Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1897-06-24
LOSS OF THE LUTINE.
MORE THAN ST 200, 900 WENT TO THE
BOTTOM OF THE SEA.
Only Two Survivors Picked Up, and They
Soon Died-Of the Vast Treasure $780,
600 Eas Been Observation-Disclosures OPP
erations Under Way to Secure the Rest.


of the kings ship Lutine, which, in
1899, was wrecked in the North sea,
with the largest amount of gold on board
that ever went to the bottom. The Sec
rotary of Lloyds recently gave TO the
public an interesting account Of this
wreck and of the numerous attempts to
find her lost treasure. The Lutine was a
SO gun frigate, captured from the French
in 1898.
"In the autumn of 1899 it was neces'
sary to send large amount of specie
across the North sea, and, as usual, ap-
plication was made to the admiralty for a
kings ship This method of conveyance
was thought the best guarantee for hon
esty, the best assurance against capture
by foreign foes Although some money
is supposed to have been transmitted by
the Lutine to pay British troops then
serving in Holland, the bulk Of the
treasure was forwarded for purely COM
mercial reasons.
London merchants trading with
north Germany in those days were in
the habit Of sending their goods and
then drawing bills for their value upon
Hamburg and other houses at so many
months ahead. By the time the bills fell
due the goods had been sold for cash,
which was paid into the banks to meet
engagements But prOtracted frost III
the early part of 1893 had so long seal
ed the Elbe that the merchandise had
been detained ice bound and could not
be landed or disposed Of in time.
THE London traders, TO save their
credit and escape the expense OF protest,
providing new bills and other probable
commercial disasters, resolved to send
cash across TO cover their drafts as they
came to maturity. So grave was the
crisis, so great the sum to be embarked,
that kings ship was asked, and near.
" every banking firm in Lombard street
dispatched a member in charge Of Its
own cash contribution.
Moreover, as many legal questions
might arise, an experienced notary-his
name is preserved, Mr. Schabrach-wa:
secured TO accompany the party and ad'
wise in any difficulty. The precious car.
90 was insured principally at Lloyds'.
Various ideas, and nothing quite
authoritative, prevail as to the exact
amount ON board the Lutine. Some say
the specie, which was in coins Of all
sorts, gold and silver, guineas, golden
piasters, double louis dor, Sicilian
goldpieces, silver piasters and dollars,
also in gold and silver bars, reached 3
total value Of upward of a million.
I'm October of that year the Lutine
was ordered round TO Yarmouth to take
treasure on board and proceed to the
Elbe. Her captain was one Lanceloi
SKINNER, r. N, an officer of distinction,
and no doubt his mission was much &c
his taste. The short voyage was likely
to bring him considerable profit, for II
was the rule to pay naval captains q
commission Of l per cent on the total
value embarked.
"On the evening of the 9th Of October
the Lutine lay in Yarmouth roads with
a merry party on, board. The captain,
no doubt in excellent spirits, had giver
a grand ball to the leading people in an6
about Yarmouth. The last of the guests
had hardly gone ashore when peremp'
tory orders came from the admiralty
that the Lutine should forthwith 60 &c
sea- She sailed in the early morning Of
the 9th, and from that time very little
was heard Of her.
Tits, however, known that she steer
ed straight course for CuXhayen, al
the mouth Of the Elbe, wind strong
from north northwest, and greatly III
favor After landing passengers and
treasure the Lutine was 10 convoy a fleet
Of merchantmen TO the Baltic.
''Soon after midnight, going free and
under full press Of sail, she struck on the
outer bank Of the island of Vieland
(Flyland), the next to the TeXel and
one of the ring Of islands that hem the
mouth of the Zuyder Zee. She must
have been slightly out Of the course, and
it is said that there was strong lee tide
running. During the night she went
down with all on board. Another king 5
ship, the Arrow, Captain Portlock, was
in company, bat she could give no help,
nor the 'scoots' or fishing boats Of the
coast, and when day broke there was no
Lutine. Only two survivors were picked
up by a Dutch lugger at daylight cling
ing TO the wreckage, one Of whom died
almost Immediately, and the other, Mr..
Schabrach, the notary, very soon after
ward died, but not until he had told the
little he knew.
Repeated efforts have been made to
recover the money. In the year imme-
diately following, when the whole thing
was fresh and before the sand had silted
or drifted over the wreck, the Dutchmen
fshed up some 600, 900. Then more sys-
tematic and some really costly efforts
were made, and by 1919 another $780,
600 was recovered.
1.-THE present operations were begun
in 1892 by an English engineer, Mr..
Fletcher, who had been engaged on the
Dutch coast in raising a sunken dredger.
He became interested III the Lutine, and
aSsociating himself with another emf
nent engineer, Mr.. Rinipple, they have
approached the business in . novel way.
Their idea is to clear the ship Of sand,
but TO incloSe her in central area or
dock faced by sandbags, which will pre-
vent further sitting, while they ransack
the interior of the wreck by divers. This
area is goo feet in diameter, from which
the sand will be removed by powerful
suction dredGers. - New Orleans
Times-DemOcrat.