The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1909-10-17

I lashed together and stretched some
stout planks across for a staging 10
! hold the alr-pumps, hoisting-siings,
etc, and for tho divers convenience
IN descending. Cospotto put on most
of his rubber diving dress in the villa.
AL save the great copper helmet,
Then we rowed him out TO tho f1ont.
which had been anchored over our
floating keg.
The first thing he did was to sound
for depth, finding 1t ten fathoms-six
~ fcet-saying it was about what he
expected. lie lost no time in getting
ready for the descent; the helmet was
screwed on. breast and back plates ad,
lusted, and the air-hosc and lifeline
attached. The instant the visor was
closed the air-pumps set up their steady
whine. Cospetto stepped on the rungs
Of short ladder hung over the side
mud slowly disappeared beneath tho
/ blue waters of Iago di Bolscna, a
stream Of tiny foam bells marking his
progress as he made his way over the
bottom, finally becoming stationary
whore We and our buoy lay.
1t goes without saying that we were
all excited and on the qui vive-Count
Mario and Cortice especially. Looking
backward, | can say for myself that
seemed to have no doubt that the diver
would prove tho truth of the story
about Nero s barge,
Well, after staying under water about
! half an hour, the bubbles began com
ing our way again, and shortly there
after the huge round headpiccc of Cos
petto rose above the water and he
clambered on the raft. But before his
helmet was unscrewcd he held out two
| small, dark objects to the count who
seized them, all dripping with water
and slime as they were, and began TO
rub them with his immaculate handkcr-
chief
We crowded round to look; one was
an exquisite statuctto of a female fig
que, about n foot high, the other IA small
hand mirror, originally n disk of pol.
lShed silver. The count promptly shook
hands with both OF us-indced. I be.
lieve he would have embraced and
Kissed us had We permitted, No sooner
was Cospetto>s helmet off and he had
lighted the inevitable cigarette than
Mario began to ply him with ques
tions in fluent and rapid Italian. The
answers came promptly, ST, Si' OF
a great certainty there was something
down there-the water was so dark that
! he must have his electric lamps before
the spot could be properly explored, The
raft was gastados-'' busted all save
some heavy timbers imbedded in the
sand; no. there was no mud; he was
going down again after a rest. But first
we would shift the staging right over
the spot. And so on.
Well, we did as directed, and Cos
pctfo made another trip. This time
Showing the ground, he had better
fisherman 5 luck, for he signalled fol
m iron bucket TO be lowered. Thi!
he sent up filled with various treas
| urcs, all metal, Of course, and all sad
" tarnishcd and discolorcd. such a.
three drinking cups, large flagon, tw,
flower vases, couple Of oval plates
and another statuctte.
Upon coming up for the second time
Cospctto explained that he had found
this lot in the interstices of the foul
or five heavy beams which were i'm
bedded in the sand. Doubtless there
were great many other articles sunk
out of sight, but TO get these ii would
be necessary TO hoist the timbers out
of the way and then dredge over the
area.
''It shall be done Of surety
avcrrcd the count "<Thcre must be q
wealth of smaller articles-coins
medals, ieweled hairpins, brooches
rings, bracelets. daggers, and Sc
forthlN He would establish a museum
in the Villa Nalentau He would name
the collection after his wonderful
Young friend. Cortlce.
Meantime. E'his wonderful young
friend, Cortcc.i was formulating :