El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1916-07-25
SEA WRECKAGE IS
SOLD At AUCTION
Cast Up on Normandy's
Coast, Floatsam and Jet
sam Of War Moves Fast.

Dieppe. France. July 25.-Flotsam
End jetsom cast up by equinoXial tides
and sold here by auction under mari
time regulations that date from the
time of Colbert, reflect each year the
destructive force of nature in fury at
sea. In ordinary years it is small
! wreckage that predominaGes-min
salvage from sailing and fishing YES
sells such as pieces of rigging. fishing
nets, broken rudders, barrels of tar
and so forth-but the wreckage washed
ashore on the coast of Normandy
has lately gone beyond all previous
records.
Find Baby's Cradle and DOLL
Jagged wounds in pieces of ships
bulls showing the traces of torpedoes.
barrels. casks, cases. more or less
chfpped dented or crushed by contac.
with the sharp reefs. with cordage
and smashed cabin furniture. life saw
ing belts. bales of rubber and cotton.
barrels of oil and molasses. casks of
tallow. with a conglomeration OF an
paratus and paraphernalia such as
none but a mariner could identify or
connect with any rational use, were
collected in one lot along with d baby's
cradle and a beheaded doll The cradle
was almost intact but the body of the
beheaded doll was blackened as If by
powder
Buyers Come for Wreckage.
There are regular buyers of the
flotsam and jetsam of this coast. who
cone here every year to speculate
lIpon the seasons disasters The mis-
cellaneous debris of an average year
has acquired a certain value that none
hut these experts would ever venture
to get out Of it. This year in har-
raonv with the general movement,
nearly everything brought war prices.
There were some rare commodities in
the salvage and there was sentiment.
The industrial alcohol, rubber. tai
low and oil went to unprecedented
prices. other miscellany that would
have been comparatively neglected n
ordinary years was readily turned into
money
Alcohol Goes to Soldiers.
The buyers come mostly from Havre.
but this year many came from as far
as Paris. The Industrial alcohol went
t. d merchant from Armentieres who Is
still trading with soldiers there under
continual bombardments- Alcohol is
rare along the front With the cask
bought by the man from Armentieres
the soldiers in that section viii be able
to heat their rations
Life Belt Brings 10 Francs.
Life belts and buoys as a rule go beg |
ginE with buyers from the interior |
This year there was a taker for every
one offered A belt that resembled
ore OF these white wreaths sold In |
fdElS lot In6 uGNOIdllOu VI SAtFtSs
with the inscription s. s Lomas, Lon !
dom upon it, a belt to which some !
life had chung to the last moment of /
resistance. no doubt. brought /
The unheard of price of 10 francs.
Ships Fragments Snapped Up.
Gang planks. ships boats and lad
1ers. along with cabin furniture and 4
bunk clothing. brought only the aver
lge auction price but the smaller de-
3ris. things no landlubber can expect I
lv the buyers from the interior If
hey showed the slightest evidence Of
having gone through one Of the sea
iramas of the great war
All this wreckage gathered along
he coast by customs officials, in
and classified, is sold after
he legal lapse of time, if unclaimed
.efore The proceeds. less the i'm
,ort duty" are held for 30 years n
he treasury of the marine invalids, !
nd definitely acquired by that charity
MY If no one establishes claim upon |
in the meantime