The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1913-01-02
The Joseph Bonaparte Estate.
Built on the Banks of the Delaware River as
a Refuge for Napoleon.

Will recall his II entlOn OF the Joseph
Bonaparte estate in Bordentown, N. j.,
and will enjoy the following additional
particulars.
Three secret underground passages, a
semi-circuar subterranean room and
evidences of treasure vault, through
which he who was prisoner on the rock
of St. Helena might have found refuge
had fate permitted, have been traced on
the Bordentown, IN. j. estate where
once dwelt Joseph Bonaparte, King of
Spain.
Tradition has it that there is laby-
rinth under the great park, nest of
hidden refugees. When the estate was
purchased last year by Harris Hammond,
son of John Hays Hammond, who pro-
poses to restore il, attention was called
to the entrance to one of these passages
from the Delaware river which was
visible.
1t was said at that time that only the
restorat ton of the park was contemplate
ed, but now under the direction of Ever
EFT Shinn, the owner proposes to bring
back all of the splendors of the abode of
royalty that money and human ingenuity
can recreate.
The chateau where the King of Spain
lived under the title of Count de Survilli-
ers was burned and upon its blackened
ruins an exact copy of it is to be built.
The architects whom Mr.. Shinn is to
engage are to use as guides several old
prints and drawings which were made
when the structure still stood, while the
style of the ruined houses of the estate
also will be of assistance in the carrying
out of this ambitious scheme.
INTENDED AS REFUGE FOR NAPOLEON.
1t was the belief of Joseph Bonaparte
that one day his brother would be res
cued from his exile and on board some
friendly frigate would be brought 10
these shores. 1t was after Waterloo
that the two brothers met, and Joseph,
the older, generously placed at the dis
posal of the Emperor the vessel on board
which he had purposed to escape. They
considered establishing themselves at
some point in America, midway between
New York and Philadelphia, and not far
from the coast, where they would be in
touch with European news. Then Ma
poleon decided to surrender himself to
the British.
Joseph Bonaparte purchased an estate
of two hundred acres near BordentoWn,
and there, it is said, he expended $780,
600 in improving and developing it. He
was known to his American neighbo-s as
a French count, and on the estate he de-
voted himself apparently to nothing but
farming. He caused the earth to be
disturbed both above and beneath the
surface. as the explorations now made
public disclose.
The principal part of the estate is on
Point Breeze. at the junction of the
Delaware river and Crosswicks Creek.
There is bluff about one hundred feet
in height, upon which the main build
ings stood. The tunnels to the chateau
now prove to be three in number. The
one with it's surroundings of masonry
and its iron gates was directly on the
| Delaware river.
The other two were masked behind
clumps of trees and bushes and have
been disclosed by recent explorations
They, too, lead toward the chateau and
one evidently branches off into another
tunnel which connected with what is
known as tie gate house, under which
has been found the semi circular vault,
with diameter Of thirty feet.
THINK IT WAS TREASURY VAULT.
| There are some indications that in this
vault there is some other kind of COM
munication which had been covered with
thin shell of masonry, for although
the walls are heavy in other places, one
spot has so little brlckwork that it gives
out hollow sound when touched.
For few feet beyond these masked
entrances the tunnels have been ex-
plored. Their course is then Interrupted
by cave-ins, which have beer traced along
the surface At one point in the second
of the tunnels, the first on the creek
side, there are surface indications of the
existence of another underground room
or vault.
1t is said that Joseph Bonaparte al
ways had at hand large sums of money
which he could have used in furthering
the scheming his brother had the
escape been made One story is that
he even had gold coin concealed in the
! leaden statues which stood before the
chateau, or villa, and that these images
had unaccountab.y disappeared and no
one was seen taking them away. 1t is
believed that they and other treasure
was accessible from some point beyond
the walls of the house.
The passages will all be cleaned out,
bricked up and restored and they will
one day give many a thrill to those who
may be fortunate enough to have an in
vitation to the Bonaparte estate after
its recrudescence One may then i'm
agine himself to be the Man of Destiny,
provided that destiny had been more
kind.
BURNING OF THE CHATEAU.
The miniature court which Joseph
Bonaparte maintained came to its end
with the burning of his Bordentown
chateau. All the family were away on
a shooting expedition when member of
the household took occasion to burn
some letters. The flame caught the lace
curtains before an open window and the
structure was soon destroyed.
Joseph Bonaparte went to England in
1882 and the estate came into the pos
session of Thomas A Beckett, an Eng
lishman, who is said to have spent $50
900 upon it, his expenditure including
the erection of rather commonplace
house which stands not far from the
site of the original chateau.
The calling into being of the buildings
and the grounds as they were in their
palmy days is a task which Mr.. Shinn
says should prove inspiring to any ar
fist or decorator. Nc estimates have
been made on the cost as yet, but it is
expected that several hundred thousand
dollars will be expended.