The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1911-11-01

keep it afloat. Save for the corro-
sion to be expected from lying be-
meath the waves for thirteen years
the vessel is practically intact. Pre-
| served from the hand Of man the
Norwegians might well hope for
some reward could they bring it to
| the surface.
The Norwegian proposition can on
| " concern the wrecks of the Viz
caya, the Oquando, the two small tor
pedo boats, and the deeply submerg-
ed ship Colon 1t is to the latter
they probably look for recompense.
There is a rumor current at San
tiago that the safe of the Colon is
still in her hold, and that it contains
| Ceryera's treasure chest Possibly it
is upon this rumor that the Norwe-
gians are relying in their venture
some undertaking If so they are
doomed to disappointment.
What Became of the Safe.
The safe of the Cristobal Colon
was removed by the United States
soldiers before the vessel sank. 1t
was transported to the Norfolk navy
yard by the Merritt & Chapman
Wrecking Company on the steamer
Senior and, with other salvage, was
turned over to H. H. Farquhar, com
modore commandant. BY him it was
transferred to the paymaster gen
eral of the navy, in whose custody it
was opened and found to contain
$3,61296 in Spanish money. Other
Spanish money was recovered from
the safes of the other ships netting
grand total of $14,5OO.OO to the
United States treasury.
One item of salvage might excite
popular curiosity as to it's ultimate
disposal. The spoils of the victory
included forty-two barrels of wine,
some full and some partly empty,
from Cerveras flagship, the Maria
Teresa. Who drank the wine captur-
ed at Santiago? Did it go, as it
should have gone, to quench the
thirst of our jolly tars who won the
victory in the glare of the tropical
July, or was it sold at auction to
some Iubber of broker to find it's
way into the cellars of the plutocrat?
The latter, of course.
All of these facts from the official
records of the navy department,
many of which have never before
been made public, may not be known
to the Norwegian firm, and may
prove discouraging to their enter
prise, but they are by no means con-
elusive, and tend rather to disclose
the possibility that a treasure trove
may still be found somewhere about
the sunken vessels.
1t is true that the Spaniards we're
tremendously hard up. 1t is a mat
ter of history that Cervera found the
troops at Santiago nine months be-
hind in their pay. 1t does not ap-
pear that he paid them. 1t is also
self-evident that Cervera had been
absent from the source of cash sup
ply for three months, and that his
stock of ready money may well have
run low. But when due allowance is
made for all this it is hardly credible
that he started on his cruise from
Santiago with only $4,000 with
which to pay 1000 officers and men,
coal and Yictual his ships on the
voyage and meet all emergencies in
cident to war.
What Became of the Money?
Curiously enough Cervera has
been a prolific writer. His memoirs
have been translated and published
in this country. He predicted his
defeat before he sailed from Spain.
He gives full account of all the
difficulties and dangers that confront
ed him. He is ready with apologies
and not slow to complain of his lack
of means, yet he does not once men
ton lack of ready money as one of
the causes of his defeat. If he in
fact suffered from such an astonish-
ing lack of funds he has been very
strangely silent about it. Poor as
Spain was it put into action a S15,-
100000 feet. Is it likely that Ger
vera had only $4,000 with which to
run it when he tried to escape from
Santiago?
These considerations at least rem
der plausible the theory that ali the