The Daytona gazette=news. (Daytona, Fla.) 1901-1922, 1906-11-17
IT'S VALUE WILL
BE HISTORICAL.
A Cup Made of Silver Taken from Ger
vera's Flagship to be Awarded
Winner of Long Boat Race.


Every Floridian and thousands of citi-
gems of all other sections of the United
States have vivid recollection OF those
two noted little filibustering steamers,
the Dauntless and Three Friends, that
piled between Florida ports and the
Cuban shores in succoring the Cuban
patriots, ere this government made COM
mon cause with the Cubans in their
struggles against Spain.
After this country declared war
against Spain these two vessels were
utilized as dispatch boats by the New
York World and Associated Press and
got in the vicinity Of Santiago when the
great naval battle occurred, in which
Admiral Schley was in command of the
feet that made scrap iron of every one
of Cervera's vessels Following the big
battle and while Admiral Cervera's flag
ship, the Maria Theresa, was still burn
ing, with dead Spaniards strewn all
around on the decks of that Inflated
vessel, parties from these dispatch boats
went aboard the Maria Theresa and the
crew of the Dauntless took off the side
lights, headlights, siren whistle and plain
whistle. while the crew of the Three
Friends went down in the after turret of
that vessel, broke open her treasure
chest and secured sack of silver, which
was taken by it's captors to Jacksonville,
where it was placed on exhibition in the
store window Of Greenleaf < Crosby,
and was the cynosure of all eyes of
passers-by while it remained there.
Captain John F. Horr, who is now
United States marshal for the southern
district of Florida, seized the exhibit as
property of the United States and re-
tanned possession of the same for three
years.
The owners of the Dauntless and
Three Friends then instituted suit in the
federal courts to recover possession OF
the captured treasure held by the mar
shal, claiming that the Maria Theresa
had slid off into deep water and at that
time was a mere wreck and total loss.
The United States court finally award
ed so per cent of the disputed proper
ty to the owners of the DauntleSS ano
Three Friends as salvage, by which de
clsion the silver treasure was divided
equally between the parties to the suit
the government taking half and the con
testants the other half
The remaining relics were disposed o
at auction. Commodore n. G. Aller
purchased the headlight of the ill-starret
Maria Theresa and also the government
share of silver at private sale. 1t ha
been determined by Commodore AlleI
to melt this silver, which will then b.
transformed into a trophy and present
ed in the name of the Halifax Rive
Yacht Club as the Commodore Allel
trophy to the victor in the long-distanc
AHotOI DOdG race ptGNccu L Gill oSe'S'
and Daytona which is proposed to TAX
place Immediately after the conclusion
OF the exciting events scheduled to oc
cur At the former place
The trophy must be contested 70
annually, and must be won three time
before it becomes the absolute propert.
OF the winner. The winner of tn
. trophy each year will hold tn
cup until next years race. Thi
condition will doubtless make the Gu
an object of many exciting annual con
tests. as 1t is hardly probable that tn
same party will be the winner in tire
successive contests
The cup will be OF elaborate design
some of the. coins being set IN the base i
their original shape, and will be of grea
historical value indeed as forcible re
hinder to its fortunate possessor of tn
valOr and bravery of American seame
IN administering a crushing blow
the last vestige of Spanish authority an
tnhumanity in the New World.