The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1893-06-27
TREASURE in RIVER WRECKS


beO Oh the missouri.
The fact that party of Texas people
recently located and dug into wrecked
steamer, reaping rich harvest of gold
and whisky, has caused revival OF
talk of some old Missouri river wrecks.
There's millions in the bottom of the
Missouri, or somewhere near it, but the
trouble is to find it. Some of it may be
found some time, but. that some time is
very apt to be when present genera
tiOns have passed away ana the wrecks
and contents of the steamers exist only
in tradition. Exploring companies have
been formed in the past, a number of
them. but they have all been without
reward, none of them ever having found
even trace of the prizes sought. 9th
er companies are now talked of, and
there are a number of St Louisans who
stand ready to gamble stake with
any one who takes the lead in organic
ing. The whisky buried in the sand
and bars, if it is ever recovered, will
produce period of the rarest kind of
intOXication to the tablespoonful
There could be no better process of
damp sand of the river bed or bars.
Then, too, the whisky of those days
was real whisky, and mad age and body
at the time If was lost, and if it was on
sale now it would have a market all its
own, and it wouldn't be at twenty cents
or twenty-five cents drink either.
The chances would be, rather, that it
would go into private cellars, to be
handed out only on rare occasions.
The oldest wreck of which there is
now any knowledge, and it is as nearly
traditional as anything could be, is of
a Spanish boat that was sunk at the
mouth of the River Des Peres, in South
st. Louis. The year in which it went
down, the character OF the boat the
nature of the cargo all is tradition.
But it is said among the oldest of old
river men that d boat did go down
there in the early years. - and that it
was laden with rich Spanish goods and
arms and gold of immense value. The
exact spot at which she sank is not
known, but in a general way it is
known to have been at the mouth of
the tOrtuouS little stream that now oc-
casiOnally gets on high and tears
around generally in the Forest park
and South st. Louis regions ''In the
early years, also it is said that efforts
were made to locate the wreck, but
without success. 1t was attempted by
the use of divining rods, by digging
and by excavation. But after all these
efforts it remained as great a mystery
as the buried treasures Of Capt. Kidd
himself. It is also said, by the way,
that the Spanish vessel had on board a
goodly stock of liquors If this is SO,
and it should ever be found, there
would be enough in a small quantity
for the whole Of Carondelet and still
leave a big supply for ST. Louis proper.
Just think how far barrel of goods
made in the early years and thus
preserved would go in this time of
quicklyaged WHISTLES. A good aver
age drink would fill person with the
idea that he owned the town and every
thing in it.
The oldest wreck of which there is any
record or knowledge with people now
living is that of a government steamer
which sank in the early thirties at Ar
row Rock island. near Boonville. 1t
was on its way up the river to pay off
the soldiers, and had on board a large
amount of gold and considerable
quantity of whisky. When it went
down it was to stay. Efforts We're
made at the time to recover portion
of the cargo, but the condition of the
river was such that this was imposSi-
bic. 1t has been fascinating hidden
treasure for the people of Boonville and
dozens of companies have been organ
lied to search for it. So far as known,
ceeded in getting any trace of it,
though there is a story that some of the
gold was found, but that the location
of the cargo could not be traced from
it. The channel of the river, and the
banks, too, have greatly changed since
the steamer went down. and it is prob
able that it is now under some farmers
field. The search has not been given
up, however, and it is said that an
other company will be formed this COM
ing summer to make further and more
extensive explorations.
The Arabia is still another steamer
which went down and was broken up,
with considera BILE amount of gold and
several hundred barrels of whisky on
board. The Ara bia went down in 1854
below Parkville. She was a fine side
wheel boat, and her loss was consid-
era BILE one. Efforts were made to save
her cargo, but it was practically COM
plete loss. There have been a number
of searching parties who were filed
with the idea of locating and digging
up the treasure. but, so far as known,
they have never had any trace of it.
As In the case of the government boat.
there is a story that some of the plum
der was recovered. but in this case it
was of the whisky instead of the gold.
If such was the case, however. the find
was kept as a state secret. for no one
knows, except by hearsay, that such a
discovery was made. 1t is not likely
that the story has any good foundation.
as the find of any of the whisky would
have caused great deal of digging for
acres around that particular spot. The
place where the Arabia went down is
now solid ground, grown over with
timber and grass, some of the timber
being two and three feet through. That
is. this is the condition of the place
pointed out as the Arahia's grave,
though there is no such thing as chart
to show it conclusively.
4 couple of years after the Ara bia
went down the Ogden found a resting
place on the bottom at point few
miles above jefferson City The Ogden
was owned by Capt. John Lee. and had
Jim BiSsell as captain 1t also had on
board n large amount of gold and
III IS ,r@,J II.