Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1899-07-06

danger So, Guthrie, away with yOu
below again, lift her bit with the
pumps, give few turns to the crank
shaft till 1 get her under command
again and laid fairly mp alongside, and
then stand by to work the grabN'
AT the word down the young man
tumbled, full of eagerness as he had
half an hour before been full of lassitude
and loathing He told the tale to the
others. and never had work in those
gloomy tween decks been more cheer
fully done. The pumps clanked merrily
till the ketch was off the ground again,
and then the screw shaft hummed
round at such pace that Dr. Tring
was forced to shout down to ease her or
ne should run the hilock out N sight
And afterward, when the doctor had
ranged her up into position and dropped
her down on to the sea floor again, the
others tumbled briskly forward to the
set Of cranks which worked the grab
every man of them tingling with excite
ment. For the result of all their weary
labors was now to be put to the proof.
This grab" as its inventor had
christened it, deserves word of de-
scription. 1t was in structure very like
those uncouth contrivances yclept
"steam navvies, which are usually as
sociated with the making of railway
cuttings. Attached to the mainmast,
as to an upright, was a heavy moving
arm, which was capable of complete
control from below. At the end of this
was long strut, armed with large
iron scoop, which would dig up load
of anything within its reach, swing it
round and deposit it upon the deck. All
the movements of the machine were
arranged so that they could be controlled
from the tween decks.
In practice the grab had many draw
backs; but, considering the enormous
difficulties under which it was worked,
1t did its duties very we'll II certainly
reflected great credit upon its inventor,
Or. Tripg. The machines movements
In a medium so dense as sea water is
at that level were sufficient to set up
mall eddies, and, although these had
their presence was noticed with pleas
ure Under their influence much of the
poze, which the scoop brought up along
with the more solid matter, was swept
gently from the decks, and in conse-
quence the weight of the cargoes which
had to be carried to the surface was
considerably lightened
There were, as it turned out, many
Of these journeys TO the surface and
hack again. for the Eureka s people did
rot by any means hit off the treasure
room of the galleon at the first attempt.
Under that formless mound, amid which
the ruins Of the Santa Catarina were
heaped it was impossible to distinguish
stem from stern. and for awhile they
did not even know bow from broadside.
In fact, five Journeys forward and back
to the surface were necessary before
they could gain even this elementary
knowledge, and then many, many more
before they brought to daylight the
first coin of the coveted treasure.
Yet with what keen interest they
waded among their Shiny hauls may he
guessed. Many page from the history
of the past which had long been pluck
ed away from the view of modern man
was opened to their eager eyes. In one
or another of their trips they brought
to the surface heavy culverins, brass
sakers and falconets, the shell bound
stock of an arquebus. the bronze holder
for linstock-all archaeological treas
ures over which DR. Tring gloated as
he never gloated over the golden harvest
which came later. Captain Colepepper
picked up the jeweled hlt of some
dandy rapier, whose blade had centuries
ago dissolved in rust. The doctor found
a woman $ pouncet box Of tortoise shell
and gold, perfect as the day it left the
jewelers booth They picked out a
score of pewter plates and dishes and
then lot of earthen bowls, and this
find told them that they must he in the
neighborhood of the caboose, Once they
found some old officer chest. which,
owing probably to pretreatment of the
wood, was not injured in the least by
the immersion, and had preserved the
clothing, books and knickknacks with
which it was crammed in the same
condition they had been in when the
Oeau nanu SnOt tne KEY IOr tHe idst tiuie
all those generations ago
But of the whereabouts Of the treasure
room they could for long time form
no idea and, although their hauls gave
them many things of interest and some
of value, the gold which mad lured
them all across an ocean to find was
nowhere to be seen. Tons and tons OF
the fabric of that old sea ruin. and OF
its shiny covering, had they laboriously
dug out and overhauled They had
found out how she lay, bitten their way
through her 'thwart ships and then at
tackled her fore and aft.
1.-The treasure room must be under
the after cabin floor. had been DR.
Things dictum when the work began
at always lay there!'
So they bored their way sternwart
and found many more objects Of inter
> est. mementos Of other days, tiny relics
many of them insignificant. but all, tC
student Of the past. pregnant will
history DR.. Tring reveled among al
these treasures. working over them fai
into the night. In fact so keen was hi
enthusiasm that he could hardly b.
persuaded to take the rest which thu
=. hard work of each day made imperative
But the store of specie was not found
in the after part of the galleon. though
A. -. ,,Ls . h.