The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1894-08-03
INTHED DESERT
SURPRISING DISCOVERY or A TRAv-
ELER IN DEATH VALLEY.


A Man Constructed and Fitted Up o vessel
on . sandy Waste Recause He Wants TO
Be Ready when she water Rises, M He
Firmly Believes It win.
Zone of the queerest and most surpris-
ing sights ever saw in all my wander
ings over the wilds Of this country,
said e. G. Traver, q well known pros
pector and civil engineer, q few days
ago. was newly constructed brig "
ing ON the floor of Death valley. And it
is there yet so that anybody can see it
when ! first saw 10. was almost
paralyzed. ] could not believe my eyes
and thought 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, I knew that
everything about me was most realistic
ally real
1T was by the merest chance that
ran across the vessel, = said MIR. Traver,
s.bocause had been q few feet farther
south ] would never have seen il You
see. ! had been working ON the eastern
side Of the valley for several weeks with
ont success and concluded 10 10 TO
Mount Darwin, where ! would at least
be sure Of expenses I,was crossing the
valley at the northern end, which is
quite marrow, but about the lowest spot
on the earth 3 surface am not exactly
certain. bat think that where the ves-
sci Is IL Ii about 900 feet below sea level.
After the first surprise had worn OF
began to figure ont how the craft came
there That the vessel was . relic Of o.
past age never entered my head for a
moment, because it was constructed ON
perfectly modern lines and the wood
had yellow appearance. indicating
that il had not been cut very long am
something of sailor myself, and the
first glance told me that it was the work
Of sorase modern shipbuilder, but that
only made the mystery greater.
Going close, / made q careful ex-
animation OF my strange find It proved
to be perfect bEig OF about 400 tons.
that had never been In water. Every
thing about IL was of the best style Of
workmanship and showed plainly that
the builder had pnt forth his best ef-
forts. The keel was laid fat ON the sand
and thestarboard side placed mp against
q small reef of rocks The port side was
supported In the usual manner
Climbing onto the deck by small
rope ladder, found everything ship
shape The decks. were al clean and
white as b man-of-war's, and every rope
was In place Entering the cabin, |
found everything neat and clean and
several hunks with bedding ready to
sleep In. Such q thing. however, would
have been impossible, as the heat was
simply unbearable, and / had to 20 TO-
the door, gasping for breath, before I
had completed my investigation. The
more looked the more mystifed be-
came. It was plain the brig had been
built where she was. but by whom and
for what?
II spent tho whole afternoon climbing
over the vessel / went into the rigging
and looked over the surrounding coun.
try, hut 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 d voice from
somewhere called Good eyeningl' You
may DO sure ! jumped, 40 my nerves
were feeling little weak through my
strange afternoons experience
There was no need 30 be- alarmed,
though, for as good natured looking man,
with gray hair and beard, was. smiling
at me. OF course 81 once concluded
that he knew something about the brig.
I was right, and III d few moments be
explained the whole thing 10 me and
also showed ID what ends foolish idea
will drive man.
He said that his name was Freder-
ick Eyans, shat be was 3 ship baildsr
by trade and one of the California piOn-
eers os 40. He had never made . big
striks. hut had always kept prospecting,
and when the water rose In Ealton Lake
d fgw years ago he was at work. the
mounfaius around Death valley. It was
then that be got u into his head that
the water would evnntually reach that
locality. and he WIS determined 20 have
Is BfyE