Blackfoot news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1891-1902, 1894-09-22
A SHIP IN THE DESERT
the HANDSOME BRIG LIES IN
DEATH VALLEY.
r,u, nv Man who Expected sai'"n
lake 10 Cover the Desert-EEefy hop'
Is In place and the Decks Are As e's''
ana White as a Man-of' Wars.

..One Of the queerest and most
surprising sights l ever saw IN an
INV wanderings over the wilds q
tbis country" said F. {. IraVer'
well.known prospector and elVl' Gu
gineer, few days ago, was ne"'S
constructed brig lying on the moor
OF Death valley. And 1t Is thero
vet, so that an body can SEQ T.
When i first saw Il was almost
paralyzed. could not believe my
ewes, and thought | must nave
PASSED through some mental lapse
and was not in the Death valley al
an. But after gazing al the strange
object a few minutes and then iooA-
ing around me and seeing the wastes
of burning sands and feeling the not
breath Of the desert wind, knew
that everything about me was most
realistically real
1T was by the merest chance thAt
| ran across the vessel. said Mr.,
Trayer because had | been a iew
feet further south | would never
have seen il You see, had been
working on the eastern side OF the
valley for several weeks without sue
cess. and concluded 10 30 10 Mount
Darwin. where would AZ least oe
sure Of expenses was crossing
the valley at the northern end. which
is quite narrow. but about the lowest
spot on the earth's surface. am
not exactly certain. but ! think that
where the vessel Is located il IS
about 200 feet below sea level
After the hrst surprise had worn
oil | began TO figure out how the
craft came there. mat the vessel
was relic OF past age never en-
tered my head FOR moment. because
I il was constructed on perfectly
modern lines and the wood had
yellow appearance, indicating that
il had not been cut very long am
something OF a sailor myself, and the
first glance told mc that Il was the
work 81 some modern ship builder
but that only made tbs mystery
| greater.
"Going close, made careful
examination OF my strange lind. 4,
/ proved 70 be u perfect brig d about
I 40 ton, that had never been in
water Every thing about IL was Of
the best style Of workmanship, and
/ showed plainly that the workman
had put forth his best efforts The
4 keel vas laid dat on the sand aud
the starboard side placed up against
! a small reef Of rocks The port side
I was supported Ia the usual manner
climbing onto the deck oy a
sman roEe ladder, found every
+ thing in ship.shApe. The decks
I we're as clean and white as a man-ot-
wars. and every rope was in place.
/ Entering the cabin, found ever
4 thing neat and clean. aud several
hunks with bedding ready TO sleep
Y in Such a thing. however. would
have been impossible. as tho heat
was simply uubearable. and had 70
90 70 the door. RHsping for breath.
before had completed my invcstigA.
tion. The more looked the more
I interested and mystiied became
1t was plain the brig had been built
where she was; but by whom, and
for what
II spent the whole afternoon
elm bling over the vessel ! went
into the rigging and looked over the
surrounding country. but could see
no sign Of human being When
night came on concluded 20 camp
near by, but had no sooner got Fixed
comfortably when voice from some.
where called Good evening You
may be sure jumped. ~ my nerves
were feeling little weak through
my strange afternoons experience
There was no need 70 be alarmed
4 though, for a good-natured looking
man with gray hair and beard was
smiling at me. Oi course at once
concluded that he knew something
about the brig, was right. ana ia
a few moments he explained the
whole thing 10 me and also showed
to what ends "a foolish idea will drive
q man
He sale his name was Frederick
Evans. and that he was ship build
er by trade and one Of the Califnrni,
pioneers OF -. He had never mad,
big strike. but had always ken
prospecting, and when the watei
rose in Salton lake few years acc
he was AZ work In the mountains
around Death valley II was thcr
that he got IT in his head that th,
water would eventually reach tha
locality and he was determined I,
nave the FIRST vessel TO noat ii
the new sen Evans was not poo
mar. but mad enough money 70 hir,
a couple Of men TO help him Law In,
keel Of the vessel. put in the mast
ana do the other heavy work. A
first the work was pushed RAPIDLY
but when the waters commenced 1
recede Evans took things easy an,
did all the work himself, becaus n
thought the water would not com,
again for year. He has been dis
appointed every year since. but still
thinks that Death valley will bccom
a sea- and he is ready for IL.
II was well treated by Evans
said Mr. Trayer in concluding. III
took me TO his abode. which was
deep cave few feet from the brio