The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-12-27


80 be 1t, and followi
The romance of the sea, with its in
exhaustible fund of wild adventure,
daring deeds, devastating gales, hair
breadth escapes, and roaring lee shores.
has always proved an acceptable theme
for young and old alike 4 flush of ex-
citement and quickening of the pulse
is felt when perusing thrilling episodes
relating TO old ocean, carrying with
them rare exhibitions OF courage and
endurance, unsurpassed in the annals
of Valor and heroism.
There is a fascination associated with
the restless expanse of the sea that
finds its elimination and realization of
all that is exciting in the search for
and discovery of hidden treasure. The
buccaneers. with their ill-gotten gold,
the desolate island and rudely drawn
plan of location are the usual relics
donated by some dying wretch to the
watcher by his bedside, coupled with
a weird yarn of fabulous treasures bur-
led on some sea girt island in an iso-
lated portion of the globe. Thus the
thread of romance finds it's birth, is
launched, with credulous followers
ready to follow the visionary trail, too
often leading to hardships and death,
with the pirates crime-laden treasure
forever eluding the eager search and
grasp OF man.
Authentic accounts of fabulous sums
cunningly hidden are on record. A few
prominent and historical instances of
vast wealth placed beyond the knowl-
edge of man to recover may serve to
stimulate some adventurous spirit, who
by a fortunate turn of fortunes wheel,
may solve the problem of centuries.
In the autumn of 1902, when Admiral
Rookie of the royal navy, was return
ing to England with the Duke of Or
mOud and a fleet of so sail, after an un-
successful attack on CadiZ, message
was received from the English minis
ter at Lisbon stating that the arrival
of a large and valuable fleet of Spanish
treasure ships was expected. Sir George
Rookie, who was too good sailor to
let such a chance slip, at once took up
q position near CadiZ. But the treas
ure fleet eluded the old salts vigilance
and reached the port of Vigo in safety
anchoring under the protection of
heavy batteries. The admiral and duke
resolved to cut them out. It was
well worth the attempt, as the monthly
news letters of England, Holland and
Spain agreed in the statement that the
fleet Of treasure ships was the richest
that had ever 'plowed the main" A
stout resistance was made but the
English admiral succeeded in bringing
pieces of eight in plate and merchan-
disc The remaining II vessels were
burnt or sunk, carrying with them g.
600, 600 of gold and silver. The cargo of
many of the vessels consisted of snuff
and the first pinch Of snuff reached En-
gland from the captures made at Vigo.
The goods were valued at 20, 600, 600 of
eight. besides large quantities of plate
belonging to private persons.
In 1859 an English engineer obtained
permission from the Spanish govern
ment to raise the vessels. He discover
ed the positions of two of the galleons
but abandoned the attempt from lack
of capital. He subsequently made
search for the remainder of the gal
Icons, discovered nine, and marked their
Positions with buoys. For nearly zoe
years the galleons. with their treasure
have laid imbedded in the mud and ooze
of the harbor. 1t remains for some en-
terprising genius to wrest from the te-
nacious grasp of the sea the millions
awaiting an owner.
Probably no treasure has been so per-
= sistently sought after las the mythical
wealth attributed to Captain Kidd. The
traditions linked with this famous pi-
rate are legion. and the New England
coast has been examined and dug over
with what success is best known to the
hardy searchers, who through spells anC
lamentations have sought for the tradi
tional millions supposed to have beer
buried-somewhere We find him afloa-
in the first month of 1896, bearing
commission from his majesty, William
III, Ito apprehend, seize and take GER
tain American pirates The vessel j.
fitted out at the expense of Lord Bell
omont and others, who knew the wealth
that the pirates had acquired, and tn,
cir ,fof,, ~,
enterprise some sort of sanction anC
legality. But Kidd found cruising OF
his own methods more profitable and t,
the tastes of those under his command
and his first enterprise was against tn,
Morcha fleet, composed of English
Dutch and Moorish vessels, laden will
cargoes of enormous value.
1t is certain when hard pressed b.
Lord Beilomont, who finally caused hin
to be hanged, the pirate chief concealed
In some place vast amount of treas
ure. We have nothing to do with tn
wild and weird stories portraying ad
ventures in digging for the coveted
chests filled with costly and glitterin;
jewels. ancient coins and wedges o
gCld. But the fact remains that within
the memory of persons now living ex
caV2tiOns for Kids treasures have ac
tually been made in the banks of tn
stream that used to run near Silve
street, in New Haven. Conn, and tn
probability is that Kidd occasionall-
sailed into the bay for repairing a
Greenhaugh's ship yard. Pits are ais
visible on Money Island, one of tn
group known as Thimble Islands. wher
treasure hunters have been at wor
within the present century Nearl
everything connected with these pic
turesque islands is favored with rernin
iscenceS Of piratical adventure. Kidd
rocky points, and Kids Punch Bow
is exhibited as a great curiosity. 1t
q natural hollow in the granite ledg
on Pot Island, and is about three fee
long by one foot or more in width, an
the same in depth. Kids Cave is on
of several small grottos in the gran
lite Lodges about six miles from Me-
Haven. The height varies from thre
to eight feet and remnants CT fire sho1
that the spot has been used at som
time as hiding place. The origin c
Kidds Cave was undoubtedly marin.
and WIS probably formed at a tim
when the coast was higher than it
now. But whether Kidd utilized it c
not is a matter clothed in obscurit,
while the finding of treasure has neve
been attributed to that locality
On the Island of Trinidad. in tn
ss07th Atlantic, in latitude 30 degree
80 minutes sonth, and longitude 29 de
gESaS p minutes west, there was bul
lee IN the year 1921 large amount
gold asd sever plate and specie, whicl
during fhe Peruvian war gf inTaranf