Waterbury evening Democrat., 1894-07-26
ABRIG INTHE DESERT
SURPRISING DISCOVERY OF A TRAY
 EIER IN DEATH VALLEY.

ELER IN DEATH VALLEY.
 A Man Constructed and Fitted Up Vessel on a Sandy Waste Because He Wants to
 Be Ready When the Water Rises. as He
 Firmly Believes It wnl.
 ''One of the queerest and most surpris- ing sights ever saw in all my wander ings over the wilds of this country" said F. c. Trayer, n we'll known pz~s- pectOr and civil engineer. n few days ago, twas newly constructed brig ly- ing on the floor of Death valley. And it Is there yet. so that anybody can see it.
 "When I first saw it. was almost paralyzed could not believe my eyes and thought I must have passed through some mental lapse and was not in Death valley at all. But, after gazing at the strange object few minutes and then looking around me and seeing the wastes of burning sands and feeling the hot breath of the desert wind, knew that everything about me was most realistic ally real
 1t was by the merCst chance that ran across the vessel. - said MT. Travcr. '.bccause had been a few feet farther south would never have seen it. You sec, had bccn working on the eastern side of the valley for several weeks with out success and concluded to go to Mount Darwin. where l would at least be sure of expenses ws.s crossing the valley at the northern end. which is quite narrow. but about the lowest spot on the Carth's surface 1 am not exactly certain. but think tha; where the vcs- scl Is it Is about goo feet below sea level After the first surprise had worn of began to figure out how the craft came there That the vessel wGs a relic of past age never entered my heal for q | moment, because is Wss constructed on perfectly modern lines and the wool had yellow appearances. indicating that it had not been cut very long l am something of SlilUr myself. and the first glance told me that il was the work of sOi,Ic modern Shiphuildcr. but ,!.at only made the mystery greater, ''GOing close, l made q careful ex- animation of my stran.C find IL proved to bc perfect brig of about 100 tons. that had never been ill water. Every thing about it vns of the hest style Of workmanship and showed plainly that tho builder had put forth his best Cf- forts. The keel was laid flat on the sand and the starboarl side placed up against q small reef of rocks. The port side was supported in the usual manner. Climbing onto tho deck by n small rope ladder. l found everything ship shape. The decks were as clean and white as a Inan-of-war's, and every rOIDc was ill place. Entering the cabin. l ! found everything neat and clean and several hunks with bedding ready la sleep in Such thing, however. would have been impossible, aS the heat Was simply unbcarablc. and I had to go to the door. Ga.ping fu- breath. before had completed my investigation Tho more looked the more i::vstificd tac- came It was plain the l'-ig had been built where she was, but l::- whom and for what:
 ''I spent the whole afternoon climbing over the vessel l went into the rigging and looked over the surrounding cOun- try, but could ssa no sign of human being. When night came on. cOnclud- Cd to camp near by, but had no sooner got fixed comfortably when voice from somewhere called Good evening" YOu may tc sure l jumped, aS my nerves wCrc feeling a little weak through 1nv i strange afternoons experience.
 1 ''Thcrc was no need to Lc alar i,-l. though. fora EOJd naturci looking san. with gray hair and beard, WAS smi. n. at me. Of course at oncc cunclu Il that he knew S,lu,thing about the :s. - I was right, and in a few l,luulcr:S !. explained th,. whole thins, to ml,, :l also showed 10 what slll. a foolish ia d will drivc a man
 ''Ho said that his name WAS Frss!,r- iok Evans that he va- a ship but ,Cr tr tr--ts and olro of the IslitUrni. p!s,:l- e.rs cf 70 He h.d never mnde biz Ftrike. bu. had alvarr kept Tro,pccring and when the wrtpr rr~e in Sairon lake s few years ago he v.s .t work in the mouursins around Death valley. IL WAS then that h. got it into his head that tho v'nter would eventually reach that | locality. and he uns 6sscTznin->i Ia have tho frat Vrs~sol to float in tho now ss-A
 ''Rvnns wrs n,< s y.oor man tzlt had money enough 10 hiro couple If men to help him l.y the keel of the vessel, put in tho m..ts snd do tho othCr heavy | work At f-t thc work wcs pushed rapidly, but when tho water connmcnCssl to rcCcClC Evans took things easily and did all tho work himsclf. lsrr1uso h,. thought the water would not come again for yc.r- He has ben disappointed every year since, but still thinks that Dcath valley will beco-ne .ca. a,ll hc Is ready for it.
 1T WIS we'll treated by Evans. '' sSlid Mir. Travcr in concluding. ''Hc took me tn his ab,~',r. which was ,l,,.v cave a few fCv't frnIu the lsrj-- with a delight 1 full t.-mPrratuvc- l ~tald with him tleo days arI fuuui liIu well c,lucar.-l man aui v,Tv interesting. bur when left him llls last Nvr,ls Vyrr, 'Wb,u the wa;Cr ri>,S. will h, r,a,lv for it- - SJu FTa,;c. sC, Gall