The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1896-09-12

From stem to stern ana from keel 10
masthead the fibrlo was covered with
mud aud slime ana barnnclc and sea-
Grass and shells AMI as she rested there
the water poured on her decks ana out
OF her hold IN such n sohblng, choking
way ms to bring the shlverl. Not word
had passed between the pair OF ny while
tho wave raced IN and across the island,
and tho ground below us was rs clear Of
tho last water before Wallace said:
Il think this ends II, and, let us both
THINK God! This ship was henved up
FROM tho bottom OF tho Bcn. where she
must nave rested for a good many
yenrs, but We'll have TO walt n day or
two before We investigate"
After, a couple OF hours, to lot tho
ground dry out u bit. we descended the
hill 10 see what damage had been done
About onc-halt the trees on the island
had been uprOotcd md carried out to
sea, and OF our hut not veBtige re-
malncd. There was scarcely Il stone
MS large rs a hens eng on the island
previous to the wavc.bu now we found
that hundreds OF rocks had been dis
tributed around, while the dead fish
were 30 numerous that We were hours
In gathering them up and giving them
TO the tide to bear away. Two hours
after the last shock the sky cleared
the sun came out and by night the
Island was fairly dry In alt parts. We.
however, gave the ship all next day to
get rid OF her water and harden In the
hot sun. You are prepared 10 hear, OF
course, that sir, proved to be the long
lost Star, OF India. We found that out
before we had been aboard OF her n
quarter OF an hour. and later on We had
4 dozen reasons for believing that the
dying Malay Ind spoken the truth
tell you that ship was queer sight
Her ocean bed had been hundreds Of
feet deep aud the mud covered every
thing to the dcpts of foot--ln some
places two or three. Neither one OF us
Ind heard of,the Star or her loss, but
We knew this wreck 10 be that OF an
lndtaman, and we went at II to clear
away the stun and get into her. We
were n full week doing this, and at ev-
cry turn We came across evidences to
prove the story of the Malay. Three
or four OF her guns were yet In place
and from the way she had been knock
cd about by cannon shot. Il was easy
10 figure that she Ind made hard
fight and suffered great loss OF life be-
fore she gave In.
Even before we began work VIC found
the auger.holes bored IN her bottom to
scuttle her. The great cabin and every
state room had two feet OF mud on the
floor and may tell you that We worked
hard for four weeks before we got the
hulk cleaned out. In the mud and
among the mold and rot we found
rusty muskets. pistols, PwOrds. pieces OF
jcwelry. cutlery, crockery. glassware
and what not, but IN actual money
We found only five sOvercigns. a part
OF the cargo had been wood, but we got
nothing whatever OF value out OF It,
Indeed, when our work had been fin-
ished, we simply had big hulk resting
on land mile from the beach and
were only five gold pieces better on
than before. The pirates had swept her
clean OF treasure. plundering the pas
sengcrS before numbering them. and
we did not find In cabin or state-room
SO much as n single bone OF human
anatomy. We made the ship our home
for six months and were then taken
off BY whaler and our story was the
first news received OF the lonE-lost
ship. TIE English government sent n
man-of-war TO the Island 10 overhaul
the hulk and mementoes OF her have
long been on exhibition In the British
museum. Nothing could be more queer
than the way we found her or rather
the way she was heaved up by the sea
10 be discovered. From soundinEs made
to the east Of the island In lS61-6S. IL
was estimated that the great ship rose
from a depth OF over 1000 feet. Nothing
but an earthquake could have lifted
her from that depth--nothing but n IT,
dal wave held her up and swept her to
our feet.