The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-04-19

Dredgers on the Island Have Heard
Confederate Story.


A story has reached the ears of those
who are disturbing the ancient deposits
of Hutchinson's Island that lends a sort
of feverish energy to the search they make
of the stuff that is dropped into the hop
per from the iron fianges of the great
bucket that sinks from the dredge John
Babcocll to bring uD its mass of the
rivers bottom. All manner of tools and
implements, coins weapons. cannon balls
shells. old cannon, and even barrels of
rosin. have been raised in the capacious
nav of the bucket and the toilers see no
reason why they should not chance TO
strike a treasure they have heard is
somewhere around.
The story runs that a chest of oak, con-
tanning $4,000 in gold, was dropped by the
Confederates when they evacuated Savan-
nah, and that this chest sank to the bot
tom of the river, where it has since re-
manned having bahled the efforts that
were made to rescue ii from its Watery
berth. 1t was across the river on pom
toon bridge that Gen. Hardee led the
Confederates on that famous retreat,
when he skillfully evacuated the city TO
save his force from capture by Gen.
Sherman From the pontoon, the story
has it, near the Hutchinson's Island end,
the chest was swept overheard in the
hustle and rush of the march across.
Since those who operate the John Bah
cock heard of the chest of gold they have
kept wide-open eye upon all that comes
from the bottom of the river. Such
search has never failed to reward them,
for great interest has conferred about some
of the things which have been brought to
light, but fortunate indeed would they
consider themselves should good luck
guide the descending bucket and close itsl
sharp flanges over the chest of gold.
Some time ago a s. gold piece was found
and the finder thought the dredge might
then be close upon the chest, which, posi-
bly,, had gone to pieces, scattering its
golden contents. AS no other gold coins
appeared, however, this hope was given
over and 1t is for another piece that may
be the harbinger of many others that the
dredgers are now looking.
Those who were on the dredge when she
worked in other waters are astonished at
the way she has brought strange and
long-sunken objects to the light of day,
for nowhere else did they ever gather so
rare a collection of all manner of an
tiques Piles of various things the river
has dsgorged are to be seen on the ISL
and, some of them of value. Many coins
of nearly all nationalities have been
brought up and ample room for specula-
ton is left those who care to consider
what might be found If search We're
made of the entire river bed compar-
atively small extent of the bottom has
been disturbed, yet it has yielded many Of
its treasurers.
For the old cannon that were brought
up negotiations are in progress, the Smith
sonian Institution wanting them. A
number of the things that have been re-
covered have been sold, among them a lot
of copper that brought the dredgers $685.
Favorite lodging places for coins and and
such small restrictions of the river have
been the joints of the great lengths of
pipe that carries the dirt taken from the
bottom to the low places 20 be filled In as
railroad yards. When the pipe is taken
to pieces to be cleaned or have its po-
sition changed, the greatest haul of curios
is made.