Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1893-03-23

1t was then arranged that a camp
| should be set up on the island, and the
| don. with the three divers and three
| other men, should prosecute their
operations from land. This would
| leave the schooner free to put to sea in
case of bad weather, and also allow
diving operations to be commenced at
once, by the aid of a boat on the inner
side Of the coral reef.
Next day we were busy getting the
things ashore, and it took us till well
on to noon before this was completed;
then. while some of the men COM
menced rigging up couple of tents,
the boat was made ready, and Harris,
the head diver, with his suit and nee
essaries, went off, with Captain Tomas
and the don. to make his first descent
on the margin of the reef, Opposite the
remains of The wreck or shore.
went in the boat with them. and
assure You did no: envy Harris; when
he 90. rigred up in his awkward suit
of clothes, with his uuwieldy looking
metal helmet, with its great big star
ing glass eyes. he appeared like some
uncanny. antediluvian monster.
For some while we had no intima-
ton from him. beyond his various calls
for more or less air. After he had
been down ten minutes or perhaps a
quarter Of an hour. we received the
call To pull up the rope. and when We
got it 10 the surface We found lie end
made f9S. to q small. irou-clamped
ehes;.
Tue lion was all rus,ed c.Md rotten,
but the box itself was fairly preSaT, Ell
We soon had Il open and ills contents
out. They consisted chiefly of papers
aud books, but from their long inn
mersion ii the sea we could make
nothing OF them; they fell to pieces as
we handled them -the INK had disap-
peared into lines of undecipherab
stains.
The books were little better. sodden
as they were, but we hoped. when they
were dried, Something might be learn
ed from them,
While we were examining these We
received the call from Harris that he
was coming up. so we started hauling
in the siacl. OF the airline. and in 4
few minutes his monstvous hcadgear
rose mp alongside, rs he elm bed up the
rope ladder.
We had chosen our spot so fortunate
~ thas We hal anchored right over
the sUuken ship. The wreck had set
tied Amos: upright. but was much
covered with sand and broken coral:
y
He had found the box damned in the
calm ganGway; he gave it as his
opinion THAI, with time. we could get
At everything in the wreck. The diff
EcUlty would be the clearing out the
sand and rubbish. which had drifted
into the cabins and below the decks in
every direction.
Don AStigaCa was much elated with
this report, and it certainly looked as
4 /. l L A
more than a prOblematical basis of
truth in il. We took the exact bear
ings Of our anchorage and then went
ashore to make preparation for COM
menciuT hard work on the morrow.
Next morning we started at day
light 70 get our boats loaded for our
first days operations: and. after Il
good breakfast, we put OF with the
three divers. The boats were anchored,
one on either beam of the wreck, so
that TWO divers could work at once.
Everything being in readiness. down
they went, and we all waited anxious
" to- the first intimation of their
search. We could get some Idea of
their movements from the working of
the air lines. and presently we got the
call to haul up, which we did. and
found another iron-bound box.
On breaking this open out rolled
mass of golden doubloons and silver
dollars. Then we sent up shout of
triumph. which the men on shore anu
on the schooner took up and repeated
again and again.
Ne were still in the midst of our ex-
element when we noticed the other
boa; hauling in. and up came n similar
che>:: this WAS. n far as we could see.
exactly Identical with our own. and
we waited in breathless suspense while
it was being pried open.
Then another hurrah from them be-
:o.,enei the contents. and Captain
Thomas, who was in the boat. held up
| his hat. frCm which he showered a
stream O! gold and silver.
The don could wait no longer for the
divers below without hearing where
the treasure was found: so we gave
them the signal to come up. and as
soon a. they were released from their
helmets tie commenced to ply them
viii; questions.
They had got into the main cabin,
in which they found nothing Of I'M
purtaHce; then. carefully examining
the side Of the cabin. they lad come
on Il door differing from the other
| doors opening ont Of the cabin. by
| the AL of their crow bars they soon
| btok. open Tie half rotten door. and
| tn#nd tnc place contained some dozen
! az ;si1vr cases. large and small. Owing
| 10 the ~Iuaiinrss of the entrance they
! ila'i uIadc. and the weight of the cases.
/ they had much difficulty in getting
! out the Two incy had sent up.
! After shrrt spell of idleneSS. dur
| in. which "c % lrr-,-ad the inner man.
! BOO ys..' asa Harris again wen: down
i, 10 ; "rh- "-id we sat anxious and en-