The Anaconda standard., 1897-12-05
DIGGING OUT A BIG STEAMER
Here's the Story About the Boat Written by the Man
Who Owns Her and Dug Her Out

Written by John A. Eby. Finder and
Joint Owner
Holt, Mo. Dec. 3.--confirmad topers
who. in their drunken dreams delight
10 wander through an elysium where
whisky flows as freely as water in the
streets af Venice. should come ~ this
spot IL sleep w have something that
Jules Verne ia his widest flights of
IMAGINATION fell short uf-a whisky
mine. concealed in the heart of Mis-
souri, river steamboat buried deep not
IN water hut in he earth nf a Missouri
farm. And such h-ky older than
most living men. ripguing and mellow
ing in tho bowels ef fitt- earth Tor over
hall century. h l@ tlitelN a. he liquor
such IS NJ one has eyer tasted yet, ana
Ia br priceless in its worth
The starry af the settling Of fre
steamer in its present location Is al
most as interesting a. lhe whisky that
il has carried concealed beneath the
surfae" of iEe earth for 50 many years
In 1915 the steamboat Arabia loaded AT
st. tsaaS With lS1 barrels 1T whisky
large quantity If queens are Ind gem
eral merchandise. and Stai Erd nu her
usual trip f"r omaha and St8uS city.
She got no further toward her 1esIiua-
tion Than ParksNilie Mo- where she
struck a snag uf some Kind aud her
80 or 10 passengers had al they could
do % scramble 10 safety before the
steamer sank. The women and children
were saved by The prompt lowering -
the boats and the men had ~ swim
ashore as best they could.
Thereafter thc Missouri river hatsin
t. play tag With it's course shifting aTld
turning and forcing ueW channels un-
tl the spot where thu whisky laden
boat went down was tpft high and dry.
The lost steamer was first discovered
In 1878, when It's smoke stack and pill
at's cabin We're seen prntruaing from
the sand hair Il mile west of the chan
NIL ut- the Kansas side. They remained
visible for several years aud during all
that time. strange % say. No one
Thought nf digging out the beat for the
sake. af the cargo ~ whisky with which
Il was known To he iiiled from main
deck TO keel 1t was only when 1t had
sunk out uf sight and the location had
been forgotten and lost owing te the
constant varying nf the map caused hy
the rivers freaks, thai We began a.
realize what We mad missed IN neglect
ing u secure he treasure when We had
il close to onf hands
When ii was found one day that the
steamer had gone from sight the peo-
pie around here woke up and began
to search for II. SoothsaNers We're con
suited. seventh SONS ot seventh sons
We're urged - use their gdessing pow
ers to help the seafchprs. and diNirs
Ing rods carried over vast extent If
country. All 10 moi purpose. IT was
ascertaned. after great deal of In
uufN. that survivor of the wreck was
living in the person Of Charles A. Gar
side, hui as he WAS only 4 months old
and the NoungeSt passenger aboard at
the time of ihe disaster. he was not able
t. help The sanguine seaucherS with his
rerelleCtinns Of the affair and 80 they
had to ~ back a. the SoathsaSprs, set-
enth sous and diyinng rods and at
last everyone gave 1t up IN despair
Last January | began "a think hat
there was a possibility of discovering
the lost steamer hy systematic
search win Il few practical men IA help
me. ana IA few of us got together and
formed a company consisting OF my
self. Gale Henson. r. j. Reeee and j
=. henderson. W. procured Il lease If
i've years On several hundred acres af
land around the spot where ii was
though lhs lost steamer lay and be-
gain prospecting In earnest We COM
tInued The search long and patiently
and II Is NOW shown that We were 81
near ~ Tho treasure tfuNe in many uf
our s0nndingA that We almost srraped
the rusty sides OF The steamer with our
dlill points and missed actually touch
ing the spot
pur method was fo drive iron rods
down - of 30 feet and If they struck
nothing but soft earth 10 pull them
un and strike again. We had driven
over nearly 100 acres of land. and were
fast losing heart, when suddenly the
drill struck something hard and metal
llc. We pulled IL nn and tried again
i few feet 10 the right. with the same
result. then few feet II the left. met