Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1886-10-18
JEW SERIES VOL. NO. %.
of the stranded nulk.

pltIable sight was seen. The Door ami
mails legs were raw and bleeding for
the entire distance that had come in
contact with the muddy deposit beneath
the surface crust. and an examination
showed that this deposit was so highly
impregnated with alkali that it had
eaten the horses limbs almost to the
bone, and consequently he was in no
condition for further travel The only
thing to be done was mercifully to put
the poor creature out of his sufIerings,
and pistol ball soon ended the life of
the faithful beast. The prospector was
now left on foot to contend with the
multitudinous and almost insurmounta-
bic difficulties that confronted him.
Imagine his condition; his horse dead,
himself lost, and with scant supplies of
water and food. However, he knew the
general direction in which the old road
across the desert lay. ana he knew, too.
that if his strength only held out and
he Travelled far enough to the north he
was certain to reach assistance in time.
He reached n station three days later
and his life was saved.
When he recovered so rs to be able to
travel, he was carried by stage to the
San Benardino Valley, where he soon
regained his strength, and then impart-
ed to few friends the strange dis
covery that he had made upon his trip.
Among others, the writer was told of
the wonderful stranded ship, and cur
iosity was aroused to the utmost Many
theories We're advanced 10 account for
its presence there. The most plausible
explanation, and one easily within the
bounds of belief, was that long time
ago some hardy mariner sailed north
ward along the Mexican coast on voy-
age of discovery. Fearing to venture on
unknown seas, he Rugged the shore,
never losing sight of land. When the
Gulf of California was reached, instead
of following the ocean line, he entered
the gulf. the southern extremity of the
peninsula now known rs Lower Califor-
MIA not being in sight from the coast of
the mainland opposite. Sailing on and
up the gulf, which Enthusiastically at one
time extended much further northward
than it now does, and had arms reach
ing up into what is now known as the
Colorado Desert, the vessel, missing the
mouth of the Colorado River, was final
~ driven by storm or ran ashore where
the prospcctor found 1t centuries later
The writer, whose curiosity was great
" stimulated bv the tale. consulted one
of the old padres about it, and from
him he learned that in ceRtain ancient
historical volumes IN his possession he
had found IN account of how some YES
sells laden with gold ami al manner of
valuable commodities in transit from
the East Indies had been dispatched TO
the northward from Acapulco during
the sixteenth century. III the expectation
that a route would be found by which
the valuable cargo might be taken
directly to Spain, instead of being
transported across the wilds of Mexico.
and reshipped on the Atlantic coast
These ships had never after been heard
from, and they disappeared as myster-
iously from sight as. the mirage of the,
desert.
1t was entirely within. the bounds of
reason to suppose that one of these gall
Icons, mistaking the Gulf of California
for the wished for passage, had finally
been lost in what is now the desert. At
all events, there is enough to show that
perhaps no more than 800 years have
elapsed since the recedence OF the wa
and hence it requires no violent stretch
OF the Imagination to identify the wreck
with one of the lost vessels and to load
it with an imperishable store of gold
and silver
Three or four enthusiastic souls were
enlisted, and it was proposed to mako
systematic effort to reach the wreck. 1t
was finally decided that the only FEAST
BILE plan for overcoming the obstacles
presented by the crust and the alkali of
the valley was to employ broad flat-bot-
toned boats made of sheet-iron. such as
duck-hHnters occasionally use. These
are made in sections and are easily
transported long distances. A supply
of light but strong rope was to be taken,
and 1T was thought that it would be pos
sible to pole the boat over the crust
to the wreck without breaking through,
since it would present broad, resistant
surface and sustain considerable
weight.
Calculations were made as to the
amount of food and water necessary for
the party and the teams that would be
required to haul the outfit to the desired
spot, and Il entire plan certainly SEEM
ed most fc;s Die. But the fact that for
at least three days the discoverer had
been suffering so severely as to be un-
able to tell in what direction he had
been wandering after leaving the scene
of the wreck; that he had taken little
notice of the course followed in reach
ing it, thereby rendering the retracing
of his steps exceedingly problematical;
and that during that very season no less
than fifteen persons were known to
have lost their lives on the desert, led
finally to the abandonment of the