The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1912-05-06
by {. Il. BRAND.

Nowadays. before you go treasure
ocean for sunken ships filled with
| Spanish doubloons and bars OF goio
lou have 10 obtain the permission OF
the country off whose coast the wrecks
lie' on else COPE to some arrangement,
with those who have q real clam in
the wreck
The old public records of wrecks
nave to be carefully searched out. ana
the papers relating to the cargoes mus,
be found ana pursued to SEQ IL there
happens to be enough gold or silver
aboard to pay for the trouble of salt
ing. Then you have to locate the
wrecks. which Is most diffcult task
requiring the utmost perseverance and
expert experience.
The hardness of this task may he
gaugod from the fact that some Of the
wrecks have been discovered buried in
twenty or thirty feet OF sand, which
has been washed over them by the
eress-eurrents and tides. Sometimes
many thousands of dollars have been
spent IN loca ting wrecks before an at
tempt has been made to get at the
treasure.
Yet the search for sunl1en treasure
goes nerrily forward. One firm alone
has licenses from the English govern
nnent Of cape Colony TO safve the CoI-
tents OF thirty-two wrecks. all known
to contain treasure; and the govern
mont STIMULATES ta-reeaIre- as-As- fee
fifteen per cent, of the wealth recoN-
cred
One OF the finest prizes at the bottom
OF the sea Is the British warsntp Lu-
tine. which sank OF the coast OF Hol'
land in 1879. with gold and silver ignots
and coin estimated to be worth over
81, 200, 900. During the past century
many attempts have been made TO re
trieve this but only about $boo.oou mas
been got out OF her. Now all the iat-
est machinery of modern submarine
ene,neering science has been concen-
trated by the National Salvage COM
uany, who are making an effort TO
wrest this huge fortune IRON the ioeh-
er of Davy Jones.
. Although the I4sittne's position has
been fairly accurately known for a
hundred years. the obliteration of a
landmark during gale made 1t very
difficult for the present salvors TO find
her. Divers went down and searched
on the spot where she was supposed
to be. but she was not there. Captain
Bachelor, the leader Of these modern
treasure-hunters, thereupon decided
upon a novel plan Of ascertaining her
whereabouts.
Among the appliances Of the expedi-
dition arc powerful new sand-pumps.
one of which is capable OF removing
two thousand tons OF sand an hour
With this huge jump he started to suck
up the sea bed at terrific rate. thus
making a deep trench. His idea was
to cut trench right across the area
In which the wreck ought to lie. At
ter some hours work, entailing the
removal Of thousands Of tons OF sand,
the Tutine was rediscovered buried
thirty feet deem in sand bank.
Thus the FIRST difficult
-~offie.- Bttt~t there were many more to
face, the chief being the strong tides
which were continually altering the
shape OF the SAND banks, and the rough
seas which always seem to rule in
that spot.
Whenever II was practicable the
dredging went on. and all the sand
that was sucked up as poured through
an ARRANGEMENT something like a bird
cage. which projected over the stern
Of the salvage steamer. This con-
trivorce ia really giant sieve. and
so small Is the mesh that not even half
r. sovereign can he nossed through.
The galvors were literally sift'rg -"
he'd OF the sea. and in the sitting sew