of their en-
prise being thus withdrawn work was
spended, and, by the conditions of the
ntract, the concession lapsed. 1.-THE
TT OF the cargo recovered consisted of
'll-preserved logwood, mahogany,
clinical jars, etc. -.-
1t is said that the Spanish archives
ntain evidence that the galleons were
'cially constructed for the safe car
gre of plate, with massive case built
er the keels in the strongest possible
nner. In this case the treasure was
ced, and the cargo of valuable tim
s, ETC., was loaded above. The
nchmen failed to- reachs the bottom
he galleon, hence did not secure any
he treasure.
he concession under which the Phil
lphia Company is operating was
nted in November, 1882. Itit with
limit as to time or restriction as to
mode of operation. One-fourth of
treasure recovered is to- go to the
nish Government; the remaining
e-fourths to the stockholders of the
pany. 'sHt 10 ~,
+. John j. Boyle, of this city, visited
D during the past summer, return
in August. He reports that the
are most favorable to a
essful prosecution of the enterprise.
sunken galleons are fifteen miles
the mouth of the bay, where there
o surf to disturb operations, and
re the tide rises seven feet. The
II is so thoroughly sheltered by the
ounding hills that work can be car
on during the entire year. The
lis lie in from % to 81 feet of water
heir decks are covered with nearly
feet of soft oozy mud. The pres
of this covering Of mud makes it
ssible to get the treasure by the
ary means Of diving, even if the
ruction of the galleons did not
isltate the removal of the general
before,the more valuable treasure
e reached. The mud cansbe easily
we'd by means of pumps,and the
Is raised intact by the use of pom
Within few years such adj
! has been made in the constrllc-