The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1896-01-29
LOSS OF THE LUTINE.
MORE THAN 81 ,ooo, 900 WENT TO THE
BOTTOM OF THE SEA.

Soon Died-Of the Vast Treasure $780,.
600 Has Been Observation-Disclosures p.
erations Under Way to Secure the Rest,
There is an oaken chair in the Office OF
Lloyds', in London, the great maritime
firm, which has strange and romantic
history. 1t was made from the ruddel
of the kings ship Lutine, which, in
1899, was wrecked in the North sea,
with the largest amount of gold on board
that ever went to the bottom. The sec
rotary of Lloyds' recently gave to the
public an interesting account of this
wreck and of the numerous attempts to
find her lost treasure. The Lutine was q
SO gun frigate, captured from the French
in 1898.
'tIn the autumn of 1899 it was neces.
sary to send a large amount of specie
across the North sea, and, as usual, ap-
plication was made to the admiralty for q
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 were 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 1893 had SO long seal.
ed the Elbe that the merchandise had
been detained ice bound and could not
be landed or disposed of in time.
1.-THE London traders, to save theii
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. z-H.=...
Moreover, as many legal questions
might arise, an experienced notary-his
name is preserved, Mr.. Schabrach--was
secured to accompany the party and adj
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, Sicilian
goldpieces, silver piasters and dollars,
also in gold and silver bars, reached O
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
SKINNER, r. N, an officer of distinction,
and no doubt his mission was much tc
his taste. The short voyage was likely
to bring him considerable profit, for il
was the rule to pay naval captains d
commission of 1 per cent on the total
value embarked.
"On the evening of the 9th of October
the Lutine lay in Yarmouth roads with
a merry party ON board. The captain,
no doubt in excellent spirits, had given
grand ball to the leading people in and
about Yarmouth. The last of the guests
had hardly gone ashore when peremp.
tory orders came from the admiralty
that the Lutine should forthwith go to
sea. She sailed in the early morning Of
the 9th, and from that time very little
was heard of her.
sit is, however, known that she steer.
cd straight course for Cuxhaven, 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 u feet
of merchantmen 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 company, but she could give no help,
nor the 'scoots' or fishing boats of the
coast, and when day broke there was no
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 imme-
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
We're made, and by S57-9 another ESQ.,
900 was recovered.
1.-THE present operations were begun
in 1892 by an English engineer, Mr..
Fletcher, who had been engaged on the
Dutch coast in raising a sunken dredger.
He became interested in the Lutine, and
associating himself with another emil
nent engineer, Mr. Rinipple, they have
approached the business in a novel way.
Their idea is to clear the ship of sand,
but to inelose her in central area or
dock faced by sandbags, which will pre-
vent further sitting, while they ransack
the interior of the wreck by divers. This
area is 200 feet in diameter, from which
the sand will be removed by powerful
suction dredgers. " - New Orleans
Times Democrat.
Rather Cruel.
know Of young man who has his
walls covered with the portraits of pref
ty girls and women-some 600 of them.
A few are acquaintance. but the major
ity of the photographs are of actresses