Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1904-06-18
THE TREASURE
OF a WRECK
rconvr,eht 1904 by C. b. Lewis. ]


had been a sailor. He was killed
year later, but meanwhile had told me
q strange story of treasure wreck on
Kerguelen island. After his death
and the end of the war l verified his
story in part, and that brought about
the organization of a treasure compa-
ny. This company was composed or
six men, all of whom had served In
the navy, and our capital was the pay
and prize money due us at the close of
the war.
We bought from the government the
bark Racer, which was captured Off
Wilmington in the last days of the
blockade runners, and she was fitted
out for the voyage at Charleston. We
engaged twelve negro sailors for the
voyage, making, with the officers, cook
and steward, twenty men. We took
on board shovels, picks, axes, jack
screws, powder and fuse and what
ever we might need in cleaning out
hulk, together with lumber to build us
house ashore, and we cleared for
Sydney at the custom house. The SIX
Of us had put in every dollar we could
raise, and there was just $130 in the
common purse when we sailed away.
All of us believed in the treasure, how
ever, and the craft was well supplied
with provisions.
1t was 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 us. We gave
three cheers and brought up in shell
tered bay on the north side and soon
had q 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 hull, gray and weather
beaten and rotting away, was like
coming upon the skeleton Of n human
being on the great plains. We stood
contemplating it for few minutes and
then clambered aboard. The birds were
thick about, but not another living
thing had visited that shore since Ad-
ans padded away from 1t on a rift
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 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 chopped out her decks above the
treasure room and reached the strong
hold.
There were no less than six iron
bound boxes and a big steel safe. We
got at the safe first. When 1t had
been hoisted on deck and lowered over
the side, it was blown open with pow
der, and we found 100000 in English
gold and notes. There was jewelry to
the amount Of about $150,OO0, and this
was ticketed with the names of various
passengers. In the six boxes, which
were all private property, we found
about $4,000 in cash and various
pieces Of jewelry and many papers.
Among the latter were deeds of real
estate in Australia and England and
two commissions belonging to army
officers. AS fast as we came to private
property it was reticketed and laid
aside with view Of restoring 1t to
owners or relatives.
Adams had told me that the ship was
laundering when driven ashore in q
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.
We began finding skeletons as soon
as we began work, and from first to
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.
We did not find our treasure and
get the cargo out of the hulk in a
week or Il month. On the contrary,
we were on the island sixteen full
weeks and working hard every day,
and when we at last finished our work
the wreck was blown up, and the next
high tide carried all that was left of
her out to sea. She had rested there
in the sands of that lonely shore for
twenty-one years, and yet only one
man knew of the treasure In her
bowels.
When our work was quite finished
we sailed away, laying our course for
the Cape Of Good Hope. The six of
remember that there was much re-
joicing over the fact. The lonely sit
uation Of Kerguelen and the finding
Of the skeletons had quite taken our
enthusiasm away. After prosperous
voyage we finally reached the cape
and anchored to take on supplies.
None Of the sailors was permitted to
go ashore. We meant to run the craft
straight to New York without another
stop. l took the sum of $1,000 and
the supplies, and 1 was then to take
n steamer for America and reach there
first and make arrangements for the
reception of the treasure and cargo.
Two days later l stood on the shore
and saw our bark sail 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