The Rathdrum tribune. (Rathdrum, Idaho) 1903-1963, 1904-08-12
The TREASURE
OF a WRECK
fco,yrlsht 1904, by c. 3. Lewia.l

In the year AcOS, " Inv ~
hoard a man-of-war in the Federal na-
Wv I had a chum named Adams, VINO
had been sailor. He was killed o
venr later. but meanwhile had told me
n strange story Of treasure wreck on
Kerguelen island. After his death
and the end Of the war ! verified MS
story in part, and that brought ABOUT
the organization Of treasure compa-
nv. This company was composed Ok
six men, all of whom had served III
the navy, and our capital was tue pay
ond nrlze money due US at the close OK
the war. =,
We bought from the government the
bark Racer, which was captured OH
Wilmington in the last days OF tue
blockade runners, and she was ntted
out for the voyage at Charleston. we
engaged twelve negro sailors for tho
voyage, making with the officers, COOK
and steward. twenty men. we TOOK
on board shovels, picks. axes, jack
screws, powder and fuse and "nat-
ever we might need in cleaning out
hulk, together with lumber to build us
n house ashore, and we cleared for
Sydney Mt the custom house. Inc SIN
Of us had put In every dollar we could
raise, and there was just $50 In the
common purse when we sailed away.
All Of us believed In the treasure, now
ever, and The craft was well supplied
with provisions.
1t was Il long voyage, without Incl
dent to interest. Our first and only
stop was at the Cape for fresh water.
One day, months after leaving Charles
ton, the island Of Kerguelen rose up
out Of the sea before ms. We gave
three cheers and brought up In q shell
tered bay on the north side and soon
had a boat in the water to go ashore.
Right there on the beach before our
eyes was the treasure wreck Adams
had told me Of years before. The sight
of that battered huh, gray and weather
beaten and rotting away, was like
coming upon the skeleton of human
being on the great plains. We stood
contemplating 1t for few minutes and
then clambercd aboard. The birds were
thick about, but not another living
thing had visited that shore since Adj
ans padded away from 1t on a raft
to be picked up 200 miles away. She
lay fifty feet above high tide, and We
could walk all around her dry shod.
We spent the LIST day in cursory
examination Of the wreck and the Is.
land, and on the next we built q shanty
with our lumber and unlOaded our
tools and pra.lsions. On the third day
we chopped ont her decks above the
treasure roo.n AMI reached the strong.
hold.
There were no less than six iron
bound boxc; and big steel safe. We
got Mt tho safe first. When 1t had
been hoIsted on Geek and lowered over
the side, It. was blown open with pow
der, and we founi 100000 In English
gold and Totes. There was jewelry to
the amount Of about S150,OOO, and this
was ticket.d with the names Of variou,
passengers. In the six boxes, which
were all private property, we foiIni
about $4,000 In cash and variou.
pieces of iewelrY and many papers
Among the latte" We're deeds Of real
estate In Australia and England nrA'
two commissions belonging to army
officers. As fast as we came to private
property It was reticketed and laid
aside with view of restoring it to
owners o: relatives.
Adams had told me that the ship WaS
laundering when driven ashore In >
terrible gale, but when we came to 81.
Into the held we found that very little
Of the cargo had been damaged. W.
got out thousands of pounds of wool in
good condition, together with sufficient
tallow, hides and wines to give our
craft fnir cargo.
We began finding skeletons "a BOON
as we began work, and from first to
last we buried the bones Of ut least
hfty unfortunate passengers. many of
them wonen and children. We found
them mostly In tic main cabin and the
stateroorls, and some Of the skeletons
were buried under four or fire feet of
hard sand.
we DID not fad our treasure md
get the cargo ont Of the hulk In n
week or month. On the contrary.
we were ON thu. island sixteen full
weeks aud working hard every day.
and when We at last finished our work
the wrecf was blown up, and the next
high tide carried all that was left Of
her out 20 sea. She had rested there
In the s,nds OF that lonely shore for
twehty-ore years, and yet only one
man know Of the treasure in her
bowels
When our wptk was quite finished
we sailed away, laying our course for
the Cape of Good Hope, The six OF
us were rich men now, but | do not
remember that there was much re.
,oicing over tho fact. The lonely sit.
uatlon OF Kerguelen and the finding
OF the skeletons had quite taken our
enthusiasm away. After prosperous
voyage we finally reached the cane
and anchored to take on supn,iae
None OF the sailors was permitted TO
go ashore. We meant to run the Graf
straight to New York without anotbar
stop. took the sum of $4,000 and
went ashore to buy and send down
LII