The Jamesburg record., 1896-01-25
LOSS OF THE LUTINE.
MORE THAN 81 900, 600 WENT TO THE
cotton OF THE SEA.


There is an oaien chair in the Office of
Lloyds', III London, the great maritime
firm, which has strange and romantic
history. 1t was made from the rudder
of the kings ship Lutine, which, in
1893, was wrecked in the North sea.
with the largest amount of gold OH board
that ever went to the bottom. The sec
retary of Lloyds' recently gave to the
public an interesting account of this
wreck and of r3le numerous attempts t9
find her lost treasure. The Lutine was a
SO gun frigate, captured from the French
in 1893.
''In the autumn of 1899 it was neces-
sary to send large amount of specie
across the North sea, and as usual, an
plication was made to the admiralty for
kings ship. This method of conveyance
was thought the best guarantee for hon
esty, the best assurance against capture
by foreign foes. Although some money
is supposed to have been transmitted by
the Lutine to pay British troops then
serving in Holland, the bulk of the
treasure was forwarded for purely com
mercial reasons.
London merchants trading with
north Germany in those days We're in
the habit of sending their goods and
then drawing bills for their value upon
Hamburg and other houses at so many
months ahead. By the time the bills fell
due the goods had been sold for cash,
which was paid into the banks to meet
engagements. But protracted frost in
the early part of 1899 had so long seal
ed the Elbe that the merchandise had
been detained ice bound and could not
be landed or disposed CT i'll time
1.-THE London traders, to save their
credit and escape the expense of protest,
providing new bills and other probable
commercial disasters, resolved to send
cash across to cover their drafts as they
came to maturity. So grave was the
crisis, so great the sum to be embarked
that kings ship was asked, and near
ly every banking firm in Lombard street
dispatched member in charge of its
own cash contribution.
Moreover, as many legal questions
might arise, an experienced notary-his
name is preserved, Mr.. Schabrach-was
secured to accompany the party and ad
wise in any difficulty The precious car
go was insured principally at Lloyds'.
''Various ideas, and nothing quite
authoritative, prevail as TO the exact
amount ON board the Lutine. Some say
the specie, which was in coins of all
sorts, gold and silver, guineas, golden
piasters, double louis dor, Sicihan
goldpieces, silver piasters and dollars,
also IN gold and silver bars, reached
total value of upward of million.
In October of that year the Lutine
was ordered round to Yarmouth to take
treasure on board and proceed to the
Elbe. Her captain was one Lancelot
Skynner, R. N, an officer Of distinction,
and no doubt his mission was much to
his taste. The short voyage was likely
to bring him considerable profit for it
was the rule to pay naval captains
commission of i per cent on the total
value embarked
son the evening Of the 9th Of October
the Lutine lay in Yarmouth roads with
merry party on board. The captain,
no doubt i'll excellent spirits, had given
a grand ball to the leading people in and
uDOuU L dIulOulI1. Lie IttSt Va lIlO S,uCclo
had hardly gone ashore when peremp-
tory orders came from the admiralty
that the Lutine should forthwith 60 to
sea. She sailed in the e4riy morning of
the 9th, and from that Tune very little
was heard Of her.
"'It is, however, known that she steer
ed straight course for Cuxhayen, at
the mouth of the Elbe. wind strong
from north northwest, and greatly IN
favor After landing passengers and
treasure the Lutine was to convoy fleet
of merchan men to the Baltic.
''Soon after midnight, going free and
under full press Of sail, she struck on the
outer bank of the island of Vlieland
(Flyland), the next to the Texel and
one of the ring Of islands that hem the
mouth of the Zuyder Zee. She must
have been slightly out of the course, and
it is said that there was strong lee tide
running During the night she went
down with all on board. Another kings
ship, the Arrow, Captain Portlock, was
in mpany, but she could give no help,
ror the 'scoots' or fishing boats OF the
coast, and when day broke there was DO
Lutine. Only two survivors were picked
up by Dutch lugger at daylight cling
ing to the wreckage, one of whom died
almost Immediately. and the other. Mr..
Schabrach, the notary, very soon after
ward died. but not until he had told the
little he knew
Repeated efforts have been made to
recover the money. In the year lmme-
diately following, when the whole thing
was fresh and before the sand had silted
or drifted over the wreck, the Dutchmen
fished up some e55, 900. Then more sys-
tematic and some really costly efforts
were made, and by 1879 another G5O'-