The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1892-09-23
A MYSTERIOUS FIND.
The Wreck Of an ancient Man-of-W Wal
Found In Biloxi Bay.

OCEAN SPRINGS, Miss, Sept. is.
About Il month ago a young man
named Eugene Tiblier, Jr., who
was following his occupation of
oysterman, and while catching
some on what has been known for
years as the rock pile" which is
located in Biloxi Bay, about a
quarter OF 4 mile in a southwest
direction from The residence OF
Col. Sheldon, on The beach front of
Ocean Springs, he struck a very
hard substance, and alter sound
ing two OF three times, made up
his mind 10 investigate, and did so
by diving. The result of this was
the finding OF cannon. He inn
meCialely made known this find
to his father, +. Iibller, and in
connection with Captain Jose
Saurez, Of the schooner Maggie,
they proceeded to secure the find.
For twelve days they have been
at work and IN that lime discover.
ed that ii is The sunken wreck of
some war vessel, possibly one OF
tine fleet that came 10 this section
under the COMMAND of Iberville
in either 1899 or 1903, as every.
thing so lar recovered tends to CON.
firm the impression that the wreck
is very old. AS far as Can be as.
cerlained, the wreck is about IS
feet in length, by probably 20
vile. The prriies engaged in this
recovery suppose that they are
now working between the gun
deck and the hull. The water Al
high Tide is over - feet deep
where The sunken craft Is i'm
bedded.
Everything points to The certain.
ty OF the wreck having been a war
vessel. The wood so far recovered
Is of oak and mahogany and is IN
a lair state of preservation, owing
TO its being below The mud bottom.
A great amount of stones aud
boulders, foreign to this section,
have been taken out, which evi.
IDENTIFY was part of the ballast of
the vessel. Also some fire brick,
much different from that now used,
as i, is but but Ia inches thick, S
inches long and 1 wide. A great
number of iron braces have been
taken out, about u feet long, 24
wide and J inch thick. Every part
Of the wood shows that the pultirg
together was done by wooden pins.
and where a bolt was used in iron
work, il was of copper.
A shcave9 inches in diameter,
with a One-inch groove, and the
block II inches, has been taken
out, together with a smaller one,
but all made of different wood
from any now used, and no ron
used as pms. No nails have been
found, and evidently the vessel
was put together with some kind
OF wooden pins. A block eye when
found was - inches in diameter,
but since exposure TO The air, has
shrunk to s inches. This is made
OF some singular deep-grained
wood. The size Of this Llock-eye
would denote that the vessel was
OF considerable tonnage. There
are other block eyes, but about
half the size OF the above.
So far the workers on this wreck
have found four iron cannon-one
6 feet long and in lair order.
The I'll. +. or T. y. s." dlscerna.
BILE and are located about one foot
from the vent. This gun has a
muzzle of 81 inches. A small
charge Of powder was place in This
gun and 1t vas fired off by the
fishermen, and stood the test.
Another cannon 7 feet long has
a part OF the gun carriage attach
ed, made Of some hard wood and
which is on its right side. No
marks as yet have been discovered
on this.
TTo other cannons, each four
feet long and p inches at the
muzzle have been taken out.
These latter are badly eaten by
iron rust. The find all lies on the
deck of The schooner.
Cannon balls of different sizes,
2, 2! and 3 inches inches in dame
Ter, have been found, also parts Of
gun carriages,and ON some of these
can~be seen pieces of rope, that
were used Tor working the gun.
Since their recovery exposure 10
the air causes the rope to dissolve
into dust on rubbing.
A rather singular find is a guam.
tiiy OF gunpower in chunks, and
which retains its peculiar smell to
this late day. A bung stopper of
one of the water casks, made Of
several thicknesses of wooden
cloth, is also a curiosity. The
scabbard o. an officers sword re-
tains enough Of lis original form TO
show its former use. Muskets, ap.
parently capable of carrying an
ounce ball, with very old.fashion.
ed locks, the nipple and vent per-
feet, and many other curios are he.
ing taken out daily.
Nothing can be learned of The
history of tins wreck, and the old.
est mhabitant never knew of the
spot except as The "rock pile,' and
which was a good oyster reef. 1t
is presumable, however, that this
is one Of the vessels that formed
either Iberville's or the Spanish
fleet, and was lost early in 100.
All that has been brought TO the
surface, and the correspondent of
the PiCQUune visited the snOt. de.