New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-06-12
TREASURE IN THE SEA.
Unsuccessful Efforts to RecoUer 1t
off South Jerseu Coast.

UT OOHth Jersey COGSC.
From the bottom Of Delaware Bay, from
the mud and sand of Dan Baker ShoaI big
dredge Of the American Dredging Company
brought 10 the surface q few days go a lot OF
ancient silver coins and a silver teapot. The
coins were Of Spanish make, and the people
in the towns along the bay for miles concluded
that Captain Kids treasure had at last been
located.
That there is buried wealth a-plenty off the
South Jersey coast that was never touched by
Captain Kidd is beyond question. Men in
whom the treasure hunting fever burned strong
have spent much money and time in vain eff
forts 10 locate several ships which were known
to have gone 70 the bottom OF the sea off the
coast Of Cape May County. n ]. OF all these
treasure laden ships none has been more eagerly
sought for than the DeBraak.
The DeBraak was(d sIoop OF war captured
from the Dutch by the English in the spring OF
1873 Under command Of Captain James Drewe
she sailed the Atlantic Coast as a protector to
the colonial seaports. While cruising far of
the South Atlantic Coast the DeBraak fell in
with a Spanish gaIleon. the st. Francis Xavier.
which was conveying a rich treasure OF gold
and silver bullion from Vera Cruz, Mexico, to
Cadiz Spain.
Captain Drewe with the aid OF his crew.
made quick work Of the Spaniards and trans
L
10 the hold Of his own vessel. The DeBraaks
course was then set for the capes of Delaware
IN quest OF supply Of food and water. When
within q short distance OF her destination the
vessel was caught in a terrific northeast storm
and went 10 the bottom. Less than a score OF
her crew survived. The DeBraak carried gold
and silver bullion worth million and a half
TO the bottom, none Of which has ever been re-
covered
IN 1892 company was organized IN Philadel-
phia. for the purpose OF locating the lost treas
ure ship The late Dr. Seth Pancoast, the emil
nent surgeon, was the leading spirit in the COM
pany. and contributed $50 900 toward purchas-
ing and equipping steamer, which went crlis-
ing for several months of the Delaware capes
but found trace OF the DeBraak- The deep
sea anchors came IN contact with many sub
merged wrecks, but the divers who went down
10 investigate always came TO the surface with
the disappointing information that they had
found only the skeleton or some water logged
coal barge or schooner The hunt was aban-
doned after thrte months, and the DeBraak still
lies at the seas bottom an auuring inducenent
for the treasure seeker
Somewhere off the coast of Seven Mile Beach,
embedded deep in the shifting sands. is the
wreck OF the Gatamoozn. She a Spanish
galIeon. which sank in 1893 while on her way to
Spain with more than 100000 worth Of gold
and silver bullion, which had been taken from
the rich mines Of Mexico. On several occasions
the Gatamoozin has been eagerly sought In
the early 9Os a party Of searchers uncovered the
bow of what apparently was a large ship. Her
timbers were Of live oak and teak. The pres
ence Of teaI1wood in her construction led those
who located the wreck TO believe they had at
last found the long lost Gatamoozin. The wreck
lay some feet beyond the low water mark Be
fore their Investigations had advanced far a
heavy northeast storm came sweeping along the
coast, and the old ships timbers were again
buried under thousands Of tons Of sand.
The Seven Mile Beach Company, which is the
owner OF the land, refused TO allow any one to
make excavations on the beach in the vicinity
of the wreck and further efforts to learn the
ships identity were abandoned. There are per-
sons living in Cape May County whose an
cestors remembered well the storm in which the
galleon was wrecked, and they often declared
that not a bar OF the precious metal was saved
from the wreck, which sank deep in the Sand
before the storm abated.
The Montezuma. another Spanish galleon.
treasure laden, went down at sea three miles off
the coast of Townsend's Inlet. New-Jersey, in
the fall Of 1893 Like the Gatamoozin, she car
ried beneath her decks immense fortune Of
bullion Her crew, with few exceptions. went
to the bottom with her Local history speaks Of
the laundering Of the MonteZuma. 1t is said
that she carried gold and silver bars valued at
more than 50, 100000.
The Spanish were not the only ones to lose
treasure ships in the waters OF the South Jersey
coast Somewhere off the coast OF Peck's Beach
lies the English sloop-of-war Wasp. which sank
in the War of 1872. In her hold was a large
amount Of gold coin which was intended for
payment OF the sailors who were on the war
ships cruising along the Atlantic Coast. The
English government made several unsuccessful
efforts to locate the Wasp
AS recently as 1852 two ships met their fate
on the beach off Sea Isle City, n. J. One OF
them the MerrimAc. carried q cargo of silks
coffee tea. spices and lead. Many residents Of
the mainland prohted by the misfortune Of the
Merrimac When the heavy seas battered her to
pieces, rolls of silk. little the worse for being
salt water soaked. were cast ashore on Ludlam's
Island and gathered up by the natives. The
women folk Of the fishermen. sailors and farm
ers made use OF the silks. For a number OF