The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1896-02-05
THE OLD YELLOW RIVER.
Romance OF the Wreck and Recovery OF
the TwlIIght's Cargo.

one togGy morning, just about dawn.
in August, 1866, the side wheel steam
boat Twilight was making her way
cautiously up the Missouri river. In
the wheelhouse the pilot stood dripping
with the heavy mist, calling to the
wheel man;
Keep her jackstaCf on the lone cot
tonwood on the starboard shore and
swing her stern around.
The Twilight was chug-chugging
along slowly against the current, says
the St Louis Gl0he-Democrat. Right
ahead was bend In the river. Sud
denly there was Jar. The hog chains
snapped with report like cannon.
and the boat heavily "hogged," or,
hulEed up in the middle. began to sink.
She had struck huge submerged syca-
more tree OF huge dimensions, having
got out of the channel In the fog.
The passengers were cared for by
the farmers in the vicinity and taken to
Kansas City. twenty miles distant, by
a boat that came up the river that
night. The cargo Of the Twilight was
very rich. II was composed OF 800 bar
rels OF whisky, hundreds of cases OF
wines, liquors and canned goods and
q large stock of general merchandise,
For several years she lay on the log
In the river. visible when the water
was low, and again covered. She was
thing of fascination to country boys.
who dreamed OF all sorts OF exploits
to get the treasure out Of her. There
was an air OF mystery about her that
thrilled the farm leds like the tales Of
Captain Kidd or the stories of the hd--
ventures OF wreckers
~ fny. E1tR MI nm lnutfp-
cessful attempt was made to get, the
cargo. Several years after that farm
crs In tho vicinity got two barrels OF
whisky out OF her, and when they went
for more she could not be found. The
treacherous river had shifted and she
was buried In sand bank. Then the
river cut In along the south bank close
under the blum, and the great rise OF
1857 made q sand bar on top OF her,
buried her deep and left her for Inland,
under thirty nine feet OF sand, 100 yards
from the bank Of the river ut high wa
ter, and half mile from shore when
the river was down.
Last year number OF Kansas City
gentlemen organized n company to re-
cover the sunken cargo. BY 4 series OF
ingenious mechanical devices they To-
Gated the wreck in thirty-nine feet OF
WdkCTt ltlu lOLlilu Tic AlGlhhe as NNhi-
paratively good condition. There have
been many interruptions Of the work,
but a large part OF the merchandise
has already been recovered.
The 300 barrels of whisky In the hold
are in perfect state OF preservation.
One OF them was tapped and the whisky
was found to be beyond compare, a
glass OF 1t which was poured out before
n company OF men In the Kansas City
club filled the entire floor with Its aro-
ma. II was thick and oily, almost OF
the consistency OF New Orleans mo-
lasses, and after the glass was emptied
It chung to the side Us syrup would,
The whisky will not be taken out until
the government officials shall become
satisfied that II IL tax free. The taxes
were paid at the dIstillery whre the
stun was made more than thirty years
ago
There is n rumor TINT nbaft OF where
the whisky was found Is the purser's
cabin, and In Il Is a safe containing
a large sum OF money, which was being
carried from st. Louis to up-river mer-
chants. The money question, however,
is forgotten for the present in the joy
Of the wreckers at the finding OF the
whisky Speculation Is rife as to what
will be the profits OF the wreckers. Ex-
pcrienced dealers say that the whisky
viii sell readily for at least 500 bar