Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1911-01-25
1STORY repeats itself with
strange reversals sometimes.
And now and then, embedded
in otherwise prosaic facts. she

Ill OtuS1 WISE pIOSSt1C 4dCISs DIG
records romances and acts of
heroism worthy of great novels. Such
reversal of history and act Of hero.
ism was found the other day anent
the Treasure Ship of Tobermory."
A word regarding the parallel. Amer
lean newspapers have been telling
lately Of plans for raising the battle
ship Maine, sunk by an explosion in
Havana harbOr. Much has been writ
ten of the way she was destroyed, and
the part that possible Spanish treach-
cry played in it. The Treasure Ship
Of Tobermory," one of the Spanish Ar
mazda, was blown up in a Scotch 1och
more than two centuries ago. Span
tsh treachery caused the disaster The
ancient galleon, the hull of which is
being uncovered, was one of the fleet
sent by Spain to humble England and
change the destiny of the Anglo-Saxon
peoples. In the modern parallel, the
destruction of the Maine ended Span
ish rule in America, and forced the
United States into the far east by way
OF the Philippines. The parallel and
reversal may go still further-but let
the facts shape the romance.
Details have recently reached Amer
lea as to how the treasure seekers in
Scotland are recovering the loot of the
Spanish galleon. The picture and the
synopsis that goes with it explain
themselves. They disclose three meth
DDS for bringing to light the beams of
African oak, cannon shot, swords,
arquebuses and lead shot, the silver
plate and Spanish "pieces-of-eight" bu-
rfed In the sea mud that has been
pfling up on the sea bed for genera.
lions.
First the diver probes the sea bed
with a long steel rod. When he finds
indications Of wreckage the well-boring
apparatus is moved up. It is like
those used here in making artesian
shafts, only attached to q boat. The
pipe and auger are driven downward
through the sea bed until splinters of
ancient oak or metal in the bore indi-
cate the presence of wreckage from
the galleon. Then the other boat of
the treasure hunters is moored over
the spot. 1t is provided with an iron
pipe reaching to the bottom Of the
loch. On the deck this is connected
with powerful centrifugal sand
pump. The pump sucks up sand, mud
and water from the sea bed. The out
let curves over the side of the boat
and under it are wire screens which
have retained shot, some sword hits,
and stilettos from the Spanish wreck
that were buried in the mud.
This is not search for treasure at
haphazard, either. Enough is known
of the Spanish galleon, how she
came to be in Scotch loch, and of
her destruction to warrant all this ex.
pense and trouble. @.-..
That you know about the Spanish
Armada goes without saying. This
story begins after the English navy
met the Spaniards in a running sea
fight In the British channel, and the
drew out Of the battle lines
and came to anchor OF the coast of
Flanders. The truce was short one.
brakes fireships appeared, threaten
Ing destruction Of the Spanish gal
Icons. The Armada, still numbering
120 battleships, troopships and con-
voys, slipped their cables and fed I'M
the North sea. There more than half
of them were wrecked in great storm
or were driven, crippled, ashore. Only
f1fty-three shattered hulks of the 120
limped back to Spain.
Some of the Spanish ships went to
pieces on the coast of Scotland, others
to the west Of ireland, and some as
far north as the Scotland islands, 'sThe
Treasure Ship of Tobermory" escaped
the ravages Of storms and the reefs
and cliffs Of dangerous coasts to be de-
stroyed by a Scotchman's act of SUI
preme revenge.
The galleon, rounding the northern
capes OF Scotland, put into the Loeb of
Tobermory on the west coast for sup
plies: food was running short. The
storms OF the North sea meant lost
spars and tackle, which must be re-
newed for the voyage to Spain. The
Spaniards intended to help themselves
from the Highlanders' stores on the
neighboring lochs and hills. They
found their match In Sir Lauchlan
Maclean. ensconced in his castle, Du-
art.
Before they knew it, the spaniards