Waterbury evening Democrat., 1903-10-17
DIGGING FOR LOST TREASURE
One Hundred Dollars Worth of
 Silver Bullion Found.

Silver Bullion Found.
 Divers and Dredge Brought it to
 Light Near Staten Island-Story of
 the Losing of the Metal on a
 Moonlight Night.
 New York, Oct 17.-Tales of treas ure lost at sea do not generally have the happy ending of that just conclud. ed through the work of divers and a dredge in Staten island sound of Se- warren, N. J. Silver and lead bullion worth $10O,O0O has been recovered af- ter lying at the bottom of the sound since September 27, last.
 The bullion came from the Mexican mines by way of Galveston on a Mal- lark line steamship, and was on it's way from the East river water front to the plant of the American Smelling and Refining Go, near Perth Amboy, N. J. There were 7,67S pigs of the metal on the deck of the barge Har- old.
 Tn company with thirteen light canal boats the treasure ship wss taken in tow by tug. 1t was the last boat in the line. Under moon nearly full the night was brighter than many days. There was no wind. Peter Moore, the captain of the barge, spent the evening chatting with the canalers QInnUSidn a c fho ,1y~oo eI, across the upper bay and into Kill Von Kull. The Harold was not as comfortable as might be, so. when bed time came he accepted an invitation to slep aboard the ranal boat.
 After all hands had turned in the barge rolled to starboard under the weight of 400 tons of metal and dump ed the whole mass except about a hun dred pigs into the water. She lighted immediately and went along as peace fully as before. Some of the metal landed on the canal boat deck and Moore was awakened. He hailed the pilot of the tug but had no megaphone and the pilot kept the squadron on the move. Moore failed to notice that a fortune had disappeared from his craft while he slept. The barge ap- peaIed to be moving along all right and he went back to his bunk.
 When. the boats drew up in the morning at the pier in New Jersey there was a surprise awaiting the s,nelter officials and everybody was sworn to secrecy. Insurance com panics were notified and preparations quickly made to search the bottom of the sound for the lost pigs. The wa ters; in that part of the bay are known to be infested with pirates who go about in small boats preying on canal boats and coal barges. They are considered dangerous men and great fears were entertained that they might learn of the affair and locate the treasure. Launches were hurried to the scene and for more than week while the men aboard pretended to be fishing, sounding lines were being passed over the sandy bottom. Eli nally, October B the search was re- warded wien the line gave a metallic answer to tho tapping of the lead.
 Divers went down and found nearly an acre of the bottom covered with the bullion. A dredge immediately was put into commission and the work 
 nearly S5 per cent of the treasure had been brought up. The divers then went down again and gathered up what the dredge had failed to reach and the insurance company officials breathed sigh of relief as their loss will now be q small one, comparative ly.
 The bullion was mixture of lead and silver the latter making up fully three-quarters of its value which will be separated and refined at the Perth Amboy works. Captain Baxter of the salvage crew said the next few days search will decide how long divers shall continue at work but he is satis- fed not enough remains on the bottom to make it worth any amateur wreck CTS while to turn in and help without an invitation.