The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-11-01
TREASURE YrrDTns.
Mem Who Have Dared Perils in
 Search of Gain.

oering wherein . boys fancy may roam | al VIII, the lonely ocean islets, haunted | py pirates, buccaneers, and smuggiers in the brave and lawiess days of old. loon, | large In many glowing day-dream. But alas for the fair fgments of vivid lni- aginationl Alas for the soaring visions Of wealth untold-the dark. brass-bound chests. released from their century-old sepulture. displaying their dazzling store Of heavy gold doubloons and gorgeous gems. the rich bales of silk and lace. and st!n brocade, from the rified holds of many freighted galieon and lumber ing merchantmen!
 For in sooth there Is but little chance of success for him who goes searching through waste Bahama cays and paimy South sea islets, for hidden hoards of plunder. Doubtless plenty of good money rattled in the 'capacious pockets of those old sea dogs wide-skirted coats; but it Is to be feared they were but speud- thrift rascais, fiinging their ill-gotten gains about with a Eeckless hand, when the tavern-roofs rang with their wild chorus: ''Yeo oh, ho. and bottle of rum! and that they were inconsiderate enough to leave but little of their wealth to future generations. Nevertheless, many are the hearts that have hankered exceedingly after. such hidden treasure, and much money and time have been spent in searching up creeks and isles and in caves and coves, for the wealth of Captain Kidd and kindred spirits.
 It is very doubtful whether the famous buccaneer really left any important sum behind The stories current of hIs fabu- lotis riches are, however, so widely known and believed that a short sketch of his strange career may not be out of place.
 The celebrated pirate was Scot. be- ing native of Greenock. His early ca- reer was of a highly respectable nature; for, in l696, he was placed by the Earl of Bellamont. at that time Governor of New York, in command of the ship Adventure Galley, with the object of suppressing piracy in those seas. It was, however 6 case of setting thief to catch thief, for the Adventure Galley had not been cruising long. ere the redoubtable cap- tain cast aside his official position and took up the much more lucrative and romantic role of seA-fobber. For a time he led a merry and prosperous life, com- hitting great depredations off the Amer ican coast, but the strong arm of law and order managed to get hold of him at last. and he ended his career sud- denly and ignominiously at the gallows. His favorite resort. Tarpaulin Cove, on Block Island, has never yielded up any precious store, and there would seem to be no substantial reason for believing the tales of his immense wealth.
 Another variety of maritime search for treasure has often led to very tangible results. It stands to reason that a vast amount of treasure must have gone to the bottom in rough weather from time to time, and 1t Is not to be wondered at that attempts to recover some of the lost riches have been occasionally very successful.
 The founder of the Peerage of Mulgrave and Normandy won both wealth and fame in an attempt of this kind. Will liam Phipps. born in 1651, of humble par entage. in the then English colony of Maine. had from early boyhood a lean ing towards adventure and the sea. Be- Ing unable to gratify his natural bent in any other way he hired himself to Boston shipbuilder, and applied himself to his trade with much perseverance and energy. Later, he married a well-to-do widow, and set up little business of his own. He built himself ship, in which he used to go on voyages in the lumber trade.
 A chance conversation overheard by Phipps in the quaint streets of Boston gave the impulse which led him to fame and fortune. Hearing rumors of a rich wreck sunk of the Bahamas he pro- ceeded to make Investigations and recov- cred fair sum from the wreck. His spirit was now thoroughly reused, and he aspired to recover the wealth from Spanish galieon sunk half a century be- fore off Port de la Plata. He journeyed to England to get the sinews of war, and succeeded in getting up a company of twenty shares. in which the Earl of AL bemarle took a leading part.
 At first Phipps met with scant success. OSA~ nNe kI.A n,zta aIn 1k FaH some time, searching the reputed site of the wreck by means of rough sort of diving bell, invented by Phipps himself, and the help of expert Indian divers.
 Even a threatened mutiny did not avail to shake his purpose. and at last his pa- tience was rewarded by a strange coin cidence. A sailor, looking over the ships side. spied through the clear water a weed growing in a crevice, which took his fancy, and diver was persuaded to bring it up for him. The diver said on his re- turn that there were some ships guns lying close at hand. and on a second search brought up R bar of silver. We are all made menv' cried the exultant Phipps.
 Treasure to the extent of 300 900 pounds was recovered from the wreck thus luck fly found. and Phipps was rewarded by King William III with 20.000 pounds and a knighthood.
 At Whitstable may Be seen a terrace of houses named Dollar Row. 50 called from the fact Of its having been built with Spanish dollars recovered off the wild coast of Galway from a ship of the Span ish Armada wrecked there. The finder, an old diver named John Cam. also fish ed up for his employers 100000 pounds from the wreck of the Lady Charlotte.
 Alexander Lambert, the head diver for Messrs siebe and German on one rcca- sion brought up a chest containing 10000 pounds from the lower deck of the Span ish mail steamer Alfonso XII. Two div CTS lost their lives in endeavoring to reach the magazine. and it was more than six months before Lambert succeeded in the hazardous undertaking.
 It will be interesting to observe the pro- eress made by Prof. Giro Nispi- Landi In his searching of the bed of the Fiber for the ancient treasures supposed to be sunk there. including we arc told, the sacred candlestick of Moses. The present scheme ts hv no means the first occasion on which inc yellow Tiber has been exploited. So tar hack as the sixteenth century, Fal- rninio Vacca narrates that Etruscan arms and ornaments were brought up by men d,v;n0 for a sunken boat. Cardinal de Toliqnac had a grand scheme for obtain ing the rich secrets of the river. He pro- nosed to divert the course or the Iloer for two miles, and thoroughly examine the mud thus laid bare. Pope Benedict XIV encouraged the plan. but his death put a stop to the proceedings since hls successor feared the effect which the di- yerting of the stream might have upon the Roman climate.
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