The sun., 1897-01-24
JOY TO THE BEACH-COMBER
WRECKAoE FROM THE kLTENA
MAKES CoNEY ISLAND HAPPY,

Not frorn the ounntity sf It Oniy, but frou,
Its Quality. Much or IL Being In
Deuijohus - Some or the Tres.ure
Buried In the sand In Uamarked Graves.
Out Of the jaws Of tho storm, out Of tho nav
of the 5ea, ;hsre come many and goodly things
for the beach-comber. the ssnd-fea. and the
wrecksge gatherer Of Coney Island. When the
British Queens ent the Alvens on Tuesday to
the bottom OF the deep blue sea, which 10 only
three fathoms deep or Whereabouts in the Swash
Channel where tho accident occurred. thoro was
fear of damage suits on tho one side. and
wrsthful RnashinR Of teeth on the other. and
all tho time the patient walters on Coney Island
were possessing their souls In . hopeful expect
ancy, for they knew that, with . fAvoring wind,
things would come thelr way. Up rose the
favoring wind, up rose the wreckipg wave, up
rose the matches OF tho sunken Alvena, and
things came Coney Islands way.
II WAS the ancient beach-combcrs who wan
dered by tho sea and saw upon the tossing
waters = Roodly argosy OF barrels. casks. and
cases. too and long and loud laughed he. for well
he knew the profit to bc gained. and hence his
glee. Tho first thing that he found was . large
barrel. This he dragged up on tho sand out OF
reach Of the waves. and then he returned for
more. After making . fine collection OF casks,
bedding. crates. and boxes. he sthenRth csped q
ho rescued and uncorked. The demijohn was
half full. The beAch-combe Der transferred its
contents to himself. and thereupon went the
demiiohn so per cent. better.
lnsDired to generous deeds, he then ambled
OBVIOUSLY through the main street of Concy
Island, at nouncing In n loud IL somewhat In
termittont voice. u all whom II might concern,
that Rainer hotel had been wrecked at sea,
and that the bar. fittings. equipments. and good
will were coming ashore IN large aud elegant
chunks. II took the festive COney Islanders
several hours lnotD to get out upon tho beach
and make collections. Each barrel, cask. keg,
demiJOhn. and bottle. as fast as II cAne ashore,
was opened or uncorked, aud sampled. where.
foro Joy reigned supreme.
The happy toilsrs buried large assortments Of
treasure along the beach, then went homo to
bed. aud In their subsequent slumber forgot tho
location OF the graves. having marked them
with no toinbstoncs; the quality Of their sln Der
being too heavy for continuity OF thought or
memory. All this happened on Friday.
Yesterday morning II came to tho ears Of the
police that wrcckave hal come ashore. and they
Investigated, with the sAtisfying result Of being
able to report that several boxes OF herrlngs Ind
u quantity of othsr stun had come ashore, part
but the greater part Of which had been rescued
from the raveninR waves by their own acts Of
unparalleled gallantry, and was now awaiting
claims OF ownership. Little did they wot, AS tho
phrase COOS IN tales OF piracy, wreckare.
they trod Coney's beach was much treasure,
In Kind varying from striped undershirts to
casks OF Burgundy. Still less do tho Coney
Islanders wot where tho unmentionable but
sulphurc blazcs their treasures lie buried. but
be sucn an upturnng OF the sandy soil along the
wave-washcd margin with picks, shovels,
spades. and kindred implements as shall lay
open the island even unto its foundations.