Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1892-03-26

without finding the slightest trace of
her. Next morning we tried it again,
but nothing was brought to light. in
some places the reef showed above
the surface at low tide, in others there
was plenty of water to carry us over
at any time. The treasure craft
might have hit the reef at favorable
spot and been driven almost TO the
beach; but before accepting this
theory we got out the drag and ex-
plored the deeper waters seward
from the reef. We spent three days
at this work, graphing only the rocks
hidden away from 80 to 60 feet be-
low, and using up the men with the
hard work. The schooner was then
sailed over the reef and anchored in a
snug berth in 80 feet of water, and
we began the search of the shore
waters. The shore was a rocky bluff
crowned with dense forest, with a
few yards of shiugly beach at long
intervals.
We had searched this bay for four
days without luck when 1 had the
good fortune to discover the wreck
with my own eyes. She lay within
half mile of the beach in % feet of
water, and was bottom side up against
a big rock. She had probably passed
the reef in safety, but had struck this
rock, which thrust its head within
three feet of the surface, and in going
down had turned turtle. 1t seemed
now that not q soul of her crew had
escaped, and how anybody had after
ward located the wreck and made a
chart Of the locality was a greater
mystery than ever. Our first move
was to bring the schooner as near as
possible, and then we began prepare
tons to lift the wreck. She must be
turned over, so as to float on her keel,
if nothing more. Lying bottom up.
there was no possible way to get into
her cabin.
Next day after the discovery, /
went down in my diving dress and
attached chains to her starboard side.
These were spliced out with stout
ropes leading aboard our schooner,
and after half days work we were
ready to haul. We could lift her a
bit, but not more than a foot, and
after working one day we gave up
that method for another. Casks were
sent down to me and attached wher-
ever possible, and but for the presence
of sharks we would have had her over
in day. As if one monster had
communicated with another for miles
up and down the coast, they gathered
about the schooner and the wreck,
and / had the closest kind of call
from being seized by man-eater that
was fully Is feet long. Standing on
our decks l counted sc dorsal fins
moving about us at one time, and l
don't believe that was half the num-
Der of sharks within a circle of a
quarter of mile. There could be no
more diving while they were hanging
about, and we set to work to get clear
of their company. Captain Roberts
had foreseen such an emergency and
had come provided.
| doubt if a ships crew ever had
deeper revenge on Sailor Jacks impla-
cable enemy. The muskets were
brought up and four of the men told
off to use them. A fifth man was
given charge of whale lance, and
the rest of us were kept busy admin
istering punishment which might be
called barbarous by humanitarians.
We heated bricks red hot on the galley
stove, swiftly wrapped them up in
cloths, and they no sooner touched the
water than they were gulped down.
AS soon as a shark was wounded by
ball or lance so as to leave a trail of
blood he was at once eagerly attacked
by others, and our hot bricks soon
turned dozen or more big fellows OF
their backs.
1t was a regular circus for about
three hours, during which at least
fifty of the monsters were slaughtered,
and then those that were left alive
suddenly drew off to the last one, and
we did not sight another shark during
our stay. did not go down again
for twenty-four hours, however, not
feeling certain that some big fellow
was not lying in wait behind the
wreck. When / did descend | found
the schooner lifting to the casks, and
afte1 attaching three or four more she
slowly rose to the surface. We then
got the boats out and towed her into a
depth of fourteen feet and then swayed
her over until she righted. She went
to the bottom again, of course, as the
casks no longer buoyed her, but we
expected that.
When came to go down in my suit
found almost clear deck. She had
been schooner-rigged and both masts
had been carried away at the deck.
Beginning at the heel of the bowsprit
and running along the port side about
twenty-five feet of her bulwarks were
left standing. Capstan. windlass,
hatch covers and the skylight of the
cabin had been swept away. This
latter fact was greatly in my favor, as
| could drop directly into the cabin.
was told to look for the treasure in
the captains stateroom, but my feet
had no sooner touched the cabin floor
than my outstretched hands encoun-
tered something which | knew by the
Feel to be dead man. My finding him