Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1895-11-16
CAUGHT WITH GOLD.
The EN-Diycr's Story of an Adj
venture i'm the sGreat Days"


81 suppose" quoth James I. Gaulin
of Winchester, Mass, who was sitting
on the hotel veranda, that had the
honor of killing the most valuable fish
that ever swan the seas. did it
single handed too. aver that this
fish was worth more at the time of its
death than the finest sperm whale that
was ever harpooned, although we
should really leave whales out Of the
question when speaking of fish. 1t
was 80 years ago, and was Young
and foolish enough to be deep sea
diver. Our diving schooner and crew
had been sent TO Cuba to try to re-
cover scme stuff from a Spanish boat
that had foundered off the coast of
Cuba, just where | don't now recollect,
1t was quite long trip for us, and as
the employment of a diving outfit was
an expensive thing in those days the
boys knew that there must be some
thing pretty valuable in the hold OF
the wreck. 1t was quite close to our
skipper, and he told me that there
were several boxes OF gold coin in the
wreck. On our arrival ut the port
near where the wreck lay in so feet
OF water the agent of the owners of
the sunken schooner told lis some
thing more surprising. 1t was that
the gold had not been slowed in boxes
in the cabin, as was usual, but for
some reason had been bagged and
placed in the hold, being billed as
copper washers. This was probably a
scheme to avoid any chance Of the
spirit of cupidity arising in the crew,
for the treasure was very great.
"As the confidential man, | was Sc
lected to go down first and find the
money bags, attach lines to them and
have them taken out before the other
divers should proceed with the work
of taking out the other freight that
the water had not harmed. | was
soon in the hold and was surprised to
find that the bags were only little
distance from the hole in the side that
had caused the schooner to founder
| had been told that there would be
II bags, but ! could lay my hands on
but II OF them. Finally ! spied a
torn bag lying near the hole in the
hull, and on picking it up discovered
that il contained a few gold coins. |
decided that the heavy triple sacking
had been torn open i'll some way or
other when the schooner sank.
fastened lines about the / bags that
were intact, and had them hoisted,
afterward going up for air, for our
apparatus was not very good.
'1n a few minutes | returned to the
hold TO search for the scattered coins.
Very few of them were in sight. 1t
occurred TO me that they might have
been washed outside the boat, judging
from the position of the wreck and the
fact that the hold was far down toward
the ships bottom. | was about TO
crawl out of the hole when remem-
bered that it might hazard the air
pipe, so was pulled up and let down
again over the vessels side. | was
disappointed not TO find any indica-
ton of the gold near the hole in the
schooner, but set to work digging
resolutely in the sand. | had gone
but a foot down when | struck the
gold pieces all in lump. l picked
out a great handful and turned the
light on them, for was a lover of
gold then, even though it did not be-
long to me.
Just then | saw something that
made the rubber helmet rise from nv
head. 1t was man eating shark.
hadn't thought of one in so long that
| had neglected to bring my knife. 1t
was rushing at me. The stupid crea-
ture never stopped to consider that
with a rubber and lead dressing a
diver makes poor lunch. | was
kneeling beside the gold. At the
sharks onslaught naturally hung to
the handful OF gold rs though to use
it as weapon. He turned on his
side, opening his horrible mouth. A
feeling of grim humor had come over
me. The cruel goldbugs had sent me
down here to be devoured, after saw
ing thousands of dollars for them.
would be spendthriit ut the last. So
with all my force | flung the heavy
handful Of coin into the yawning
mouth.
1.-The shark mus. have thought it
was a part of me, for lie snaI ped his
jaws over the golden morsel. | am
satisfied that he broke some teeth.
lie swan back little, and then rush
ed at me again | had no weapon
but the gold, so again flung into the
hideous NAV enough to buy me Il
home in New England. saw him
snap and swallow it. Again and
again was the attack repeated, and
as often did | hurl gold into the
sharks throat. Pretty soon he became
dizzy, rs it were, for the gold had I'm.
balanced him, settling in the forward
part of his body. Then he wrilhed in
agony, and had To keep dolging his
furry. Then. with one terrible. .hud