The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1901-08-19
IN NEPTUNE'S DOMAINS.
Big Fortunes Lie Under the Waves.
100000 Have Been Lost on
the British Coasts Alone, Where
Treasure Ships Went Down.

FROM London lt'bltS
There is a popular belief that vast
wealth lies buried deep between the
sand and rocks or our coasts. Ship
after ship, laden with ingots and coin
age, has struck on the British beaches
and gone to pieces during the last five
hundred years. From time to time
hundreds of pounds worth OF gold has
been showered on the shore and pick
ed up and used; yet there still re-
mains something like eighty millions
sterling in gold and silver under the
sea.
When the Jonkheer Meester Van de
Wall, a Dutch East lndiaman, struck
the ironbound sea front of the Lizard
many year ago, she went to pieces be-
fore anything could be done to save
her. Some fishermen from Penberth
Cove. while engaged in fishing up
blocks of tin which formed part Of the
vessels cargo. found a tin box lying
in six fathom water. Being opened
it was found TO contain coins to the
value of $4,000 pounds. 1t is said that
there are other boxes of gold. silver
and banknotes lying among the rocks
and sands where the ship sank
In 1874. a Spanish galleon went
ashore near the Lizard, having on
board many thousands Of pounds
worth of bar and money, which were
being carried to London for safety
during the unsettled state Of affairs
in Spain The greater part of this
vast wealth still lies awaiting recovery
between the rocks, which have, even
at low water, six feet Of over them.
Some years ago a company sank a
shaft through the rock below high
water mark to try to recover the
riches the sea holds so tight. 1t was
imagined that the waves after
storm would drive some portion of the
buried specie into the hole at the
bottom of the shaft Before the work
was completed. however, the sea
broke in, and the shaft had to be aban-
doned. Another syndicate soon after
wards dragged the bottom of the sea,
in the Lizard district, but nothing of
importance was found. The treasure
is undoubtedly there, for coins and
ingots are being washed ashore on the
beach.
Treasure to the Value of a million
and a half STERLING, which went to the
bottom of the sea with Dutch gall
leon, lies awaiting recovery somewhere
on the Chesil beach, a long, narrow
tongue. of shinEly land near the great
convict station of Portland. The
Dutch treasure ship was returning
from the West Indies laden with pre-
cious metal, and when coming up the
channel was caught in gale and
driven into Portland Race, where tre-
mendous broken seas rage when there
is an wind. Gradually she was carried
toward Chesil beach, and it did not
take her long TO dissolve into match
wood. The entire freight of gold and
silver went to the bottom. Occasion
ally the fishermen are reminded of its
existence by finding a silver or gold
bar or two on the beach.
The Abergavenny, which was lost in
a storm off Weymouth, about the year
1900. had on board several thousand
pounds worth of specie and jewels. In
1906 syndicate was formed, and, by
means of a diving bell, sixty-two
chests of dollars, to the value of G1O.-
900, We're fished up.
Treasure of vast amount is supposed
to lie under the sea in the Sarn Bad
rig a sunken Causeway running miles
out to sea from the Welsh coast. The
ship, the Bretagne, struck on this
death-trap of ships, and, caught by
one huge wave. hurled completely over
to sink with all hands in deep water
Another case of total loss, involving
four and a half millions in gold coins,
was the striking of the Infanta. a
noble Spanish galleon, on the rocks of
Mizen Head. near Bantry bay. in No
he Ng 81
renders investigation difficult, and not
| a single coin has been brought to the
surface. In all probability the treas
ure will remain in the sea for CEN
| turies.
The Czarina. having 100000 90 in
| gold on board foundered in Filey
| Brig. on the Yorkshire coast, and an
| other galloen was lost few miles
| farther south, near Bridlington Quay.
| Thirty thousand pounds have been
| drawn from the seas clutches at Brid-
| lington QUAY, and the remainder lies
| awaiting the person who is able to
| rescue it,
The Gunfieet Bank off the Essex
coast. is thickly strewn with void and
silver. in coin and ingots, for the
Vrouwe Polder, Dutch vessel, emptied
| its cargo or hdlf a million sterling in
gold and silver there.
About a century ago a Spanish
treasure ship, carrying freight of a
million sterling, was caught in a
storm near Beachy Head, and sank
with all on board. The treasure lies
in a deep hole over which a strong
current runs, making it impossible for
divers to descend.
Much treasure-trove lies off the
coast of Ireland. Many Spanish gal.
Icons have shed their riches there
and several ships of the Great Armada
with all their wealth on board came tc
| grief in the district. Three millions
are scattered off a point near Tralee
or rather it's equivalent in doubloons
| Numerous attempts have been made tC
recover the treasure, and one syndicate
actually rescued 100000 from the sea
but the bulk of the wealth remains
untouched to this day, and at low tide
| there is only foot of water over tht
scene of the wreck The ship, how,
ever, is buried in the sand; but one
day a mighty gale might SCOOP tht
sand away and reveal the lost treasure
and then some person will find himself
rich beyond dreams of avarice.
WEALTH OF THE osAGE TRIBE