Evening journal., 1897-12-28
WHERE THE PIRATES LIVED.
HERRING BAY HAS A VAULT YELLED
IN MYSTERY.
SUPPOSED TO HAVE BEEN BUILT
BY H0GARTH DURING THE CO
LONrAL DAYS AND SHORTLY
BEFORE THE REVOLUTION.

Among interesting relics Of colonial
Maryland may be included an ancient
and famous vault, or cave, in Anne
Arundel IL is located on the east side
OF a hill overlooking Herring bay and
the Chesapeake. near Fair Haven. II
was supposed to have been built by one
"Hogarth" during the colonial days
and a short time before our national
history by pirates.
This vault extends from east TO west
and Is divided into several compart-
ments and has, IL Is said, capacity
for hundreds perhaps thousands Of
boxes or barrels of merchandise. It's
front or eastern entrance faces Herring
bay. while its western entrance now
closed, opened from the bay, with which
IL is connected by narrow and shall
low stream. a few yards wide It is
Thought this latter entrance was used
for the purpose OF receiving freight
from small boats taken from larger
vessels that were unable to enter the
cove" but remained out in the har
bOr This harbor now has a landing
belonging to the Weems Line OF steam
ers In addition TO the two entrances
there Is a third and subterranean pas
sage OF entrance to this vault. This is
founded upon the fact that some years
ago team and driver Of six or eight
feet, landing in a brick passageway
Attention OF naval authorities had been
called to this vault and several years
ago the Navy Department sent two ma
val officials to investigate the prem
ises. AT the coming session Of the Leg
islature small appropriation, 10 Is
said, will be asked from The state to
preserve this relic.
superintendent OF Public Buildings
W. H. Petherhridge. who manlfests
considerable interest i'm Maryland rec
ords and colonial relics, lives within
three miles of the cave Mr.. Pether-
bridge. who was a former register of
Wills of Anne Arundel county, has ac-
cumulated interesting data about the
Herring bay vault" which he says
should receive recognition from q his
tOrical standpoint. Speaking OF 40 he
said. There now remains only an open
door to this vault, which is partly filed
by sand and water, the accumulation
of many years. thereby excluding visit
Ors AT one time this hiding place for
pirates had two entrances, one on the
west side of the hin bordering upon a
cove that makes off from Herring bay
where It was of easy access in those
days for small boats, and the pre-
sumption is that the larger vessels re-
mained cut in deeper water while the
smaller ones would convey its cargo tc
the secret hiding place. The other en-.
trance, on the east side, it Is thought
was used by passengers only, or fol
for freight OF light weight, as the en-
trance was so exposed as to admit o
easy detection of those entering them
There are also conjectures of a sub
terranean passage to this vault from
another direction, founded upon thu
fact that one OF the late proprietors o
the land. DR.. Edward Jacobs, OF Balti
more. was surprised one day TO see hi
team and driver while plowing, 81
down i'm the ground six or eight fee
below the surface to what he believe
was a brick passageway to this vault
Many of the bricks have long sine
been removed and utilized in the con
struction of dwelling houses and farm
buildings on the premises"
"A few years ago." continued Nh
pethorbridge, "the Navy Department a
Washington sent two naval officers Z
investigate this vault, but if a repOi
has been made on IL the residents G
Herring have not been informed.