The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1916-06-29
SIyNKEN SEA TREASURES.
Deep Sea Salvage Company Would
Raise Lost Gold.

0Ou0Cemeut VI tuo lOTIudtlOu VI WV
communicative Inter-Ocean Subma-
rine Engineering company, and the
Deep Sea Salvage corporation-to
raise ships sunk in the ocean in
depths not too great or to get out OF
them the riches they hold. The In
ter-Ocean company has among its
shareholders some of the wealthiest
and most influential men in finance
An New York. H. L. Bowden, of Ba-
yonne, N. j., is head of the Deep Sea
Salvage corporation.
Sunken treasure always has had a
fascination. 1t was inevitable that
the German fad for lining the floor
of the ocean with wrecks would stim-
ulate interest and thought in this
subject. The New York people say
that with their present equipment
they can work at a depth of 800 feet.
They expect later to go much deep
er. Mr.. Bowden says he has appa-
ratus with which he can work at 600
feet depths. In addition to stating
that an average Of 100 vessels a year
are wrecked along the coast of the
United States annually and that the
value of the vessels and cargoes lost
on the British coast each year is $45,-
O00, 900, Mr.. Bowden gives this par
tial list of the treasure he hopes to
rescue
Merida, sunk in collision with Ad-
miral Farragut, May IL, 1911, sixty
i've miles east of Cape Charles in 800
feet of water; has cargo, $500,000
in silver bars, 100000 in gold and
about 100000 valuables in pur-
ser's safe.
Oceana, sunk off Beachy Head,
March Is, 1912, in 210 feet of water;
had $5 100000 in gold and silver,
part OF loan to China.
Lusitania, torpedoed May Z, 1915,
twelve miles south of Kinsale, Ire
Hand, in 270 feet of water; about
$1,000, 900 gold and jewelry and sew
eral millions in securities aboard.
Islander, sunk In $40 feet of water
near Juneau, Alaska, with $2,000,000
In Klondike gold.
Pewabiac, sunk in Lake Huron,
160 feet of water, with sS00,000 in
treasure aboard.
s General Grant, wrecked on coast
OF Auckland Islands in 1855, in
eighty feet of water; carried $15,-
100000 in gold bars and bullion.
Alphonse, sunk off Port Gando
with 100000 in Spanish coin.
Skyro, sunk in 240 feet of water
of Cape Finisterre with 100000 in
silver bars.
Hamilla Mitchell, lost on the Len
GONNA Rock, near Shanghai, with
specie worth 100000, part of which
! has been recovered.
Flagship Florentina, lost in Tober-
mory Bay, of west coast Of Scotland,
with $15,000,0O0.
Mr.. Bowden also referred to the
Spanish galleon Santa Margarita,
which in 1597 sailed from Santo Do
mingo with $7,000,000 on board and
was wrecked in Mona Passage near
Porto Rico. Her location was dis
covered in 1908 and a group of Har-
ward men sailed on yacht they
brought to salvage her. They were
wrecked in May, 1908, in almost the
came, spot, and gave up.
He said his attention was also up
on the famed fleet of seventeen Span
ish galleons which in 1902, conveyed
by French and Spanish warships,
took from South America and the
West Indies accumulated treasure of
$140,000,000. The Dutch and Eng
lish fleets set out to capture the gal
Icons and attacked the treasure ships
In Vigo Bay Spain. The Spaniards
sank the galleons. Six of the gal
Icons, Mr.. Bowden said, being in
shallow water, were raised and about
100000, 900 recovered, but the other,
containing s12O,OO0,o00, being sunk
in more than 200 feet of water, still
rested at the bottom of Vigo Bay.
Surely that list is enough to fire
the imagination of anyone possessed
OF an adventurous spirit and divers
suit. There are persons who will
doubt the ability of anyone to work
In 600 feet Of water. The deeper
you go the greater pressure. In and
about New York there are many div
ers. They work in the sea, in the
harbor, in the rivers and at times are
summoned to the great lakes. They
have been called at times to go down
into flooded mines. On the authori.
ty of the master diver of America it
can he stated that tho preatest denth