Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1894-09-20
A BRIG IN THE DESERT.
It's Owner Says He Is All Ready for
the Waste to Become a Sea.

One of the queerest and most sur
prising sights l ever saw IN all my
wanderings over the wilds of this
country" sad E. c. Traver. we'll
known prospector and civil engineer,
few days ago, to the San Francisco
Call, was newly constructed brig
lying on the floor of Death Valley.
can see it.
When l first saw it l was almost
paralyzed. 1 could not believe nv
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 a few
minutes, and then looking around me
and seeing the wastes of burning
sands and feeling the hot breath Of
the desert wind, l knew that every
thing about me was almost realistical-
ly real.
1T was by the merest chance that
L ran across the vessel, said Mr. Ira
yer, because had I been a few feet
further south | would never have seen
1t. You see | had been working on the
weeks without success, and concluded
to go to Mount Darwin, where / would
at least be 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. I
am not exactly certain, but [ think
| that where the vessel is it Is about
200 feet below sea level
After the first surprise had worn
off l began to figure out how the craft
came there. That the vessel was a
relic of a past age never entered my
head for a moment, because it was
constructed on perfectly modern lines
and the wood had a yellow appear
ance, indicating that it had not been
cut very long. | am something of a
sailor myself, and the first glance told
me that it was the work of some
modern shipbuilder; but that only
made the mystery greater
Going close, I made a careful ex-
animation of the strange find It
proved to be a perfect brig Of about
| 400 tons, that had never been in water.
Everything about it was of the best
style of workmanship, and showed
plainly that the builder had put forth
his best efforts. The keel was laid
fiat on the sand, and the starboard
side placed up against a small reef
of rocks. The port side was supported
in the usual manner.
climbing onto the deck by a small
rope ladder, I found everything ship
shape. The decks were as clean and
white as a man-Ofwar'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 thing, however, would
| have been impossible, as the heat was
simply unbearable, and | had to go to
! the door, gaSping for breath, before
[ had completed by investigation. The
more L looked the more mystifed 1
became. 1t was plain the brig had
been built where she was; but by
whom, and for what? j..
81 spent the whole afternoon climb
ing over the vessel. | went into the
rigging and looked over the surround
| ing country, but could see no sign
of human being. When night came
on | concluded to camp near by, but
had no sooner got fixed comfortably
when a voice from somewhere called
! Good evening" You may be sure I
jumped as my nerves were feeling a
little weak through my strange after
nCOn's experience.
There was no need to be alarmed,
| though tor a gOOd-natured looking
man with gray hair and beard was
smiling at me. Of curse, at once con-
Guided that he knew something about
the brig. | was right, and in few
| moments he explained the whole thing
to me, and also showed to what ends
| a foolish idea will drive a man.
HE said that his name was Freder-
lex Evans, and he was shipbuiIder
! by trade, and one Of the California
pioneers of 40. He had never made g.
big strike, but had always kept pros
pecting, and when the water rose in
SaltOn Lake a few years ago he was
at work in the mountains around
Death Valley. 1t 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 yes
Sci to float in the new sea. Evans
was not poor man, but had enough
money to hire a couple Of men to help
him lay the keel of the vessel, put In
the masts, and do the other heavy
work. At first the work was pushed
rapidly, but when the water COM
menced to recede Evans took things
| easy and did all the work himself, be-
cause 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
a sea, and he is ready for it.
! Il was we'll treated by Evans" said
Mr.. Traver in concluding. 'He took
me to his abode, which was a deep
/ cave a few feet from the brig, with
a delightful temperature. I stayed
with him two days and found him a
! well-educated man and very interest
| ing, but when I left him his last words
were, When the water rises L will be
ready for it,