The San Francisco call., 1910-12-26
Divers RECOVER
MUCH TREASURE
Dynamite Often Used by Daring
Submarine Explorers to
Reach Coin

The treasure seekers operations,
whether on land or under the sea. are
usually surrounded with halo of ro-
nance, and without a doubt the branch
Of submarine work which appeals most
10 the popular imagination is that which
is concerned with the recovery of treas
ure from the deep. Great was the ex-
citement when the chief Of the expe-
dition sent out to recover the treasure
which went down with the Alphonso
XII. in $50 feet Of water off Point
Gando. Grand Canary, cabled home:
Lambert has got both scuttles open,
and got into the magazines. The boxes
of gold are there; 100000 in coin of
the Spanish realm, which before the ad-
vent of modern diving appliance would
have been irrevocably lost!
1t was Lambert, too. who saved the
situation when the Severn tunnel was
flooded some years ago, says the Phila-
delphia Record. A certain door in the
drainage tunnel (eight feet by eight
feet had been inadvertently left open.
The door was situated about a quarter
Of a mile from the shaft, in which the
water had risen about 40 feet. Equipped
1 in his diving dress, the brave fell
low crept through the narrow passage,
full Of water and floating debris, and
Z
USES DYNAMITE
Another notable case was the recov-
cry of about 10000 worth of silver
bars from the wreck of the steamship
Skyro. This vessel sailed from Carta-
gena for London with a valuable cargo
4 including bar silver. Approaching Cape
Finisterre in foggy weather, the vessel
struck on the MeXiddo reef, but passed
over and went down in deep water
within 20 minutes, about two miles off
the coast.
To obtain these bars, it was found
necessary to blow away the deck with
dynamite, which the diver-A Eros
trabe-did only after great difficulty,
owing to the boisterous state of the
weather Work had to be suspended in
October, 1895, but was again resumed in
1897, and the treasure was recovered.
The diver reported that when he had
finished there was no part of the wreck,
fore and aft, standing higher than him.
self, excepting the engines and main
boilers.
TREASURE wRESTED
The ship Hamilton Mitchell was lost
on the Leuconna rock, near Shanghai,
having a heavy cargo, in addition to
100000. Lloyd's agent reported that
the cargo and treasure were irrecover-
ably lost, as the depth of the water was
so great and the position too dangerous
for working. Captain Lodge, however,
undertook the task, and. having en-
gagged two experienced divers, r. Rid
yard and W. Penk Of Liverpool, pro-
ceeded in search of the wreck The
operation had to be prosecuted by
means of a boat, as the larger vessel
could not proceed so close 70 the high
rocks After a search in different
depths, varying from 40 feet to $50
o. Il
found the wreck. The after part con-
tanning the treasure had rolled into
deep water, 26 fathoms or thereabout.
NARROWLY ESCAPE PIRATES
After some difficulty Ridyard sue
ceeded in obtaining access to the treas
ure room, where he found that some
of the dollars were lying in heaps, the
worms having eaten the wooden boxes
so that they were completely riddled.
Ridyard made four successful trips, the
last of which proved the most advan-
tageous of all, for on that occasion he
sent UP the contents of 64 boxes of
treasure. Ridyard being thirsty, w.
Penk volunteered to ascend to the top
Of the island to fetch him some spring
water. While filling the bucket he
looked around the horizon and to his
establishment he saw an innumerable
quantity of white sails coming from
the ludlHldnQ- I1c captain
Lodge of the circumstances; that gen
tleman identified them as several hun
dred piratical junks bearing down upon
the island. Orders were therefore given
to slip the anchor and chain. but the
wind being light they were obliged to
make use of oars; and, although in an
exhausted condition. Ridyard pulled
some time until a breeze sprang up,
when they were enabled to make sail,
and with the aid of night they reached
Shanghai safely running a very close
risk, not only of losing the treasure
they had on board, but also their lives.
The Shanghai papers blame the author
tiles for not giving the expedition suf-
ficient protection. The total amount of
treasure recovered was 900, and but
for this contretemps, Ridyard would
have completed the entire salvage of
the treasure. The balance was recov-
cred some time later.