The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1894-07-26
ABRIG INTHE DESERT

| ABRIG INTHE DESERT
SURPRISING DISCOVERY or a TRAv-
ELER IN DEATH VALLEY.
4 Man Coustrrctcd aud Fitted Up = Vessel
on Sandy Waste Because 80 Wants to
30 Ready When the Water Rises. ~ he
Firmly believes II WIN.
"One Of the queerost and most surpris.
Ing sights ever saw in all my wander.
ings over the wilds of this county,"
said T. 9. Traver. we'll known pros
poctor and civil engineer. few days
ago. "was newly constructed brig ly-
ing on the floor of Death valley. And it
10 there yet. so that anybody can see it
Whom | first saw it. Twas almost
paralyzed. could not believe my eyes
and thought must have passed through
some mental lapse and was not in Death
valley ut all. But. after gazing at tho
strange object Q few minutes and. then
lookingarountlme und seeing the wastes
OF burning. sandss aud feeling the hot
breath OF the aesert wind, knew that
everythingab me was most realistic.
ally real
1t was by the merest chance that !
ran across the vessel, - said Mr. Traver,
because had been few feet further
south ! woulGnever have seen it. You.
see. had Been working on the eastern
side Of tho valley for several weeks with
out success and concluded to go to
Mount Darwin. where kwould at least
be sure Of expenses lvas crossing the
valley at the northern end, which: is
quite narrow, but about the lowest spot
ON the earth s surface. l am not exactly
certain. but think that where the ves-
sci ia it is about 300 feet below sea level
after the first surprise had worn off
began to figure out how the craft came
there. That the vessel was relic Of
past ago never entered my head for a
moment, because it was constructed on
perfectly modern lines and the wood
had q yellow appearance. indicating
thaE it had not been cusvery long. am
something Of sailor myself. and the
first glance told me that it was thework
Of some modern shipbuilder. but that
only made the mystery greater.
Going lose, made a careful ex-
animation Of my strange find 1t proved
to DO perfect brig of about 400 tons,
that had never been in water Every
thing about it was of the best style of
workmanship and showed plainly that
the builder had put forth his best eff
forts The keel was laid fat on the sand
and the starboard side placed up against
a small reef of rocks. The port side was
supported in tho usual manner.
Climbing onto the deck by small
rope ladder, l found everything ship
shape. The decks were as clean and
white as man-of-war's, and every rope
was in place. Entering the cabin, l
found everything neat and clean and
several hunks with bedding ready to
sleep in. Such thing, however, would
have been impossible, as the heat was
simply unbearable, and l had to go to
the door, gasping for breath, before /
had completed. my Investigation. The
more looked the more mystified be-
came ft was plain the brig had been
built where she was, but by whom and
for what?
81 spent the whole afternoon climbing
over the vessel. went into the rigging
and looked over tho surrounding coun-
try, but could see no sign of human
being When night came on, conclud
ed to camp near by, but had no sooner
got fixed comfortably when avoice from
somewhere called Good EVENING" You
may be suro I jumped, as my nerves
were feeling little weak through my
strange afternoons experience
There was no need to be- alarmed.
though, for good natured looking man,
with gray hair and beard, was smiling
at me- Of course ut once concluded
that he knew something about the brig.
was right, and in few moments he
explained the whole thing to nae and
also showed to what ends foolish idea
will drive man.
HE said that his name was Freder-
ick Evans, that he was ship builder
by trade and one Of the California pion-
GERS Of 40. He had never made big
strike, but had always kept prospecting,
anu WuSu Tue WdCCI TUS0 Ill DdltOu ldk0
a few years ago he was at work in the
mountains around Death valley. It was
then that he got it into his head that
the water would eventually reach that
locality, and he was determined to have
the first vessel to float in the new sea-
Evans was not poor man, but had
money enough to hire couple Of men
to help him lay the keel of the vessel
put in the masts and Go the other heavy
work At first the WORK. yTas pushed
rapidly, but when the water commenced
to recede Evans took things easily and
did all the work himself, because he
thought the water would not come again
for year. He has been disappointed
every year since, but still thinks that
Death valley will become sea, and he
is ready for it.
II was we'll treated by Evans" said
Mr. Traver in concluding. "He took me
to his abode, which was deep cave a
few feet from the brig, with a delight.
full temperature. staid with him two
days and found him we'll educated
man and very interesting, but when I
left him his last words were, When the
water rises, I will be ready for it. -