Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1897-07-05
4 Mys1EaY.
Alaskan Divers Discover ssaksa P,easure
Yacht In Far Northern waters.

A weird story comes from the Northern
sea via Portland Ore, to the New York
Herald Of the body Of a sweet faced
blond haired girl floating about In The
cabin of a luxuriously furnished Yacht
sunk on the treacherous reefs Of Man-o'
war Rocks, in Chatham straits. Alaska.
This story Is brought. by Charles J.
Stewart a trader for long time connsc-
ted with the missionary station at Hoo
hsih bay, who arrived In Portland after
a long and dangerous canoe trip. which he
the steamer City OF Topeka at Juneau.
In 1870 Russian exploring ship, the
Vdasnik. sank ON the treacherous reefs
OF Man- Oval war rocks. n the Chatham
man-o-war having been dashed upon the
break of the reef, has been found the dis
manticd hull of a schooner yacht, posi-
bly, of sixty tons burden The reef on
either side forms a hollow--a cradie--in
which both vessels lie safely projected
from the wild winds and heavy seas in
the straits.
For more than a hundred years past
has the man-o'-war thus reposed. The
widest of storms have ragged in the
straits, but SO well is it sheltered in its
rocky couch that the fiercest gale has
still LEFT standing the spars and rigging
as they stood when the Russian cruiser
went down.
Whence came the yacht? IT is shrouded
in mystery. Naught is known of its his
tory only the story that the Indian div
ers tell of q glimpse OF young girls
form, with long floating hair, coffinad in
the cabin of sunken yacht. in the
Northern sea-
For a hundred years or more. when the
spring tides come, the divers of the Hoo
Lah and kilsnoo Indian tribes have pre-
pared TO search for treasures aboard the
sunken man-o'-war Vdasnik. This is
ever a difficult task, but already the In
dams have been able to float ashore with
log RATS, by the tides. three of the brass
carronades from the deck of the Vdasnik.
This year they again prepared for the
renewal of the task. and on April l. when
the tides, were ON the increase with the
new moon. they launched from the beach
III front of the Indian village. and, cross
ing the straits. anchored over the wreck
of the man-o war Vdasnik.
On April 10 the first diver went down.
The water is very cold in this half Arctic
current. and 1t is almost impossible for a
diver to remain under longer than a few
minutes. He was to attach line to one
of the guns of the starboard battery of
the man-o'-war and then another was to
lie fastened. 50 that when the tide ebbed
the whole power of the raft would be put
to raising the cannon.
But the diver did not fasten his line. In
stead, iii moment he bobbed up again,
wildly excited with the news that
schooner was lying astern OF the m1n-o'-
war.
Then another Siwash took the plunge,
and he likewise brought back the tate
that after all these years of lionel 1T s. the
,.1an-o'war Vdasnk had companioA.
This information created the widest eX-
element among the Indians. Perhaps the
cargo ard fittings of the schooner were of
much valuei
The next diver prepared to go down by
putting on extra weights and taking with
him what is an old device of the Indian
diver-a seals bladder filed with air-by
the means of which they are enabled TO
remain longer below.
This SIwash stayed below minute and
caught glimpse of the body of n woman.
The parting of the waters by the diver
made a motion sufficient 10 sway the
b dy back and forth in the cabin. Other
Indians followed, anxious to see the
strange spectacle, and each told the same
story-that the body was that of a young
woman, with long, fair hair, but in each
case the diver could only reach the com
panionway of the yacht and view the
body without being able to reach it, and
the Indians poSs esSed no diving appara
tus that could be brought to rescue the
body. The Indians then returned 70 their
illihee and reported the matter. Nan-o'-
war rocks is about twenty-five miles from
kilisnoo village.
Whence hailed this yacht? WHO were
t1e people aboard? To what nation did
they belong, and what wert. they seeking
in these northern realmsY OF all this at
present there is nothing known. only the
Iare fact that the Eoonah and kilsuoo
Indians in searching for the treasures
Of the man-o war have discovered THIS
wrecked yacht and the body 1t contains.
According to the description they give OF
the yacht. its possessor must have been
a person of wealth, all its Ittings being
described as in the highest degree uxuri-
GUS How is it that nothing has ever
been heard of yacht being fitted out for
u cruise in northern seas? Now that the
discovery of the Indians has been made
public. viii any appear giving Informal
tion that may throw light on the identity
of the sunken vessel? Perhaps in this
way what is now hidden mystery may
be r1ads, clear. And again, it may be
that in future repeated efforts on the
Part of the Indians to secure whatever OF
value they can from the yacht, SGmethinl-