The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1916-08-28

ny rejoined. Though I'm n part
rer IN the scheme. know very
little about the wreck you're, TAX
inE as up 10 look FOR.
"tll let Moran tell the tale lie
found the vessel"
THE reef. said Moran. Ties
omen 10 the southwest A mile off.
and near a low island. q bank runs
out into the stream. and the after
half ~ the wreck lies on the edge
Of II. worked we'll down into the
sand At low cbb you can see the
end ~ one or two tlmbers stick.
lng up out Of the broken water.
Ia IL always broken water
Jimmy interrupted.
Pretty near. guess"
Doesn't seem a nice place for
diving Job How did you Get
down TO herr
stripped and swan down. One
day when II foil a calm for a few
hours and Jake wae busy patch.
Ing the sail. pulled the dory
across. went down twice The
aane was we'll up her bilge. but
sne was holding together. | could
have walked right aft under decks
II I'd had a diving dreas. but Id
teen In tho water long enough.
Moran apparently thought little
OF his exploit: but Jimmy could
appreciate the hArdihood he had
shown. The wreck lay far up on
the northern coast. where the sea
was chilled by currents from the
Pole, and Moran had gone down to
her when the ice was working In.
But II she was lost on the reef.
how did she reach the bank mye
away"
Il caa't tell you that. but |
guees she shook her engines out
after she broke her back. and then
slipped off into deeper water"
1T came out that she had only
a little rock ballast in her" Beth.
nne explained But the import
ant point il that the strong room
was aft. and Hank says that part
la sound
Jimmy nodded
Suppose you tell me all you
know about the matter" he said.
Leaning back against boulder.
pethune refilled and lighted his
Iipe.
VERY we'll" he said. When
! Hank mentioned his discovery, |
thought | saw an opportunity OF
the kind I'd been waiting for: and
I took some trouble TO find out
what could about the vessel. She
was an old wooden propeller that
came round Cape Horn a good
many years ago When she couldn't
compete with modern steamboats,,
u looked as II there wasn't any
| trade In which she could make a
| living: but the klondike rush be-
gan. and somebody bought her
| cheap and ran her up To Nome.
There were better boata. but they
we're packed full. fore and aft. and
the crowd going North was fastidi.
/ Gus.
1T was probably because no 9th.
err boat was available that a small
mining syndicate. which seems TO
have done pretty well. shipped a
quantity OF gold down from the
| North In her Besides this. she
! brought out number of miners
who had been more or less success.
full Something went wrong with
the engines when she had been a
day or two at sea. but they got sail
on her, and she drove south before
a fresh gale until she struck the
reef on a hazy night.
1T broke her back. and the after
hold was flooded a few minutes aft
or she struck. The strongroom was
under water. there was no time t.
cut down to IT, but they got the
boats away, and after the crew and
passengers were picked up. San
Francisco salvage company thought
II worth while to attempt the recov
cry Of the gold.
1T was late I'm the season when
their tug reached the spot. and the
ice drove her off the reef After q
week they threw up the contract
The underwriters paid all losses
and that was the end OF the matter
1t In only the drifting of the stern
half into shoal water that gives us
our chance. Now think you know
AZ much as | do"
Jimmy sat thouehtfully silent fol
a few minutes, realizing that It was
a reckless venture he had undortak
on. The wreck lay In unfrequentet
waters, which were swept by angry
currents that brought in the leo.