The new North-west., 1897-04-16
RECOVERING SUNKEN TREASURE
Remarkable Achievement by Two
Australian Divers.

Remarkable Achievement by Tw.
Australian Divers.
The perils of a submarine diver arc
freshly brought to mind by the recent
remarkable achievement of two Aus
tralians named Arthur Briggs and
Michael May. In 1869, two English
divers recovered treasure from a YES
sci which had been sunk in twenty
three fathoms-13S feet-of water. AT
that depth the pressure is enormous.
and it has been thought that no one
would have the courage to go lower, or
going, be able to survive. Briggs and
May established a new ''record," how
ever, their work being done at a depth
Of tWenty-seven and a half fathoms, or
165 feet.
The brave Australians sought the
treasure of steamer which, about n
year ago, struck on submerged reef
the night after she left Sydney. In her
specie-tank were ten boxes of gold.
Equipped in diying-s suits specially
made to bear an extraordinary strain,
the two men took turns in descending.
Their first act was to carry guide-line
from their steamer, moored directly
overhead, to the wheel-house of the
wreck. Another line was made fast TO
the chart-room, from which the specie
tank opened.
To descend to the wreck, hand over
hand, down the guide-line. took from
six to ten minutes. If the slightest
sea- was running, the line swayed
so violently with the motion Of the
steamer that it was almost impossible
to maintain ones hold.
A diver was eXha usted by the time
the wreck was reached. Even then he
had to fight the ocean currents which
were there very strong. At times he
would have to hold on to something
with both hands, to keep from being
swept away.
A big shark had taken up his home
on the steamers deck. He was neither
vicious nor timid. Unfortunately,
though, he was curious, and Briggs
says that he often had to kick the great
fish to make him move out of the way!
1t was May when the divers located
the wreck. Not until August. SO un-
friendly was the weather, did they ap-
proach the object of their search. They
blew open the door of the chart-room
with dynamite-much to the consterna-
tion of the sharl-and thus gained ac-
cess to the specie-tank.
But this was dark and the boxes
the gold could not be found.
Briggs procured an electric light in
closed in strong, water-tight globe
lie was so unWise as to turn on the
before he started. BY the time
he had reached the wreck, he was sur
with myriads of fish, attract
ed by it, and could not see more than
4 foot in any direction After that the
light was not turned ON until the diver
had entered the chart-room. The fish
would not pass the doorway, and the
liver escaped their company.
On memorable day, late in August,
Briggs succeeded in lifting four of the
boxes of gold from the spece-tank to
he chart-room floor. 1t was on that
occasion that the record dive was
made. Briggs remained at the bottom
or fifteen minutes and nineteen Sec
)nds.
AS soon as Briggs came to the sur
ACE May went down, and succeeded in
1ettins the hfgest box, which contain
I'd 5000 soyereigns, SO that it could
>e drawn UP. On the following day,
3riggs sent up four more of the boxes
If gold.
In all seven boxes were recovered
nearly 10000 soyereigns,
about $4,000.