The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1897-06-27
.An ANCIENT MARINER
icon,caueded from Ninth page.)

sS them INTO the lake near the mouth Of
Il. Mud creek. when he thought he was
close pressed. No No erganized an expedl-
81 mouth Of Mud creek, but we couldn't
M ana the guns
4 sgsTf Ne had the divers suits OF the pres
n sntS we: d have been all right, but going
down In q bell is no easy matter. You
could only work over a space OF slx feet
81 Square alta time, and the bellman could
sa hot stsnd the air pressure for any
a length Of time IF lie was down very far.
& The bellman would have to pull a Sig
81 nal line when he wanted to be hoisted.
Once the signal lines got fouled while
81 we were hunting for Burgoyne's money.
II and although the two men in the bell
3tfugged at the ropes until their strength
IL gave out, we kept at work at the pumps,
IS hever dreaming that anything was
q wrong.
When 1t did seem to me that they
y had been down an uncommon long time
81 without sending US any word, I insisted
Il that they, be hoisted. We pulled them
E out Of the bell for dead, and worked
h hours before we succeeded III bringing
4 them around. They were bleeding at the
x ncse. These poor fellows always sui
4 fered from the effects OF that awful ex-
i perience.
II never had any trouble raising boats
il and cargoes, but 1t seemed my luck al
ways turned when II came to treasure
II.
But believe I'm the only man alive
to-day who can give the exact bearings
OF the treasure ship De Braak. She was
4 the En- slish brig that went down June
~, 1883, with hundreds Of the crew and
4 81, 900 in gold"
Il It should be stated here that, accord
ling to most accounts OF the sinking Of
s. the De Braak, as they have come down
4 from one generation of sailors to an
other she had on board S52.000.o0O In
Jewels and specie. Certain it is she had
\ treasure greatly exceeding a million,
which she had taken with 200 prisoners
!; from q Spanish feet which she had in
& tercepted while on her way to Halifax,
II after q successful cruise Of the AIediter-
&ranean,
s Two years after the disaster England
sent ,two frigates to this country to
4 raise her. They worked of Lewis, Del,
45for months. and without success. But
h here is Captain FoN's story OF the wreck
\ of the De Braull and the location Of the
< treasure and what he knows concerning
Il IL comes direct from the nephew Of the
man who Diioted the Inflated brig.
There was no more reason for the De
y Break going down when she did than for
u the John Brooks sinking at her moorings
il out yonder. make the boast that
4 know the spot where the De Braak lies
because cot it from Captain John san,
81 ders, whose uncle was the pilot who
4 boarded her to take her through the ship
channel
las The pilot was the one man who delied
! rash Captain James Drew, the COM
3 mander While the captain was below
filling his skin with punch in company
y with some American friends q squat
u came up. It was a blow that wouldn't
have capsized Il catboat With the proper
4 handling.
3 !: Every yard Of canvas was stretched,
b though, and the pilot, when the captain
s. would not hear the warnings sent below,
y ordered sail shortened The captain
came up when he heard what had been
i done and stormed and ragged.
I'll shoot any man that disobeys my
q orders! he cried. Not an inch Of sail
will come in
The pilot then told the captain that
4. he must have q boat In readiness for
d him to leave the ship when he pleased,
Itfor he would not stay where such bids
Z were being made for destruction.
The pilot had just put over the side
8 IN his boat when q fresh squall struck
the brig and capsized her. He picked UP
d s many of the sailors as he could carry.
n One Of the men struggling in the water
was the captain.
~ = For Gods sake save met he blended
as he grasped the gunwnle.
5$i'3s 500 1Drown with the rest Of the, mon
j: you haVe murdered! shouted one of the
: eanaged sailors on the pilots boat. and
Il ssb caught up wrecking Ratchet and
& OlOuSHL II 0OW1t OH the captain 8 unEerS
& He:1et go with q curse and sank.
,S3 iSanders was one Of n party Of forty
/ that afterward found the De Braak, but
with the clumsy diving bells OF those
Gays they could not get below decks and
7 at the treasure.
THE De Braak went down in ten
a fathonlS OF water in the ship channel be-
& tween Cape Henlopen and Brandywine
Light. The tides may have carried away
\ apme ,,of her tipbers. but her treasure
Z Must be there yet, and If were young
A ar mem I'd Hike to head q search for it,
83$ a circular was posted by the English
u government In 1841 offering $4,000 foI
y 3nfor1nation that would lead to the dis
4 ooVery Of The sunken vessel. The one
L man who knew the location Of the
Sfoun6ered brig was away on a cruise al
Il that time, and Captain FOX did not learn
& GanderS' secret until a short time before
q the latter's death years afterward.
I 3 company of Philadelphia capitalists
& Was organized in 1879 to locate and raise
the treasure. Divers thought they had
found the sand-covered hulk and so re-
ported 60 the company, but the project
fell through.
&$$ Captain Fox says that he expects to
+ pass the century mark.
SsssS nm AT any rate TIL see the year 1900. and
81 think I'm good for fifteen years yet
E;:yS. rhs only time he ever allowed n doe
{: A1F9 to attend him was two years ago
u .tsaasp he fell and fractured two ribs.
6UhTItkE o. IMMqRrELLEs,
igSs} I, Z. Sc e. - ---.---
rae E'1otsaE Usen Everywhere Grows
$!ss9 In Restricted Area.
{FSpm: the Pail Mall Gazette.)