The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-01-28


We spent the first day in cursory
examination of the wreck and the IS
land, and on the next we built a shanty
with our lumber and unloaded our
tools and provisions. On the third
day we began work at the hulk chop
ping out her decks above the treasure
room and reaching the stronghold after
a long days work.
There were no less than six iron
bound boxes and a big steel safe. We
got at the safe first When it had
been hoisted on deck and lowered over
the side it was blown open with powder
and we found $780, 600 in English gold
and notes. There was jewelry to the
amount of about $3.50 000 and this was
ticketed with the names of various pas
sengers. In the six boxes. which were
all private property, we found about
$40. 900 in cash and various pieces of
jeWelry and many papers. Among the
latter were deeds of real estate in
Australia and England. and two COM
missions belonging to army officers As
fast as came to private property it
was reticketed and laid aside with a
view of restoring it to owners or rela-
tives.
Adams had told me that the ship
was laundering when driven ashore in
a terrible gale but when we came to
get into the hold we found that very
little of the cargo had been damaged.
We got out thousands of pounds of
wool in good condition, together with
sufficient tallOw, hides and wines to
give our craft a fair cargo. Adams had
been washed overheard before the ship
struck, and had remained on the lonely
island for about three months. During
that time he had taken water and pro-
visions from the wreck but did not go
near it except when driven by neces-
sity. He knew that there We're many
dead bodies aboard. and stood in fear
of them.
We began finding skeletons as soon
hPQ9n M
last we buried the bones of at least
fifty unfortunate passengers, many of
them women and children. We found
them mostly in the main cabin and the
staterooms, and some of the skeletons
were buried under four or five feet of
hard sand. The doors of some of the
stateroOms were found locked and had
to be broken open. When driven frantic
with fear the people had locked them
selves in to die alone.
We did not find our treasure and get
the cargo out of the hulk in week
or a month. On the contrary we were
ing hard every day, and when we at
last finished our work the wreck was
blown up, and the next high tide car
ried all that was left of her out to sea.
The had rested there in the sands of
hat lonely shore for q years, and yet
only one man knew of the treasure in
her bowels.
When our work was quite finished
We SdiASu away laying our course Tor
the Cape of Good Hope. The six of US
were rich men now, but 1 do not re-
member that there was much rejoicing
over the fact. The lonely situation of
Kerguelen and the finding of the skele-
tons had quite taken our enthusiasm
away. After a prosperous voyage, We
finally reached the cape and anchored
to take on supplies. None of the sail
ors were permitted to go ashore. We
meant to run the craft straight to
New York without another stop. I took
the sum of $4,000 and went ashore to
buy and send down the supplies and
was then to take a steamer for Amer
lea and reach there first and make ar
rangements for the reception of the
treasure and cargo.
Two days later I stood on the shore
and saw our bark away with a fair
wind She was spoken two days later
but that was the end. From that day
on she has never been heard Of The
blacks knew of the treasure, of course
and they may have mutinied and taken
Dossession. The bark may have
foundered or burned, or been driven
ashore on the African coast. 1t is S5
wears since she sailed away from the
cape, and no man can more than guess