The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1910-07-06
TO SEEK FORTUNE
IN OCEAN DEPTHS
COMPANY FORMED TO RECOVER
LOST TREASURE FROM AN.
GENT WRECKS IN THE SEA.

for the past few months has been
almost the sole reading matter of
the average Englishman is added
that of a company which has been
formed to engage in the recovery OF
specie. bullion, tin. copper and 9th
er metals" from wrecks lying aroun.
the coasts of South Africa. The
company lays particular stress upon
the fact that it will not engage it.
self in treasure hunting" but will
occupy itself in the work of the
salvage of the above named junk,
and the recovery of the contents OF
the wrecks aforesaid which have
already been located and in many
instances surveyed"
Previous to the opening of the Su-
eZ canal in 1870 all British trans
PORTS and East lndianmen made
the voyage to and from the east by
way of the Cape of Good Hope
Many We're wrecked. Most of these
wrecks lie close to the shore and all
attempts to salve their contents
were, uatil quite recently, attended
by great and in most cases insuper
able difficulties owing to the inef-
ficiency of diving and salving ap-
paratus and the practical impossi-
bility of removing the sand with
which most vessels submerged for
some years are covered.
During the last few years. how
ever, great strides have been made
in perfecting diving apparatus, and
1t Is now practicable to work at
much greater depth than was here.
tofore possible. At the same time
the Introduction of the powerful
centrifugal pumps now available
renders it possible to remove large
quantities of sand in very short
time.
An experienced mariner, Captain
Gardiner, is to superntend the Cd.
eratiorS on the wrecks. Evidently
they are plentiful down south, for it
is stated that after an exhaustive
search in the archives of Cape Col
ony the captain selected no fewer
than 137 of the more valuable
4 4
during the course of seven years, at
an expenditure of $4,000, in locat.
ing thirty-two of them. Of these he
has actually surveyed sixteen and
ercoveerd surface property from
four of them.
The government of the Cape of
Good Hope has granted licenses to
work these vessels, subject to a
royalty of 10 per cent of the value
of property recovered.
In his report Captain Gardner
says:
Although | have been able to as
'tI Ndlll LIZ
of thirty-two wrecks, exhibiting as
sets representing a sum exceeding
$2O,OOO,0O0, | should mention that
am in position to locate other
wrecks, many of which offer to the
recoyerer prizes whose worth should
figure at hundreds of thousands OF
pounds sterling.
Il will not enter upon a detailed
statement concerning the thirty-two
wrecks to which refer, but will
confine myself to making mention
OF four
mo. 1 Wreck-It is recorded and
corroborated in a report from the
captain of this ship to directors OF
the East India company that her
cargo embraced, among other things,
72O bars of gold, 1,4OO bars of
silver, nine boxes of precious stones
and specie, the reputed aggregate
value of which is calculated to eX-
coed $4,000, 600. The assets should be
recovered with great facility and
with less difficulty than from most
Of the other submerged vessels,
She lies in from three and a half
to four and half fathoms of water.
The hull is intact and thus ner
contents are easily available. Mod
en centrifugal pumps would extract
the whole of the sand containe4
within her in from one to two
1t would be necessary, how
ever to construct a stage built on
piles and erected over the place |
where she lies-a task easy of ac-
complishment. On this stage the
men could be housed and motor !
pumps and diving gear operated. The |
total cost of salvage should not |
exceed $4,000.
NO . Wreck-This vessel is in a |
good salving position. Her contents
according to evidence of a thor |