The morning call., 1893-04-16
ARMS OF THE SEA.
Treasure-Digger Nelson's
Discovery.
RUSTY WEAPONS OF WAR,
The Curious Z" Find' of the Persistent
Hunters of Gold on the Cliff
House Beach.

CaDtalD NJ. Nelson. the treasure-hunter
and digger Of the shore about two miles
below the Cliff House, is feeling better.
Yesterday he and his trio of CO. o-workers
were rewarded for their faith by the dis
covery OF some ancient curOs at the bottom
of their mysterious shaft.
The curios were warlike in character and
Captain Nelson is certain he has struck his
treasure ship.
Muskets, bayonets, cutlasses. a spit and a
cannon-ball are among the prizes so far
secured, but these are enough 10 send the
delving quartets hopes up 100 rer cent.
"HOw else can you account for them"
they ask, Except on the hypothesis that we
have located a sunken vessel, and that yes
sci must, of course. be our treasure-ship."
Some people are skeptieal still, and are
pointing out sundry discrepancies and coin
eidences casting doubt on the genuineness
OF the search or the find, bur Captain Nal
son is firm.
Last night he refused to leave the spot
where his arsenal was unearthed or un-
sanded. He tOok the lot into his tent and
slept upon the weapons of war, which he
regarded as honorable spOils of war and
earnests of tine coming realization Of his
brightest dreams.
it was getting on toward noon and the
usual band of lOungers surrounded the
4-fo0t wide shaft where four men were
working. One was at the pump, two were
managing the windlass and the third was
out of sight, being down the shaft about up
to his middle in water.
Suddenly a shout broke the brooding
silence. II came. like Truth, from the
bottom of the well, and declared the sur
prise and delight of the unseen man.
Captain Nelson and the other two shouted
in inquiry and the man out of sight gave
them 10 understand that he had struck
against something with his shovel.
What is it?' shouted Nelson, who had
calculated that they were still at least one
foot off the treasure-box, being now II feet
down.
TITS a gunP' yelled the shovel man below.
Captain Nelson thought at first the man
was calling him names. but speedily under
stood the situation. and gave minute in
structions for securing the unexpected
prize.
1t was hauled up lengthwse out of the
shaft, and the eager eyes of those at the
mouth OF the hole were quick 10 recognize
its shape.
TITS a ships muskstr' they exclaimed
simultaneously. And SO il was.
The musket WAS long and thin. very old.
fashioned and covered with rust. Yet one
of the gazers declared he could detect the
name Tower" on the stock and something
that looked like a crown.
Must be British vessel" haZarded one
Of the treasure seekers, but Captain Nelson
frOwned diSappTovingly. and remarked that
Spanish pirates might capture English guns
as well as boxes OF yellow doubloons
This allUsiOn to the bright, elusive gold
made all four turn to with will, and thero
was big com petition to go down the shaft.
Finally the same shovelman was allowed to
continue his successful operations, and the
choice was soon seen 10 have been wise.
They found regular set OF arms, CON-
pTising:
Five old muskets.
One eannoG-ball
Eight bayOnets.
Eight cutlaSSes.
One long pointed instrument (use un-
known.
Then The digging became unproductive
and tie water seepage resumed its su-
premacy.
The find excited endless comment around
the Nelson pit of exploration.
Two OF the guns are very old, being at
least 1VO years old, the other two not being
more than thirty or forty years old, accord
ing to eonnoisseurs. One is breech-loader,
which speaks sufficiently for its modern
ness.
The cannon-ball is about four and half
iDcheS in diameter.
The bayoEets are long and queer-shaped as
are the cutlasses. which were apparently
made to be adjustable upon the end of the
muskets.
The eannOD-ball being so small dissipated
In Nelson's mind the idea that ths sunken
vessel was man-ot-war while the long
pointed instrument was firmly Designated
a spit by one of the finders who had dis
covered Tower" on the musket, and unit
Ing his discoveries to support a theory that
the vessel was British. "The British always
eat roast beef" he said, land this is one of
their roasting spits. of course"
Some irreyerent wag drew attention to
the curious coincidence that only the other
day lot OF ancient muskets and cutlasses
were sold out at Woodward's Gardens, sug-
costing the idea that Nelson's hole had
been "saIted" either by himself or some
cruel friends. IF he salted it himself"
they said, ''t is to attract attention and a
crowd, from which he hopes TO draw con-
tribu!iens TO enable him to continue his
operations. If others did 1t, it was to gull
him and the public"
But the general opinion was that Cap
tain Nelson Is very much in earnest and
has no designs on the public credulity. The
general appearance of the arms is deemed
by these latter sufficient answer t. both un-
kind suggestions.
But. all the same, these finds" will inter-
est other people besides Captain Nelson.
and the progress of his operations will be
watched with increased Zest