The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-12-25

and if had the space would give ali the
INKS IN the chain of circumstantial evil
dence which leads directly back to the
TIME and scene of the Christmas wreck.
Ii must suffice here that my friend knew
the spot at which the wreckage was despos-
TIED was Guarico, now Petit Anse, and
that fort was built near and that in 1898
the Tort was destroyed and all in it dis
persed among the natives. Following out
the clues afforded him by traditions and
historical evidence, my friend discovered
TWO old anchors. one about two and the
DINER three miles from Guarico. Both bear
every evidence OF extreme antiquity. Each
Is Of forged and hammered iron, abou.
nine feet in length, and with great ring
over foot in diameter. Sketches and
photographs have been sent to Paris and
Madrid. and they have been pronounced
types of the anchors in use at the end of
the fifteenth century.
At the time he discovered these anchors
my friend was living at the cape. and
from the proprietor of the estate on which
one OF them was found he received it as a
present. But he did not remove it, and
when | met him, in st. Domingo. he
kindly gave me permission to take it
away TO Chicago for the Columbian expo
sitiOn.
Armed with letter of introduction to
the proprietor (as already stated [ went
tleman and | ambled over the sailnes, and
then through scattered gardens and the re-
MAINS OF ruined estates, TO the ruins of
the old great house" about three miles
distant from the city. The estate is
one of the many wrecked plantations
abandoned at the time of the massacre of
the French, 100 years ago. The general
is descended from one of the black liberia
tors. to whom as portion of his share of
the spoil, fell this once beautiful estate,
now unused and uncultived. We rode
through the remains of 4 great avenue of
tall trees and hitched our mules at the
corner post of dilapidated dwelling.
A few yards distant stood the anchor,
leaning against the stone pillars of an old
well-curb. across which it had once been
placed as an attachment for a rope and
pulley.
A single glance convinced me of its gen.
uineness.
Fit should be asked how it came so far
from shore, mile away from its Guarico,
it should say, first, that it may have been
brought here for the very purpose which
it so evidently served. Again, it may
have been carried inland by the Indians
after the attack on Navidad. The mount
ain chieftain Caonabo may have under
taken to transport it to his interior pro-
vince. and finding it a burden dropped it
on the way, or reasoning biindly that the
anchor was an engine Oh INSTRUCTION., or
essential to the working of the caravels.
on the sea, the SIMPLE savages may have
removed it as far as possible from the
coast.
Anyway, there the anchor was before
me at last and lost no time in negotia-
ting for the precious relic, with the result
that next day it was on board the Clyde
steamer Ozama, and on its way to Chicago
via New York and Washington-the only
existing relic of that Christmas disaster of
Christopher Columbus.
And when the caraveIs arrive next
spring in the harbor of our greatest city
those copies of the original caravels, now
building in Spain-the interest in them
cannot but be enhanced by the informa-
ton have given you regarding an an
Choir you will see in one of them-this YER
liable anchor of Columbus-and when,
and where and how obtained it.
FREDERICK A. ORFR